| Zoo Tycoon 2 | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Developers | Blue Fang Games Rapan |
| Publisher | Microsoft Game Studios[a] |
| Series | Zoo Tycoon |
| Engine | Gamebryo |
| Platforms | Windows, Mac OS X |
| Release | WindowsMac OS X |
| Genre | Business simulation |
| Mode | Single-player |
Zoo Tycoon 2 is a business simulation video game developed by Blue Fang Games and published by Microsoft Game Studios and MacSoft. Originally released in 2004 for Microsoft Windows, Zoo Tycoon 2 is also available for Windows Mobile, PDA, and Mac OS X, although expansions are not included in the Mac version. A Nintendo DS version, titled Zoo Tycoon 2 DS, was released in 2008.
Similar to its predecessor, 2001's Zoo Tycoon, the objective is to build and operate a zoo by creating exhibits and aquariums, keeping guests and animals happy, and maintaining employees, finances, terrain, foliage, and scenery.
Gameplay
The gameplay revolves around creating suitable exhibits for animals through habitat modifications (ground cover, water, elevation, foliage, and rocks, plus a variety of other items including food, shelters, and toys/enrichment items) which fulfill the animal's needs (habitat, hunger, thirst, stimulation, privacy, sleep, social, and exercise). Guests will visit the zoo to see the animals, and they also have needs that need to be fulfilled through scenery and buildings (hunger, thirst, bathroom, seating, and entertainment). They might stay several months in the zoo if they are satisfied, but quickly leave if they are unhappy.
Zoo Tycoon 2 features three gameplay modes: Campaign, Challenge, and Freeform. In Campaign mode, the player plays through scenarios in existing zoos and is assigned different objectives to complete, such as achieving a certain fame level, caring for rescued animals, or breeding endangered species. In Challenge mode, the player starts a zoo from scratch and is given random challenges which can be accepted or rejected. In both of these modes, players have limited money and start with limited access to animals and items, with more becoming available as zoo fame level increases. The last mode, Freeform, allows the player to create a zoo from scratch with unlimited money and access to all animals and items from the start.
Development
After the success of the original Zoo Tycoon, a sequel was planned. Marketing materials showed an emphasis on 3D visuals as well as first-person perspective and photo modes.[4] The game's first-person Guest Mode was added due to many fan requests to get "closer" to the animals.[5] The Photo Mode and Zookeeper Mode were refined after developers decided that the player should be able to interact with the world while walking around. First-person movement and controls were based on first-person shooters, with developers citing Half-Life as an inspiration.[6]
The game was also designed to be more freeform than Zoo Tycoon was, with developer Shawn Stone citing that habitat building in the first game was a formulaic process that was improved upon in the sequel.[7] Terrain deformation and the Biome Brush were implemented to give the player more specific control over animal habitats by creating unique and individual exhibits, while still keeping them simple enough so as not to alienate players that were not as interested in the details of building an exhibit.[8]
The development team noted the change in conservation messages portrayed by zoos after the release of Zoo Tycoon, and worked to make Zoo Tycoon 2 feel up to date with current information and messaging.[9] Expansion packs were released for the game up to four years after its initial release, with designer Linda Currie citing the team working on three expansions simultaneously during development. Updated mechanics in each expansion required changes to be made to all animals, to ensure that each expansion pack would not break the game. The team worked to make changes without altering the core systems in place, in order to make updates and QA testing easier, and with lower risk.[10]
Marketing and promotion
Publisher Microsoft Game Studios ran several promotions involving the game, including a competition allowing kids to "Become a Zoo Keeper for the day" in the UK,[11] and a competition to find "America's Favorite Zoo" in the US, an online vote which would result in a $25,000 grant from Microsoft to be put towards upkeep and maintenance.[12] The contest consisted of three rounds, with the first round consisting of zoos being picked by a team of judges based on submitted press materials, which resulted in 15 semifinalists. Rounds two and three were done by fans in an online vote. In November 2004, the Tulsa Zoo was declared the winner of the polls, and was awarded the grant.[13]
Expansion packs
Endangered Species
On October 18, 2005, Microsoft released Zoo Tycoon 2: Endangered Species, the first expansion pack for the game. The expansion adds many new rare and endangered animal species, including the koala, gray wolf, Komodo dragon, scimitar-horned oryx, American bison, and orangutan, as well as a number of new forms of transportation, including sky trams, jeep tours, and elevated paths. The expansion also has a feature called "variant skins", which means that when the player adopts an animal, it may look different from normal members of its species (such as a white tiger and King Cheetah).
African Adventure
The second expansion pack, Zoo Tycoon 2: African Adventure, was released on May 16, 2006. It adds various new African animals such as the bongo, secretarybird, ratel, and meerkat, and allows the player to drive through exhibits with African-themed Jeep tours to get closer to them. The expansion pack also includes new maps based on well-known African locations, as well as new desert-themed buildings, lizard live food, and a new set of challenges and campaigns. The Jeep vehicle tours originally included in Endangered Species are featured prominently in this expansion, with the addition of the new Jeep Liberty.
Dino Danger Pack
The Dino Danger Pack was released as a premium download at the end of July 2006, meaning it could only be downloaded from the Zoo Tycoon website via credit card. It added four new extinct dinosaurs to the game: Tyrannosaurus, Triceratops, Carnotaurus, and Styracosaurus, as well as new objects to be used for them and a new campaign scenario.[14] Following the release of Zoo Tycoon 2: Extinct Animals, which includes more updated versions of all of the animals included in the pack as well as additional content, Dino Danger was removed from the Zoo Tycoon website and can no longer be downloaded there. However, other sites still offer this pack.
