World of Zoo
© 2009 THQ, Inc.
This mostly one player Wii game puts you in the role of a zookeeper, in which you take care of as many as 90 species of animals. As with past versions of Zoo Tycoon or Sim Animals, the animals are mixtures of real facts and made-up behaviors. You probably wouldn't pet a real-life crocodile, for example. The more you care for your virtual animals, the more you learn their habits and gain their trust, earning you hearts. There's also an Animal Creator feature that lets you change their size. Content includes 20 exhibits to unlock. The game embeds tidbits of real animal facts in the game, which enhances the educational value of the title. The graphics on the Wii version look more cartoonish than previous PC editions of Zoo Tycoon. A free-form mode allows you to interact with the animals you like best and you can also compete in goal-oriented and co-op challenges. There are also minigames to earn awards and gain access to unlockable content. Progress is saved automatically. Our testers liked the interactions with animals, and the way they responded to these interactions. Developed by Blue Fang, creators of the Zoo Tycoon series. See also SimAnimals.
$40, Wii, Nintendo DS, Windows
Teaches: science, animals, ecology
CTR Rating: 88%