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Zoo Keeper Review
Written by Modojo Staff on Friday, February 11, 2005
Simple, quick, and clean puzzle action with a presentation and style that services it well.
Not enough depth or strategy.
...Continued From Page 1 Generally speaking, Zoo Keeper wraps itself up neatly with a variety of simple game modes. There is the namesake "Zoo Keeper" mode, in which you clear a specific number of animals to move on to the next stage. As almost per requisite, there exists a time-based mode, which has you fighting a six-minute clock for a high score. One of the more bizarre scenarios is "Tokoton 100", where in order to progress through stages you have to clear 100 animals of each type.
Then there's "Quest" which can easily be mistaken for "Zoo Keeper" mode strung together by some neat story sequences. In reality, it stirs light objective-based puzzling into the mix. The sessions begin as they always do but now you'll need to omit certain animals, only chain a few types, or single a specific animal out for your clearing purposes. This mode rewards and penalizes you with points, so make sure you follow directions. Lastly is "VS." mode, which can be generously transmitted with one game card to another DS unit.
Now, while the technical execution of the mode's wireless multiplayer gaming has almost zero snags, it's here that Zoo Keeper's thin, luck-infused gameplay starts to show its shallowness. The matches are blatantly too quick and inconsequential for their own good. Sure, they can be short bursts of great fun, but sometimes the luck of the icons and power-ups will dictate the entire match in a matter of seconds. The lack of true skill or even reflexes for the core game mechanics will make you wary of playing with a friend for a second time.
It is also in VS. mode where you will discover just how maddeningly loopy the music can become. In fact, prolonged sessions in any of the modes will force you to educate yourself on how to quickly mute the background audio.
But the bottom line is that the game is inherently fun and it will call you back for some serious repeat play, as a single player experience, that is. You may think of it as a castrated form of Tetris Attack, like I did initially, but the infectious qualities of the game will prove something: even though it's not nearly as timeless as some of your favorite puzzlers, this little animal-themed gem still has merit. A potential sequel or knockoff of the Zoo Keeper premise could have a prosperous future in this portable market, but only at a more fitting price.