Zookeeper Collection
The Zookeeper Collection was released on October 17, 2006. It includes the Endangered Species and African Adventure expansions as well as all animals and content from the base game.[15]
Marine Mania
Released on October 17, 2006, Zoo Tycoon 2: Marine Mania features 20 new aquatic animals, new marine options, marine shows, and several other new gaming features. The expansion also includes marine plants, the ability to build tanks, animal shows, mini-games to teach behaviors to some of the marine animals, and four new aquatic biomes (reef, coastal, pelagic, and benthic), and new scenarios and challenges. Changes were made to the original method of biome layout, allowing the ability to toggle the visibility of rocks, flowers, and/or trees, as well as enhancing water effects and improving the way animals move through water in a 3D space, affecting the new animals included in the pack as well as various semi-aquatic animals from the base game such as Nile crocodiles and polar bears.[10] New animals range from the giant whale sharks to the tiny rockhopper penguins.
Extinct Animals
Zoo Tycoon 2: Extinct Animals was released on October 17, 2007. It was the final expansion in the Zoo Tycoon series, with 34 adoptable animal species and one bonus species. The player can find fossils or get staff to find them. The player can then assemble the fossils, and can also create normal and "Super" extinct animals in an extinct research lab. The player can also stop rampaging dinosaurs by using the tranquilizer gun.
Ultimate Collection
Ultimate Collection contains the original game plus all four official expansions and a new menu theme exclusive to it, similar to Zoo Tycoon: Complete Collection.[16] This title was released on September 30, 2008.[17] Some users reported disk problems, whereby the third disk was the same as the second one. Microsoft sent free disk replacements at their support site.
Microsoft subsequently licensed the game to Ubisoft, who re-released the Ultimate Collection in a variety of formats across multiple territories including a single disk DVD-ROM for Windows PCs.
Animal Roster
| Common Name | Scientific Name | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| African Elephant | Loxodonta africana | |
| American Beaver | Castor canadensis | |
| Bengal Tiger | Panthera tigris tigris | A leucistic skin variant is included in the Endangered Species expansion. |
| Black rhinoceros | Diceros bicornis | |
| Cheetah | Acinonyx jubatus | |
| Chimpanzee | Pan troglodytes | |
| Common Peafowl | Pavo cristatus | |
| Common Ostrich | Struthio camelus australus | |
| Common Zebra | Equus burchelli boehmi (now recognized as 'Equus quagga boehmi') | |
| Dromedary Camel | Camelus dromedarius | |
| Emperor Penguin | Aptenodytes forsteri | |
| Gemsbok | Oryx gazella | |
| Giant Panda | Ailuropoda melanoleuca | |
| Greater Flamingo | Phoenicopterus ruber ruber (now recognized as 'Phoenicopterus roseus') | |
| Grizzly Bear | Ursus arctos horribilis | |
| Hippopotamus | Hippopotamus amphibius | |
| Ibex | Capra ibex | |
| Jaguar | Panthera onca | |
| Lion | Panthera leo | |
| Moose | Alces alces americana | |
| Mountain Gorilla | Gorilla gorilla beringei (now recognized as 'Gorilla beringei beringei') | |
| Nile Crocodile | Crocodylus niloticus niloticus (now recognized as just 'Crocodylus niloticus') | |
| Okapi | Okapia johnstoni | |
| Polar Bear | Ursus maritimus | |
| Red Kangaroo | Macropus rufus (now recognized as 'Osphranter rufus') | |
| Red Panda | Ailurus fulgens fulgens | |
| Reticulated Giraffe | Giraffa camelopardalis (now recognized as 'Giraffa reticulata') | |
| Ring-Tailed Lemur | Lemur catta | |
| Snow Leopard | Uncia uncia (now recognized as 'Panthera uncia') | |
| Thomson's Gazelle | Gazella thomsonii thomsonii (now recognized as 'Eudorcas thomsonii') |
| Common Name | Scientific Name | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Addax | Addax nasomaculatus | In-game the Addax does not drink water our of bowls or troughs, instead being hydrated by the grass or hay the Addax eats. It is the only animal in the game with this feature. |
| Asian Elephant | Elephas maximus | |
| Asiatic Black Bear | Ursus thibetanus | The Asiatic Black Bear was only obtainable by completing Photo objectives in the game Zoo Tycoon 2: Mobile, and was not included in the Ultimate Collection. This species has numerous bugs, having not being compatible with changes brought to later versions of the game; The Asiatic Black Bear cannot be hunted by large predators (Dinosaurs exclusively) and are unable to hunt smaller animals themselves, has no log for Family Trees, has no listed conservation status, among other things. |
| Black Leopard | Panthera pardus | This species is exclusively Melanistic in-game. In real life Black Leopards are just rare genetic variants of normal Leopards. |
| Musk Ox | Ovibos moschatus |
The addon for the Black Leopard comes bundled with a Stuffed Prey Dummy enrichment item for predators, it resembles an Ungulate of some kind, possibly a deer.
