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Zoo Keeper

EMAIL PRINT ds

7.5 User Score:

Mixed or average reviews

Based on 40 critic reviews
How did we calculate this?

Based on 10 votes
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Game Info

Publisher: Ignition Entertainment

Developer: Success Corporation

Genre(s): Action, Puzzle

Players: 2

ESRB Rating: E (Everyone)

Release Date: January 17, 2005

Summary

Using the Touch Screen, players tap the Nintendo DS stylus to swap the positions of animals on the screen to create lines of three or more of the same type. These animals are then "captured," allowing other animals to fall into their place. Zoo Keeper includes a variety of play modes to ensure that gamers have depth of gameplay. Players also can take advantage of the DS Wireless Communication to play simultaneous two-player modes that only requires one Nintendo DS Zoo Keeper Game Card. [Ignition]

Cheat Codes & Hints: Cheat Code Central

Also On The Web: Official Website

What The Critics Said

All critic scores are converted to a 100-point scale. If a critic does not indicate a score, we assign a score based on the general impression given by the text of the review. Learn more...

100

DS Central

Zookeeper is what a video game should be: easy to learn, hard to master.

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100

Times Online

Frighteningly addictive.

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3DAvenue

Quite possibly the most under rated DS game so far.

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Gaming Age

A quality puzzler for the DS. Furthermore, it's one of the few games out that makes legitimate use of the touch screen.

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Worth Playing

It's not something you can play for weeks and weeks on end, but rather a game you can play for three minutes or three hours and still have a blast.

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Games Radar UK (Pre-2006)

It's so simple. Like most block puzzlers out there, your task is to match the colours into rows of three or four. But despite its rudimentary aim, it's ludicrously addictive. [NGC Pocket]

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eToychest

The gameplay found in Zoo Keeper is both simplistic and addictive.

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1UP

With its intuitive interface and pile of options, Zoo Keeper is the best game of Bejeweled you'll ever play. And frankly, that should be all the recommendation you need.

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Gamestyle

Even for veterans, the addition of wireless two-player support and enhanced touch-screen control is just about worth the asking price.

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G4 TV

It's no stunner visually and the background music will drive you up the wall, but there's just something about its deceptively simple gameplay and excellent head-to-head mode that will keep you coming back again and again.

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Gamers Europe

Accessible to newcomers and seasoned gamers alike.

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games(TM)

As simple and addictive a puzzle game as we’ve seen in recent years, Zoo Keeper’s transition onto a handheld platform like the DS couldn’t have been more of a success. Tetris for the next generation? It’s certainly a close call. [Apr 2005, p.94]

GameCube Europe

Don’t play this game unless you have the rest of the day to thrash out your anger on the small, cute zoo animals.

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AltGaming

While the gameplay may essentially be the same as the online flash version, which you’ll have no doubt tinkered with, the grip that Zoo Keeper has makes shelling out the money’s required more than worth it.

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RewiredMind

The perfect vehicle to kick-off the new era of immediate, accurate control that the DS brings along with it; instantly open, as it is, to new and seasoned gamers alike.

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RealGamer

Charming, immersive and intuitive. Oh yes.

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Pocket Games

At half the price it would be a must own. [Spring 2005, p.63]

PALGN

The dark horse of the DS launch, Zoo Keeper is a smart, endearing puzzler that can engulf hours at a time.

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GameBiz

Also the fact you can buy one copy of the game to play multiplayer will help to make this game popular.

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Next Level Gaming

Pretty addictive, and it will help rip away those long house in the car. The music could have been much better, but the game itself is very colorful and it has a Japanese look and feel to it.

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Thunderbolt

It gives you immediate fun; the 6-minute challenge is perfect for when you are waiting for someone. The return of old school scoreboard gives it replay value. It's just pure and simple, unadulterated fun.

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WHAM! Gaming

One additional factor that can’t be overlooked is the addictiveness of this game. Zoo Keeper has been in my DS for weeks now, and as much as I complain about the weight of the DS, or the similarities between Zoo Keeper and "Bejeweled," I don’t think I’m going to change it out for anything else that soon.

