Rating: 
Summary: An Educational and Challenging Blast
Review: We started my 4 & 8 years old boys with the original Zoo Tycoon game. Then we added the Dinosaur and Marine Expansion Pack. This whole set is so much fun for the little and the big. Both of them enjoy the challenge of making the animals happy as well as learning about so many of them. The 8-year old has little trouble playing the game by himself. The 4-year old needs a little help to play the game successfully--but hey, its a game and he can always start it over. This is really great!!
Rating:
Summary: lots of fun
Review: I bought this collection for my sons birthday last year and he and I fight over who gets to play it next. It is really addictive and you have to watch about playing, you can be on there for hours and is not a good thing for young childrens eye's but I consider it really educational and fun. Everyone should own this software.
Rating: 
Summary: Rollercoaster Tycoon Goes to the Zoo
Review: Every company loves to make a tycoon game, especially after the financial success of Rollercoaster Tycoon, and to Zoo Tycoon's credit, it is probably the best tycoon series since the rollercoaster titles and can be a fun game to spend time with. Unfortunately, most mainstream games such as this one have limited content in the original game and require you to purchase subsequent expansions to fully enjoy the game. Thus, the first Zoo Tycoon probably didn't have enough animals, scenery and other goodies to make it a worthwhile purchase. However, now that the original game and both expansions can be had for the same price as the first game, it's a good buy. Casual gamers will probably have a lot of fun with this title, especially consumers that want a family game. Hardcore gamers that have seen it all will probably be entertained for a day or two and then look elsewhere. Anyone that enjoys games that allow them to create and build will get a kick out of Zoo Tycoon. I especially enjoyed the free form option that allows a gamer to build a zoo from scratch instead of sticking with scenarios that have preset goals. It's a decent game, nothing spectacular, but creative enough to keep you playing for a few days.
Rating:
Summary: 3 in 1!!
Review: I got the original Zoo Tycoon awhile back and played that game SO much for weeks! I also played both expansion packs - and got myself hooked all over again! Then I got a new computer, quit playing it for awhile to play some other games... and when I wanted to go play it again, I realized I had lost the disks! Argh! So, you can imagine, I was very pleased when the Zoo Tycoon Complete Collection came out - now I can buy all three together - YAY!!The game is a lot of fun - one of my favorite tycoon games ever made. I am an animal lover though, so I am a tad bit biased. Basic idea of the game is that you build a zoo from the ground up! You build the cages, put water and plant and caves and houses in the cages for the animals - though each animal is different so its somewhat tricky! You have to get stuff for each cage that the particular animal likes. Also, some animals are unhappy unless you give them a mate... but this has consequences! The animals in my zoos were always EXTREMELY prolific! Every few seconds some animal was having a baby (sometimes 2-3 babies!). This was fun, except when you get too many animals in one cage, it makes them all unhappy and crowded. You can sell the babies though, which can make you some cash for your zoo. When building your zoo, you also get tons of pre-made exhibits to purchase - like an insect house, a snake house, a monkey house and tons more. You can't really do a heck of a lot with them, but the guests at your zoo like them! The graphics on the game are decent, it ran well on my old computer and on my new computer - I never had a single problem with installing it and it never crashed. Beware though - it is EXTREMELY addicting! I would load it up sometimes and play for what seemed like a short while, look at the clock and realized 4 hours had passed!
Rating:
Summary: Put the kids to bed.......
Review: and lock the doors! This game is too much fun! The first time I played it I was amazed at the realism. You not only have to build a layout that is asthetically pleasing to your guests but you have to maintain it as well. The animals you add to your zoo must be kept happy at all times or you won't be able to purchase more. An animal advocate group will actually prevent you from purchasing new animals until you fix the existing exhibits. The guests have to be kept happy or your zoo won't make any $$$$$ and you won't be able to purchase new animals. From the animals to the zoo workers to the concession stands and right down to the public restrooms and trash cans! You can check the status of your zoo, how many guests are visiting, how many are happy vs. unhappy (Make sure you have plenty of restrooms and benches for guests to relax). Watch the filters on your Marine life water tanks! And be careful to watch the fencing around the lion cage (I accidentally removed a section of fence by accident and one of my guests was attacked)! This will teach your children (if you let them near it) to manage money and given them a sense of responsibility. BUY THIS GAME!!!
Rating: 
Summary: dangerously addictive
Review: Who doesn't love a graphically rich, high-quality SIM? Not me! A SIM has to be pretty good, though, to engage me for hours, and this one does. Employees, customers, bathrooms, escaping animals - so much going on. The animals are adorable and you can tell that the creators of the game put a lot of thought and loving care into the sound effects and how the animals move. Die-hard fans of "The Crocodile Hunter" will not be disappointed in the animals' behavior. I have caught myself playing for hours on end and realizing only because I had to go to work the next morning that I had better save the game and come back later. Now that there are expansion packs, I'm more encouraged about future play. My less than perfect rating is due to some missing components. When animals escape, the zoo keepers find them immediately and crate them. No one gets trampled, no one sues the zoo, no reporters, no fines from environmental groups, no protestors ... no realism there. There could be more expansive research programs such as cloning of rare animals or cross breeding for hybrids such as Leopons and Tigons (they exist - I'm not making them up). How about animal loan programs - such as loaning my rare panda to another zoo for their fertility program for a year in exchange for more money for my zoo? I also wish I could zoom into places like the reptile and monkey houses and see what goes on in there. Getting employees to stick to one area is not easy. It would be better if you could color code them in addition to naming them... and putting an animal label on them so the animals they care for would be obvious without having to pause the game, highlight the employee and then get info on them. All in all, great game play and a lot of variables make for hours on end of fun - and that can be a good thing and a bad thing.