| Common Name | Scientific Name | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| African Wild Dog | Lycaon pictus | |
| American Bison | Bison bison | |
| Baird's Tapir | Tapirus bairdii | |
| Black Crested Gibbon | Hylobates concolor (now recognized as 'Nomascus concolor') | |
| Caribou | Rangifer tarandus groenlandicus | |
| Fennec Fox | Vulpes zerda | |
| Florida Panther | Puma concolor coryi (now recognized as 'Puma concolor couguar') | |
| Galapagos Giant Tortoise | Geochelone nigra porteri | |
| Giant Sable Antelope | Hippotragus niger variani | |
| Gray Wolf | Canis lupus lycaon (now recognized as Canis lycaon') | |
| Javan Rhinoceros | Rhinoceros sondaicus | |
| Koala | Phascolarctos cinereus | |
| Komodo Dragon | Varanus komodoensis | |
| Markhor | Capra falconeri | |
| Orangutan | Pongo pygmaeus | |
| Przewalski's Wild Horse | Equus ferus przewalskii | |
| Scimitar-horned oryx | Oryx dammah | |
| Spanish lynx | Lynx pardinus | |
| Spectacled Bear | Tremarctos ornatus | |
| Wolverine | Gulo gulo |
| Common Name | Scientific Name | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Aardvark | Orycteropus afer | |
| African Buffalo | Syncerus caffer | |
| African Spurred Tortoise | Centrochelys sulcata | |
| Barbary Ape | Macaca sylvanus | |
| Bongo | Tragelaphus eurycerus | |
| Caracal | Caracal caracal | |
| Common Warthog | Phacochoerus africanus aethiopicus | |
| Ethiopian Wolf | Canis simensis | |
| Gelada | Theropithecus gelada | |
| Gerenuk | Litocranius walleri | |
| Live Food Lizard | No assigned species | The Live Food Lizard is used as an enrichment item for Terrestrial Predatory animals. Unlike the Marine Mania expansions Live Food Cod and Tuna, it's unclear what specific species the Live Food Lizard represents, if any true real life analogue exists at all. |
| Mandrill | Mandrillus sphinx | |
| Masai Giraffe | Giraffa camelopardalis tippelskirchi (now recognized as 'Giraffa tippelskirchi') | Masai Giraffe can reproduce with Reticulated Giraffe. |
| Meerkat | Suricata suricatta | |
| Nile Monitor | Varanus niloticus | |
| Pygmy Hippopotamus | Hexaprotodon liberiensis heslopi (now recognized as 'Choeropsis liberiensis heslopi' | |
| Ratel | Mellivora capensis | |
| Secretary Bird | Sagittarius serpentarius | |
| Striped Hyena | Hyaena hyaena | |
| White Rhinoceros | Ceratotherium simum | |
| Wildebeest | Connochaetes taurinus |
| Common Name | Scientific Name | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Arctic Cod | Arctogadus glacialis | Arctic Cod in Zoo Tycoon 2 are Live Food, used for enrichment of predatory aquatic species. |
| Beluga | Delphinapterus leucas | |
| Blacktip Reef Shark | Carcharhinus melanopterus | |
| Blue Marlin | Makaira nigricans | |
| California Sea Lion | Zalophus californianus | |
| Common Bottlenose Dolphin | Tursiops truncatus | |
| False Killer Whale | Pseudorca crassidens | |
| Goblin Shark | Mitsukurina owstoni | |
| Green Sea Turtle | Chelonia mydas | |
| Koi | Cyprinus sp. | Koi in Zoo Tycoon 2 are solely decorative, they are limited to swimming along the surface of the water they reside in, they also disappear after a short time like ambient species. |
| Leatherback Sea Turtle | Dermochelys coriacea | |
| Narwhal | Monodon monoceros | |
| Manta Ray | Manta birostris (now recognized as 'Mobula birostris') | |
| Orca | Orcinus orca | |
| Pacific Walrus | Odobenus rosmarus divergens | |
| Rockhopper Penguin | Eudyptes chrysocome | |
| Scalloped Hammerhead Shark | Sphyrna lewini | |
| Sea Otter | Enhydra lutris | |
| Short-Finned Pilot Whale | Globicephala macrorhynchus | |
| West Indian Manatee | Trichechus manatus | |
| Whale Shark | Rhincodon typus | |
| White Shark | Carcharodon carcharias | |
| Yellowfin Tuna | Thunnus albacares | Yellowfin Tuna in Zoo Tycoon 2 are Live Food, used for enrichment of large predatory aquatic species. Live Prey Yellowfin Tuna is only obtainable after completing two Marine Mania challenges, in the Challenge mode. |
Marine Mania includes Seal Prey Dummy enrichment item for aquatic predators, it resembles an Earless seal. There is also an attraction in the game, the Blue Whale Hall, a too-scale building designed like a whale for guests to walk through, the hallway plays peaceful music with whale songs, featuring info graphics for the virtual guests.
