The good ideas in [i]Zoo Tycoon[/i] aren't developed far enough to warrant top marks, but Frontier Developments have delivered a capable game that will delight gamers of all ages.

Few console launch games truly appeal to the whole family. Instead games tend to be aimed squarely at the serious gamer, or to a much lesser extent, children. Very few appeal to both the parent gamer and their children as well. In that regard at least, Zoo Tycoon may be exceptional.

A zoo management sim, Zoo Tycoon includes three basic game modes, Free Form, Challenge and Campaign, as well as a comprehensive tutorial.

In Challenge mode, apsiring zoologists build a zoo from scratch, completing small challenges as they pop up, from opening the first attraction to adopting five different breeds of animals, or from repairing broken restrooms to nursing a sick animal back to health. Each one of these challenges has a set time limit depending on its difficulty, and how these tasks are managed and prioritised determines success or failure in this mode. Soon there will be four or five challenges on the go at once, and each of varying length and difficulty. As Challenges are completed the Zoo’s Fame level increases, opening up the ability to research more animals (of which there are over 100), 'enrichments', decorations, and concessions.

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