Zoo Tycoon

Microsoft/Blue Fang

PC

Dear Editor:

I know I was supposed to get this review of Zoo Tycoon to you by Wednesday, but, you understand, I have more important things to do. Like cleaning the hippo’s cage. Like raising enough donations to buy a mate for the saltwater crocodile. Like making sure my research and development team is working on creating a toy that will keep the mandrill happy. You know, just the day-to-day price of being a zoo tycoon. I wouldn’t be much of a tycoon if people stopped coming to my zoo because there aren’t enough restrooms or because the drinks are too expensive. I know I’m kinda new to this game, which I originally wrote off as being just another “sim,” (remember the quirky but unsatisfying Sim Ant?), but once I save up enough money for the reptile house, I’m sure I’ll have fulfilled my objectives and be able to move on to the next scenario. I hear that renovation project out in San Jose needs some serious landscaping. That’s OK — I’ve got more types of flowers, fences, trees, and fauna to work with than you could ever imagine. The only question is how many maintenance workers to hire. Three hundred bucks a month in salary can add up, you know. Anyway, about the review … I hope next week is OK, ’cause I gotta run. The African warthog is so pissed there’s not a eucalyptus tree in his exhibit that he’s on the verge of hysteria.

This article appears in December 21 • 2001.

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