| Common Name | Scientific Name | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| American Mastodon | Mammut americanum | |
| Ankylosaurus | Ankylosaurus magniventris | |
| Aurochs | Bos primigenius | |
| Bluebuck | Hippotragus leucophaeus | |
| Bush-antlered deer | Eucladoceros dicranios | |
| Carnotaurus | Carnotaurus sastrei | Carnotaurus was included in the Dino Danger Pack PDLC, Carnotaurus was later included in and redesigned for Extinct Animals. |
| Cave lion | Panthera leo spelaea (now recognized as 'Panthera spelaea') | |
| Deinonychus | Deinonychus antirrhopus | |
| Deinosuchus | Deinosuchus hatcheri | |
| Dimetrodon | Dimetrodon angelensis | |
| Diprotodon | Diprotodon optatum | |
| Dodo | Raphus cucullatus | |
| Doedicurus | Doedicurus clavicaudatus | |
| Dwarf Sicilian Elephant | Palaeoloxodon falconeri | |
| Elephant Bird | Aepyornis maximus | |
| Giant Camel | Titanotylopus spatulus | |
| Giant Ground Sloth | Megatherium americanum | |
| Giant warthog | Metridiochoerus andrewsi | |
| Gigantopithecus | Gigantopithecus blacki | |
| Kentrosaurus | Stegosaurus kentrosaurus (recognized as 'Kentrosaurus aethiopicus') | The scientific name in Zoo Tycoon 2's zoopedia appears to be a typo, Kentrosaurus has never been a part of the genus Stegosaurus. |
| Killer Penguin | "Eudyptes omnicidus" | Killer Penguins are a joke species created as a reference to a glitch from Zoo Tycoon (2001) where Emperor Penguins could kill any other species in the game. Killer Penguins are listed as being from the island of Madagascar possibly in reference to the animated film. Killer Penguins in Zoo Tycoon 2 are the most difficult species to maintain in the game, and are obtained by chance, either being mysterious donated to your zoo, or are created by a failure to synthesize an extinct species. |
| Protarchaeopteryx | Protarchaeopteryx robusta | |
| Quagga | Equus quagga (now recognized as 'Equus quagga quagga') | The Quagga is only obtainable in Zoo Tycoon 2 by releasing at least one member of each Extinct species in the game into the wild. Quagga can reproduce with Common Zebra. |
| Sabre-Toothed Cat | Smilodon fatalis | Leucistic and Melanistic skin variants are included in the game. |
| Short-Faced Bear | Arctodus simus | |
| Sivatherium | Sivatherium maurusium | |
| Stegosaurus | Stegosaurus stenops | |
| Stokesosaurus | Stokesosaurus clevelandi | |
| Styracosaurus | Styracosaurus albertensis | Styracosaurus was included in the Dino Danger Pack PDLC. Styracosaurus was later included in and redesigned for Extinct Animals. |
| Thylacine | Thylacinus cynocephalus | |
| Triceratops | Triceratops horridus | Triceratops was included in the Dino Danger Pack PDLC. Triceratops was later included in Extinct Animals. |
| Tyrannosaurus rex | Tyrannosaurus rex | Tyrannosaurus rex was included in the Dino Danger Pack PDLC. Tyrannosaurus rex was later included in and redesigned for Extinct Animals. |
| Utahraptor | Utahraptor ostrommaysi | |
| Velociraptor | Velociraptor mongoliensis | |
| Warrah | Dusicyon australis | |
| Woolly rhinoceros | Coelodonta antiquitatis |
Dino Danger includes Dinosaur Prey Dummy enrichment item for large predatory dinosaurs, it resembles a sauropod dinosaur. There are multiple referances to cavemen throughout the Extinct Species expansion, for the Extinct-Themed buildings the staff operating kiosks are replaced with cartoon cavemen, additionally there is a large cave-like tunnel for guests to walk through. The walls of the cave feature cave art of the various species added in the expansion, accompanied by drum music. There is also an in game statue of various silhouettes' of Holocene species from the expansion lined up for size comparison, also featuring the Caveman.
Extinct Animals includes a playground feature the Play Dig Pit, here young zoo guests can dig up various fossils and place them on an Extinct Education Center where they are displayed as oversized fossil mounts. Guests can build skeletons of Imperial Mammoth, Irish Elk, Pteranodon and Tyrannosaurus rex.
| Building | Exhibit Species | Instalment |
|---|---|---|
| Aquarium with Jellyfish | Blue jellyfish and Red-orange jellyfish | Zoo Tycoon 2: Marine Mania (2006) |
| Aquarium with Octopus | Octopus | Zoo Tycoon 2: Marine Mania (2006) |
| Aquarium with Tropical fish | Blue fish, Lemon Tropical Fish and Little Red Fish | Zoo Tycoon 2: Marine Mania (2006) |
| Insect House | Desert Scorpions, Hercules Beetle and Tarantula | Zoo Tycoon 2 (2004) |
| Touch Pool | Horseshoe Crab, Sea Cucumber, Sea Star and Conch | Zoo Tycoon 2: Marine Mania (2006) |
| Reptile House | King Cobra, Panther Chameleon and Red-Eared Slider | Zoo Tycoon 2 (2004) |
| Common Name | Scientific Name | Instalment |
|---|---|---|
| Arctic Tern | Sterna paradisaea | Zoo Tycoon 2: Endangered Species (2005) |
| Atlantic Mackerel | Scomber scombrus | Zoo Tycoon 2: Marine Mania (2006) |
| Blenny | Etheostoma sp. | Zoo Tycoon 2: Marine Mania (2006) |
| Blue-and-Yellow Macaw | Ara ararauna | Zoo Tycoon 2 (2004) |
| Capelin | Mallotus villosus | Zoo Tycoon 2: Marine Mania (2006) |
| Common Crow | Corvus brachyrhynchos | Zoo Tycoon 2: Endangered Species (2005) |
| Gull | Larus sp. | Zoo Tycoon 2 (2004) |
| Herring | Clupea sp. | Zoo Tycoon 2: Marine Mania (2006) |
| King Vulture | Sarcoramphus papa | Zoo Tycoon 2 (2004) |
| Kookaburra | Dacelo novaeguineae | Zoo Tycoon 2: Endangered Species (2005) |
| Mallard Duck | Anas platyrhynchos | Zoo Tycoon 2 (2004) |
| Monarch Butterfly | Danaus plexippus | Zoo Tycoon 2 (2004) |
| Moon Jellyfish | Aurelia aurita | Zoo Tycoon 2: Marine Mania (2006) |
| North American Bullfrog | Lithobates catesbeianus | Zoo Tycoon 2: Endangered Species (2005) |
| Lionfish | Pterois sp. | Zoo Tycoon 2: Marine Mania (2006) |
| Oxpecker | Buphagus africanus | Zoo Tycoon 2 (2004) |
| Pigeon | Columba livia sp. | Zoo Tycoon 2 (2004) |
| Powder Blue Tang | Acanthurus leucosternon | Zoo Tycoon 2: Marine Mania (2006) |
| Remora | N/A | Zoo Tycoon 2: Marine Mania (2006) |
| Rock Crab | N/A | Zoo Tycoon 2: Marine Mania (2006) |
| Springhare | Pedetes capensis | Zoo Tycoon 2 (2004) |
| Spadefish | Chaetodipterus sp. | Zoo Tycoon 2: Marine Mania (2006) |
| Squirrel | N/A | Zoo Tycoon 2 (2004) |
| Toco Toucan | Ramphastos toco | Zoo Tycoon 2: Endangered Species (2005) |
Campaign scenarios
This is a list of campaigns and their scenarios. All campaigns in Zoo Tycoon 2, including all four expansion packs, contain a total of 45 scenarios. If you include the tutorials, which are also found in the game's campaign menu, there are a total of 60 scenarios.
