World of Zoo
Ages: Everyone

Here is a new zoo animal game with a new twist. There is the standard boiler plate that provides information about the animals and their habitats; then the usual feeding, petting, playing with, attending to minor ailments; but the kicker is coloring the animals to make an other-world zoo that you haven't seen before in your lifetime.

Habitats for the animals are large, allowing them to run around and play, which also gives you space to put playsets in the area. The animals have thought bubbles that tell you what they want. If it is an item you simply pick it out from their bubbles and give it to them. Talk about instant gratification. Money is not your concern - your focus is to get to be a better animal caretaker and finally get to be an animal whisperer.

The re-coloring of the animals is the most fun, and probably be where kids spend most of their time. The animals are drawn in a somewhat blocky style which works well when you are coloring in the sections. Point and click is all that is required because new colors will replace the original colors. Colors are only part of the reincarnation of these animals. Changes can be made to every part from nose to tail and you can end up with a critter that looks like it came out of Dr. Moro's laboratory. Once these animals are created, they can be put into their related zoo habitats and intermingle with other animals.

There is no end to creating new animals for the original ones. It will keep players engrossed for a long time. Eleven different animal families plus a nursery makes for an expansive game; antelopes, bears, big cats, crocodiles, elephants, giraffes, horses , koalas, small monkeys, pandas and penguins. Even Dr. Moro would be wowed.

Fun Factor: Lots of fun making outrageous animals
Player Friendly: Simple to navigate from the hub. Manual neglects info on saves.

Reviewed by: Editor - 11/09