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GameSpot

When you look at Zoo Keeper strictly as a DS game and ignore the outside world, it's a great puzzle offering that looks nice and offers play that can be really habit-forming.

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N-Insanity

The quick pick-up-and-play gameplay technicality will immediately pull you in. The cutesy graphics and sound set the game’s atmosphere nicely.

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GameZone

It’s just not a revolutionary title that will impress you with incredible graphics and fancy features and controls. But how many puzzle games really do that?

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Game Chronicles

It will delight gamers of all ages and the more you play the better you get. It promotes observation, color and pattern recognition skills, but the random nature of the game boards is more about reflexes than problem solving.

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AceGamez

It's a shame both the sounds and graphics are limited, as on the whole the gameplay itself is a hell of a lot of fun; incredibly tense, simplistic enough to be picked up quickly but, like all the best puzzlers, incredibly difficult to master.

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NintendoWorldReport

Avery fun game. However, nobody should be playing $40 for it. It’s fun, but nowhere near worth it. Wait for a price drop on this little gem, because it’ll be worth it at half the price.

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IGN

I'm all for easy-to-learn, easy-to-play, hard-to-master puzzle games on the handheld, and Zoo Keeper is a pretty good one. It's a little too random for my tastes to make it a true Nintendo DS classic game, but it's got enough lasting play in its single player modes to recommend.

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GameSpy

It's just what a good puzzler should be: simple and addictive.

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Cheat Code Central

The Nintendo DS version uses the stylus and touch screen to great affect and even manages to add an entirely new combo system to the mechanics of the game.

Gamenikki

There's only two puzzlers on DS to date, and Zoo Keeper trumps "Mr. Driller" with the inclusion of single-cart multiplayer. Worth a pickup, if puzzlers are your thing.

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Sydney Morning Herald

The touch-screen controls are perfect and two-player action wonderful fun. But often chain reactions come from luck rather than skill and there is a lack of variety in the different play modes.

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NTSC-uk

A fun little game that transfers well to the format of the DS and gives new life and vigour to the genre by way of the touch-screen input.

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Game Informer

A solid imitation of 2001's shareware "Bejeweled" (which is considerably cheaper). [Apr 2005, p.142]

VGPub

The problem with this game is there is not much to it. Your only real goal is to get a high score, which in this day and age is not enough.

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Modojo

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.

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Eurogamer

The portability, extra modes and various refinements of the DS version make for a much more satisfying game than the Flash effort we're continually referencing, but the DS is already home to a good few equally satisfying puzzlers (including "Mr. Driller" and "Polarium") and we'd seriously suggest looking to them before haggling for a copy of Zoo Keeper.

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Nintendo Power

It's a simple idea, but it proves to be a little bit of a trick to jump in and play. [March 2005, p.107]

Game Revolution

I could have recommended Zoo Keeper for $10 or possibly even $15, but at full price, this is a complete rip-off.

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What Our Users Said

The average user rating for this game is 7.5 (out of 10) based on 10 User Votes

Note: User votes are NOT included in the Metascore calculation.

Blue Falcon gave it an8:
This is a puzzle game with lasting appeal. It plays similar to Meteos, but is less flashy and perhaps more challenging to start.

Scott H. gave it a10:
Brilliant best and most addictive game on the ds worth every penny the game bejewled wanted to be!

Tony G. gave it an8:
Great little puzzle game, way more fun than meteos!!!

Justin C. gave it a10:
Can you say "incredibly fun and addicting game"? If you can, you should go pick up Zoo Keeper for the DS. It was definteley worth the $17.99 price tag.

Roc Raiden Raider gave it a9:
This is an excenlent game, but it deffinitly was not worth $40. Now that it has dropped to $20, every Ds owner should have this fun puzzler.

Aazlain R. gave it a7:
Good little puzzle game. Ideal for a quick game. Makes excellent use of the touch screen feature. You only need 1 copy of the game to play with your friends. Should have been 10$ less expensive.

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