Base Game
| Scenario Name | Description | Difficulty |
|---|---|---|
| Tutorial 1: Control | Start learning the basics of camera controls in Zoo Tycoon 2 with this guided tutorial. Then move on to construction techniques and more! | Easy |
| Tutorial 2: Construction | Start learning the basics of construction in Zoo Tycoon 2 with this guided tutorial. Then move on to general information techniques and more! | Easy |
| Tutorial 3: Getting Information | Learn the basics of getting information about your zoo with this guided tutorial. After this, you'll be all set to create your own zoo in Freeform Mode, take on Challenge Mode, or start a Campaign in Campaign Mode. | Easy |
These tutorials are to help beginners adapt to the mechanics of the game.
| Scenario Name | Description | Difficulty |
|---|---|---|
| New Animal Arrivals | You have a great opportunity to take over a small zoo, but you need to prove that you understand that animals have individual biome needs. Make sure each animal is moved into its appropriate biome exhibit area and you run your new zoo for one month. | Easy |
| Start-up Zoo | There are a number of steps to creating a thriving zoo for the animals and for the guests. In your start-up zoo, you'll need to take things one step at a time to build your facility into a popular destination spot. Complete all scenarios in this campaign to unlock the flowerpost! | Easy |
| Beyond Start-up | With the experience you've gained creating a new start-up, the next step is to transition into a successful growth facility. Expand on this basic zoo to obtain growth in zoo fame, and guest traffic. A final measure of your success will come from donations obtained in your zoo. Complete all scenarios in this campaign to unlock the flowerpost! | Normal |
Completing all scenarios in this campaign unlocks the Flowerpost scenery object.
| Scenario Name | Description | Difficulty |
|---|---|---|
| Waltham Animal Park Redevelopment Plan | MSPA officials have found conditions in the Waltham Animal Park to be in violation of animal welfare standards. Use money from the Blue Fang Development Fund to take the park from a dilapidated facility to a successful venture! Complete all scenarios in this campaign to unlock the flower arch! | Normal |
| Raintree Cooperative Animal Park | The Blue Fang Development Fund has learned of a facility in severe need of help! Use the funds available to improve the conditions for the animals at the park and create a prosperous environment for future growth. Complete all scenarios in this campaign to unlock the flower arch! | Normal |
| Wolverton Animal Rehabilitation Center | Illness runs rampant at the Wolverton Animal Rehabilitation Center and funds are at an all-time low. Restore good health to the facility to eliminate the bad press surrounding the animals' illnesses. Complete all scenarios in this campaign to unlock the flower arch! | Normal |
Completing all scenarios in this campaign unlocks the Flower Arch scenery object.
| Scenario Name | Description | Difficulty |
|---|---|---|
| African Elephant Rescue | A group of African elephants was scheduled to be culled in the Kingdom of Sironjia because of elephant overpopulation. Instead, they have been offered to the zoo that creates the best and most suitable habitat for the animals. | Easy |
| Combatting Cruelty | A series of animal abuse complaints brought against an unnamed facility have initiated an official investigation and resulted in groups of animals being removed from the zoo. Care for these mistreated animals in your facility. | Normal |
| Smuggling Ring Exposed | Authorities have exposed an international smuggling ring that was illegally trading endangered animals. Many animals have been recovered and are desperate for suitable homes. If you act fast, several endangered animals can be yours. | Hard |
Completing all scenarios in this campaign unlocks the Sundial Statue object.
| Scenario Name | Description | Difficulty |
|---|---|---|
| The World's Biomes | The geography department of a major university has funded a massive biome project to create a facility where the major biomes of the world are represented. You have the task to create such an environment. | Normal |
| African Animal Empire | A wealthy landowner would like to create an animal park featuring animals only from Africa. It must contain at least 12 different species. You can use any animal to get the zoo going, but animals from other regions must be released to the wild for the park to be considered complete. | Normal |
| North American Foreign Content | A prominent zoo would like to open a new sister facility to feature an exhibit area focused on North American species. However, due to regulations, these species must represent less than 30% of the animals on exhibit. Create a new zoo so that you can display the required species and fall within regulations. Complete all scenarios in this campaign to unlock the globe statue! | Hard |
| Scarce Asian Animals | The Board of Directors of your zoo has mandated that four Asian species be obtained within one year. Unfortunately, animals from Asia are in short supply! Do what it takes to increase your zoo's reputation so that you can acquire these rare creatures. | Hard |
Completing all scenarios in this campaign unlocks the Globe Statue object.