Rating:
Summary: Lions and T-Rex and Dolphins, oh my!!!
Review: I love this game and so do my kids. this is the best sim in my opinion. every time you play it it's different because you decide if your zoo is top rate or could use some work. I love to watch you animals and of course i love the baby animals.
But save your money and buy the complete edition that comes with the two expansion packs so you don't fork out the 25.00 each for the expansion packs when for the price of one you can get all three.
Rating:
Summary: 3 in one and even more fun
Review: Zoo Tycoon Complete Collection is the video game my daughter was waiting for. A quick overview: In the original Zoo Tycoon, you are in control of a Zoo building scheme, similar to other "tycoon" games on the market. The original game had many animals and features, and allowed you to solve problem scenarios and create you own free form Zoo. However, I thought the original Zoo Tycoon had rather limited selections for the money. In the first expansion pack, Zoo Tycoon Dinosaur Digs, they went a little way to solving the limitations by giving you Dinosaurs to create your own version of "Jurassic Park". It also added (finally!) some themed concessions to make your Dino park even more of a time travelling adventure. But, it too was fairly expensive for an expansion. In the second expansion pack, Zoo Tycoon Marine Mania, "Sea World" type attractions were added, along with some new theming concessions and other things that went a long way to solving the problems of the original limits of the game. For a long while, some other additions were only available online. Several Endangered animals and some weird ones like Yeti and the Loch Ness Monster took quite a bit of download time to add to your park creation capabilities. But now, in Zoo Tycoon Complete Collection, we have a truly complete collection. Not only is the original Zoo Tycoon included, but the Dinosaur Digs expansion, the Marine Mania expansion, =and= all of the previously only available by download material. The added feature of being able to see a few facts about your animals in a special window could make this game an educational experience. Making sure your animals have the proper terrain teaches that animals prefer the environment they originally lived in, and may help reinforce people's thoughts to preserving the few endangered animals that are in the wild. I'm almost a Tycoon game addict, I love this package. I've played this so much I can see it in my sleep. I really enjoyed the effort the company made to include the previously downloadable only material. The four sections of the game crate a truly complete collection, just as advertised. When considering Christmas presents for children, or a special treat for tycoon game loving adults, I find myself telling people about Zoo Tycoon Complete Collection, where I never did while it was all available in separate parts. Former fans of Zoo Tycoon will enjoy the fact that everything's included. New players will enjoy the easy scenarios, while experienced Tycooners will have the real tough problem scenarios they love. Highly recommended.
Rating:
Summary: Animal Kingdom
Review: The creators of the acclaimed Roller Coaster Tycoon let your imagination run wild with Microsoft's Zoo Tycoon. The latest strategy management game lets you build a zoo full of wild animals of your very own. Not only do you have to satisfy the needs of your guest but care for the animals in your zoo. The game features over 40 different animals and more available for download on its Web site. Build adequate animal exhibits by providing the right foliage and surface terrain. Hire zookeepers, maintenance workers and tour guides to care for your guests and animals. Build gift shops, restrooms, restaurants and other zoo buildings which keep guests very happy. Place paths and inviting scenery to help beautify your zoo. Manage your resources and staff and you'll be a zoo tycoon. If you enjoyed Roller Coaster Tycoon and other Sim games then give Zoo Tycoon a try. Zoo Tycoon is a well-paced and entertaining building and management strategy game. There are more than a dozen different game scenarios to improve Zoo Tycoon skills and unlock new challenges. If scenario objectives and tight schedules cramp your creativity then build your ultimate zoo in any of the 28 freeform building maps. The gameplay is similar to Roller Coaster Tycoon with easy-to-use interface and fun graphics. Parents and kids will get plenty of enjoyment but serious sim players might find it mildly amusing. With its organized gameplay and polished visuals, Zoo Tycoon earns an "A-".
Rating:
Summary: One of my favorite Tycoon Games
Review: Most "tycoon" games I've played have been cheap wastes of time. I love the genre though, so I keep playing! I saw a friend playing Zoo Tycoon and I had to try it - what more could an animal lover like myself ask for in a tycoon game?? I always play these games on sandbox mode and cheat to give myself lots of money. I had a great time spending hours upon hours creating all sorts of cool exhibits and experimenting with different zoo layouts. The controls are easy to use and there are TONS of animals and "stuff" to choose from when making exhibits. And if you get bored, you can always let the lions out to wreak some havoc. I have also played both expansions to Zoo Tycoon, and they're both great. I really enjoy the Marine Mania one, I like making the shows for my dolphins and killer whales. My only issue with the game, it seemed like my animals loved to procreate. ALL the time. Especially my chimps! Every few minutes something was having a baby, and the chimps were having babies so often they were always upset at having too many animals in the enclosure! This isn't a huge problem, because it's easy to sell off an animal. It was just a minor annoyance since once you get a large zoo, at least one animal is having babies every 15-30 seconds. I do want to mention that friends who have the same game did NOT have the same issues - maybe my animals listened to too much Barry White?? I highly recommend this game to anyone who is a tycoon fan. It's a blast and easily one of the better tycoon games out there.
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