| Zookeeper review |
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A game of trading places. Without Dan Ackroyd or Eddie Murphy. That is the easiest way to summarise the concept of Zookeeper in a few simple words. There is, of course, the usual ridiculous "plot" tagged on; in this case, the animals have gone wild and it is your task to round them up and placate them. This is done by swapping any two adjacent animals around on the board to create a row or column of at least three identical beasts. They then disappear, their places taken by those above.
It is this mechanism which provides the simplicity, complexity, addictiveness and frustration of the game itself. Anyone who has played a game called Bejewelled will be immediately familiar with the method of play at hand - "hand" being the operative word here as the touch-screen control of the DS is the perfect method of play.
There is no need to fiddle about with a cursor onscreen (although this can be implemented if desired), a simple couple of taps and each swap is done. Compared to the likes of Mr Driller and Puyo Pop, using the touch-screen interface adds to the experience immensely, and not utilising it does make life considerably harder. Aside from the ease of use, it is a good demonstration of why the DS can pull in non-gamers who get scared of potentially complex control methods.
In-game there are a couple of useful items at hand in case a tricky situation presents itself. A limited number of binoculars are available which will highlight where any valid exchanges can be made in case none can be immediately spotted. Occasionally a flashing special square will appear that can capture all examples of a particular animal present when stopped. These make life somewhat easier, but it is still mainly down to the player to clear the animals off the grid.
However skill will only take you so far. Admittedly some of the limits of the game design become apparent when the realisation sinks in that luck plays a fair part in the score proceedings. The dropping of each animal to fill the gaps created is random. Sometimes chaining (whereby the falling animals create new sets of three when they land) can be entirely fortuitous, regardless of foresight to try and purposefully set them up.
The game, for this flaw, at least does not punish the player for something that is impossible to prevent, namely ending up with no possible animals to swap over. In this case, the screen clears and a new arrangement is laid out. The only way to lose is to run out of time, which is caused by failing to capture animals at a frequent-enough pace (as each capture adds a small amount to the time bar).
Regardless of the fairly simple game design and the reliance from time to time on luck, the game itself has a very addictive quality. There is definitely a "just one more go" feel about it, and quite often during play, a sense of "zoning in" or playing without thought can overcome you. It has the same intrinsic qualities as Tetris, where a basic rules structure can be used to create a more complex series of interactions and play possibilities.
There is also a variety of different play modes to try out. The standard mode is based on a level structure where the requirement is to capture a certain number of a particular animal within the time limit. There are also modes where a hundred captures of an animal forces the level up (and the point bonus increases for each level), Time Attack mode to capture as many animals as possible within six minutes, and Quest mode where certain requirements have to be met over ten different levels.
Time Attack mode is definitely the most playable of those available and where the largest portion of playtime will likely be spent. There is something strangely hypnotic about this mode, probably because it is the only one where time cannot be defeated. The rest are about staying alive as long as possible, or until certain criteria are met. Here it is sheer manic frenzy to spot and swap as many animals as possible.
Quest mode certainly provides a challenge to achieve high scores though not necessarily for all the right reasons. A series of ten requests must be completed ranging from capturing a certain number of a particular animal to moving the on-screen special square to the bottom of the stack. Completing said challenges is all well and good, but quite often the boss giving you the requests will randomly add or subtract from your hard-earned points. Not something designed to calm those on a short fuse.
Thankfully two-player mode makes up for this small piece of frustration. Not only does it add more chaos to an already-frantic tapping game, but by throwing in a few new powerups, it can balance out where a player may have been slightly disadvantaged by the way the animals fall. Here instead of adding to your timer when animals are captured, it takes away time from your opponent. This makes it fun and extremely competitive in a race to see who can waste each other's timer.
Zookeeper is 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. The game will not appeal to everyone, but for those that click with its idiosyncrasies, it can prove to be a game that is hard to put down - whole hours can pass unnoticeably. Right up the ardent puzzle-gamer's street and well worth a purchase. |
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System: Nintendo DS
Genre: Puzzle
Developer: Success
Publisher: Ignition
Players: 1-2
Version: United States
Reviewed: May 2005
Writer: Mat Allen
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Pros:
- Simple to pick up, hard to put down
- User interface is perfect
- Competitive two-player mode
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Cons:
- Some luck required as well as skill
- More luck needed for Quest mode
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