| Scenario Name | Description | Difficulty |
|---|---|---|
| Animal Adoption Program | Captive breeding is a strong indication of a zoo's ongoing commitment to wildlife conservation. Develop an active, thriving breeding and adoption program so that you can offer animals to other facilities. | Normal |
| Animal Conservation | The birth of any baby animal is a momentous occasion, but the captive breeding of an endangered species is an important, proactive way to ensure species survival. Do your part to encourage the reproduction of several endangered species. | Normal |
| Second-Generation Animals | Few facilities can boast that they have successfully bred second-generation animals. You have been added to a list of the select few who can make this claim. Your fame in the world of zoos is certain to be widespread, and the births of your animal additions have made headlines around the world. In recognition of your achievement, you have unlocked The Mysterious Panda campaign! | Normal |
Completing all scenarios in this campaign unlocks The Mysterious Panda campaign.
| Scenario Name | Description | Difficulty |
|---|---|---|
| The Mysterious Panda | One of the most recognizable animals in the world, the giant panda is also one of the most endangered. Only zoos with exceptional reputations are even considered as recipients for giant panda adoptions. Will yours be one of them? Complete all scenarios in this campaign to unlock the gilded panda statue! | Hard |
Completing this scenario unlocks the Gilded Panda Statue.
African Adventure
| Scenario Name | Description | Difficulty |
|---|---|---|
| Jeep® Vehicles | Learn how to place Jeep® vehicle stations and roads and how to ride Jeep vehicles in first-person mode! | Easy |
The tutorial introduce the player to a new feature included in the expansion pack that has already existed in Endangered Species: Jeep® Vehicles.
| Scenario Name | Description | Difficulty |
|---|---|---|
| A Mob of Meerkats | Your zoo has some new arrivals: mischievous meerkats. Can you care for these small, highly social creatures? | Normal |
| The Secretary Bird | Can you capture the behaviors of this long-legged predator on film? | Normal |
| The African Diversity Zoo | You've been hired to create a zoo containing 14 African species, but only four of the species can be savannah animals. | Hard |
Completing all scenarios in this campaign unlocks the Desert Themed buildings and objects.
Endangered Species
| Scenario Name | Description | Difficulty |
|---|---|---|
| Tutorial 1: Elevated Paths | Learn about elevated paths, endangered species, and conservation areas in your zoo! | Easy |
| Tutorial 2: Sky Trams | Learn how to create sky tram tours and place tour objects! | Easy |
| Tutorial 3: Jeep® Vehicles | Learn how to place Jeep® vehicle stations and roads and how to ride Jeep vehicles in first-person mode! | Easy |
These tutorials introduce the players to the new features added in the expansion pack: elevated paths, sky trams and jeep vehicles.
| Scenario Name | Description | Difficulty |
|---|---|---|
| Bridging the Gap | Can you build a zoo that contains 16 different animal species? There's only one catch--there's a chasm in your way! | Normal |
| The Great Savannah | Use sky trams and elevated paths to showcase savannah wildlife! Build a successful zoo without disturbing a protected conservation area. | Normal |
| Five-Star Sensation | An old established zoo is having trouble maintaining its popularity. Use all of your transportation know-how to transform the zoo into a five-star sensation! | Hard |
Completing all scenarios in this campaign unlocks the Decorated Tour Gate.
| Scenario Name | Description | Difficulty |
|---|---|---|
| The VIPs | Test your photography skills by taking pictures of both ordinary guests and special VIP guests. | Normal |
| The Javan Rhinoceros | Use your camera to document the mysterious, critically endangered Javan rhino. There's just one catch--you can't get too close! | Hard |
| The Cat Sanctuary | Transform a small sanctuary for big cats into a successful zoo--and practice your photography skills along the way! | Hard |
Completing all scenarios in this campaign unlocks the Cat Climber enrichment object.
| Scenario Name | Description | Difficulty |
|---|---|---|
| Baird's Tapir | A local town has built a small zoo around a pair of endangered Baird's tapirs. Can you build a colony of tapirs while raising donations and protecting the tapirs' environment at the same time? | Normal |
| Endangered Species Breeding Program | Help save endangered species by breeding three different endangered animals and then releasing them to the wild. | Normal |
| The Endangered Species Zoo | Can you complete the ultimate endangered species challenge? Create a 5-star zoo containing nothing but endangered species! | Hard |
Completing all scenarios in this campaign unlocks the Conservation Breeding Center.
Marine Mania
| Scenario Name | Description | Difficulty |
|---|---|---|
| Tutorial 1: Tank Construction Basics | Learn the basics of building an exhibit tank for marine animals. | Easy |
| Tutorial 2: Hybrid Tank Construction | Learn how to create hybrid exhibits that combine land and water. | Easy |
| Tutorial 3: Training Animals | Learn how to train show animals to perform tricks. | Easy |
| Tutorial 4: Creating Shows | Learn how to create and schedule marine shows. | Easy |
| Tutorial 5: Marine Mania Features | Learn about many of the game's new and improved features. | Easy |
These tutorials introduce players to two new elements implemented in Marine Mania: Tank and Marine Shows. Players will learn how to construct a full tank and a hybrid tank, training show animals, hosting a marine show, as well as the improvements of the game made according to the players' feedback prior to the release of the expansion pack.
| Scenario Name | Description | Difficulty |
|---|---|---|
| The Marine Diversity Zoo | Create a zoo that contains species from five major classes and orders of large marine animal. | Easy |
| Take the Plunge | Obtain 10 different marine animal species to transform a small zoo into a bustling, beautiful marine park. | Normal |
| The Oceans' Biomes | A billionaire hired you to create a zoo with each of the major marine biomes represented. | Normal |
| Arluq the Orca | Raise an orca orphaned after a mass stranding. | Hard |
Completing all scenarios in this campaign unlocks the Blue Whale Hall.
| Scenario Name | Description | Difficulty |
|---|---|---|
| Marine Show Photographer | Explore the world of marine shows by taking exciting show photos! | Normal |
| Starmaker | Transform an untrained young dolphin into a marine show star! | Normal |
| Double Feature | What's better than a zoo with a great marine show? A zoo with two marine shows! | Normal |
| Fine-Tuning | You were hired to liven up a sleepy little marine show. Can you create a 3-star hit show and dazzle your guests? | Normal |
| Marine Show Mogul | Create a 5-star marine show -- it's the ultimate test of showmanship! | Hard |
Completing all scenarios in this campaign unlocks the Upgraded Show Platform.
Extinct Animals
| Scenario Name | Description | Difficulty |
|---|---|---|
| Extinct Research Lab Tutorial | Learn about all the exciting features of the new Extinct Research Lab! | Easy |
| Dealing with Dinos Tutorial | Walk through a dino rampage drill, learn how to stop a rampaging dino, and hear all about the Dino Capture Team! | Easy |
| Education and Entertainment | Learn about the Extinct Education Center, two new staff members, and special climate-enhancing objects! | Easy |
These tutorials will teach players on how to: find fossils, clone extinct species, research cure for diseases, as well as dealing with dinosaurs that are going on a rampage.
| Scenario Name | Description | Difficulty |
|---|---|---|
| Paleo Island | Paleo Island needs your help! Acquire extinct animals and prepare them for their release into the wild. | Easy |
| All in a Day's Work | Running a zoo with extinct species in it presents many challenges. Think you can handle it? | Normal |
| Back to the Ice Age | The mayor wants to renovate and expand the city zoo to attract and educate the city's children. The zoo needs your help building a new Ice Age exhibition. | Normal |
Completing all scenarios in this campaign unlocks the Extinct Themed buildings and objects.
| Scenario Name | Description | Difficulty |
|---|---|---|
| The Hard Way | There are no more extinct animals to adopt! There's only one way to give your guests what they want. Time to get your hands dirty! | Normal |
| Living in Harmony | Bringing back extinct animals presents a unique challenge for your zoo. Can you operate a zoo where extinct species live side-by-side with your more common animals? | Normal |
| T. rex Trouble | The curator at your sister zoo has an urgent request. They have a T. rex, but it's rampaging so often, they closed their zoo. They hope you can help by providing another T. rex as a companion. | Hard |
Completing all scenarios in this campaign unlocks the Brachiosaurus Slide playground object.
| Scenario Name | Description | Difficulty |
|---|---|---|
| The Dinosaur Zoo | Acquire a mighty Tyrannosaurus rex to save your struggling zoo. | Normal |
Originally included in Dino Danger Pack, this single scenario comes with Extinct Animals as well.
Challenge mode unlockables
In addition to Campaign rewards, players can unlock themed content for use in future zoos by completing tasks in Challenge mode:
- Completing five game challenges unlocks the Safari Themed buildings and objects.
- Completing five photo challenges unlocks the Jungle Themed buildings and objects.
Biomes
There are 10 biomes, with 4 additional ones being introduced in Zoo Tycoon 2: Marine Mania:
- Alpine
- Boreal forest
- Desert
- Grassland
- Savannah
- Scrub
- Temperate forest
- Tropical rainforest
- Tundra
- Wetlands
Marine Mania Biomes
Reception
| Aggregator | Score |
|---|---|
| Metacritic | 72/100[18] |
| Publication | Score |
|---|---|
| Eurogamer | 7/10[19] |
| GameRevolution | 2/5[20] |
| GameSpot | 7.2/10[21] |
| GameSpy | 3.5/5[22] |
| IGN | 7.5/10[23] |
| Publication | Award |
|---|---|
| 8th Annual Interactive Achievement Awards | D.I.C.E. Award for Family Game of the Year |
According to The NPD Group, Zoo Tycoon 2 was the 19th best-selling computer game of 2004.[24] It rose to 13th place on NPD's annual computer game sales chart for 2005,[25] a position it maintained for 2006.[26]
The game received generally positive reviews. IGN gave the game a score of 7.5/10, praising the game's lasting appeal while criticizing it for being too easy,[23] while GameSpy noted the improved 3D graphics.[22]
Zoo Tycoon 2 received a "Silver" sales award from the Entertainment and Leisure Software Publishers Association (ELSPA),[27] indicating sales of at least 100,000 copies in the United Kingdom.[28]
During the 8th Annual Interactive Achievement Awards, the Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences awarded Zoo Tycoon 2 with "Computer Family Game of the Year". The game also received a nomination for "Outstanding Character Performance - Female" for Linda Currie's work on the game.[29] At the following year's awards ceremony, the expansion Endangered Species received a nomination for "Outstanding Achievement in Gameplay Engineering.[30]
Reboot
A reboot of the franchise, simply titled Zoo Tycoon and developed by Frontier Developments, was released in 2013 for the Xbox 360 and Xbox One consoles.[31] An enhanced edition titled Zoo Tycoon: Ultimate Animal Collection was released in 2017 for the Xbox One and Windows 10.[32] Zoo Tycoon 2 was cited as a major influence, and Frontier Developments hoped the game would be a homage to the previous game, while enhancing the core experience.[33] The entry was met with mixed reviews, with many citing the loss of customizability compared to the previous games.[34]
Cancelled sequel
After the success of Zoo Tycoon 2, preliminary design work was started on a third game. The game was canceled as the company shifted direction away from PC development and towards mobile and social games. Former Blue Fang Games designer Shawn Stone stated that he sees the influence of and many ideas from the scrapped Zoo Tycoon 3 in the franchise's spiritual successor Planet Zoo.[9]
Notes
- Mac OS X port developed and published by MacSoft
References
- "Zoo Tycoon 2 limited edition announced". GameSpot. Retrieved 2023-05-27.
- "Zoo Tycoon 2 sur PC". Jeuxvideo.com (in French). Archived from the original on 2023-05-27. Retrieved 2023-05-27.
- "Zoo Tycoon 2 ships for the Mac". Macworld. Archived from the original on 2023-05-27. Retrieved 2023-05-27.
- Zoo Tycoon 2 Announced - IGN, 17 February 2004, archived from the original on 2020-11-15, retrieved 2020-11-08
- "Zoo Tycoon - Zoo Tycoon 2 Developer Diary—Zookeeper Mode". 2012-09-28. Archived from the original on 2012-09-28. Retrieved 2020-11-08.
- "Zoo Tycoon - Zoo Tycoon 2 Developer Diary—Zoo Guest Mode". 2012-01-15. Archived from the original on 2012-01-15. Retrieved 2020-11-08.
- "Zoo Tycoon - Zoo Tycoon 2 Developer Diary—Habitat Editor". 2010-07-10. Archived from the original on 2010-07-10. Retrieved 2020-11-08.
- "Zoo Tycoon - Zoo Tycoon 2 Developer Diary—Biome Brush". 2010-08-29. Archived from the original on 2010-08-29. Retrieved 2020-11-08.
- "The Evolution of Animal Conservation in Games, from Zoo Tycoon to Planet Zoo". EGM. 2020-02-21. Retrieved 2020-11-08.
- "Gamasutra - Postmortem: Blue Fang's Zoo Tycoon 2: Marine Mania". www.gamasutra.com. Archived from the original on 2022-03-02. Retrieved 2020-11-08.
- "Get Closer To The Animals This Friday As Zoo Tycoon 2 Hits Store Shelves". GamesIndustry.biz. 23 November 2004. Retrieved 2020-11-08.
- A Zoo Tycoon-worthy Zoo? - IGN, 2 August 2004, archived from the original on 2020-11-16, retrieved 2020-11-08
- "Tulsa Zoo Is Crowned King of the Jungle In "Zoo Tycoon 2" America's Favorite Zoo Contest". Stories. 2004-11-24. Retrieved 2020-11-08.
- Clare, Oliver (12 December 2006). "Zoo Tycoon 2: Zookeeper Edition review". Eurogamer.net.
- Zoo Tycoon - ZOO NEWS - JUNE 19, 2008 Archived July 11, 2008, at the Wayback Machine
- Zoo Tycoon 2: Ultimate Collection. "Zoo Tycoon 2: Ultimate Collection: Video Games". Amazon. Retrieved 2012-08-17.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link) - "Zoo Tycoon 2 for PC Reviews". Metacritic. Retrieved November 11, 2019.
- Gillen, Kieron (December 22, 2004). "Zoo Tycoon 2". Eurogamer. Archived from the original on November 10, 2019. Retrieved November 11, 2019.
- Radakovic, Nebojsa (November 11, 2004). "Zoo Tycoon 2 Review". Game Revolution. Retrieved November 10, 2019.
- Park, Andrew (November 29, 2004). "Zoo Tycoon 2 Review". GameSpot. Retrieved November 10, 2019.
- Harker, Karla (2004-12-06). "Zoo Tycoon 2". GameSpy. Archived from the original on 2018-01-21. Retrieved 2018-01-12.
- Adams, Dan (2004-11-17). "Zoo Tycoon 2 Review". IGN. Retrieved 2018-01-12.
- Essential Facts about the Computer and Video Game Industry; 2005 Sales, Demographics and Usage Data (PDF) (Report). Entertainment Software Association. May 18, 2005. p. 5. Archived from the original (PDF) on November 4, 2005.
- "Essential Facts about the Computer and Video Game Industry; 2006 Sales, Demographic and Usage Data" (PDF). Entertainment Software Association. May 10, 2006. p. 5. Archived from the original (PDF) on August 21, 2006.
- Essential Facts about the Computer and Video Game Industry; 2007 Sales, Demographic and Usage Data (PDF) (Report). Entertainment Software Association. June 2007. p. 6. Archived from the original (PDF) on March 26, 2008.
- "ELSPA Sales Awards: Silver". Entertainment and Leisure Software Publishers Association. Archived from the original on February 21, 2009.
- Caoili, Eric (November 26, 2008). "ELSPA: Wii Fit, Mario Kart Reach Diamond Status In UK". Gamasutra. Archived from the original on September 18, 2017.
- "D.I.C.E. Awards By Video Game Details Zoo Tycoon 2". interactive.org. Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences. Archived from the original on 4 February 2024. Retrieved 25 October 2023.
- "D.I.C.E. Awards By Video Game Details Zoo Tycoon 2: Endangered Species". interactive.org. Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences. Retrieved 30 October 2023.
- "Zoo Tycoon announced for Xbox One and Xbox 360". VG247. 2013-06-11. Retrieved 2020-11-08.
- "Zoo Tycoon: Ultimate Animal Collection coming to Xbox One and Windows 10 on October 31". Gematsu. 2017-08-20. Retrieved 2020-11-08.
- Staff, Xbox Wire (2013-07-10). "An Inside Look at Zoo Tycoon with Frontier Developments". Xbox Wire. Archived from the original on 2020-11-12. Retrieved 2020-11-08.
- "Zoo Tycoon Review". GameSpot. Archived from the original on 2020-11-13. Retrieved 2020-11-08.
External links
- Official website (archived)