''Zoo Tycoon'' is a series of business simulation video games in which the player is tasked with building and running a successful zoo. The series was initially developed by Blue Fang Games and published by Microsoft Studios who later in 2001–2008 went on to create two stand-alone video games and seven expansion packs for PC and

Macintosh Mac is a brand of personal computers designed and marketed by Apple Inc., Apple since 1984. The name is short for Macintosh (its official name until 1999), a reference to the McIntosh (apple), McIntosh apple. The current product lineup inclu ...

platforms. In 2013, Microsoft Studios released a new '' Zoo Tycoon'' game, developed by Frontier Developments for

Xbox One The Xbox One is a home video game console developed by Microsoft. Announced in May 2013, it is the successor to Xbox 360 and the third console in the Xbox#Consoles, Xbox series. It was first released in North America, parts of Europe, Austra ...

and

Xbox 360 The Xbox 360 is a home video game console developed by Microsoft. As the successor to the Xbox (console), original Xbox, it is the second console in the Xbox#Consoles, Xbox series. It was officially unveiled on MTV on May 12, 2005, with detail ...

. An enhanced version of the Xbox game, ''Zoo Tycoon: Ultimate Animal Collection'', was released for

Windows 10 Windows 10 is a major release of Microsoft's Windows NT operating system. The successor to Windows 8.1, it was Software release cycle#Release to manufacturing (RTM), released to manufacturing on July 15, 2015, and later to retail on July 2 ...

and the Xbox One on October 31, 2017. Frontier Developments, the developer of the final ''Zoo Tycoon'' game, released the spiritual successor to the series, '' Planet Zoo'', in 2019.

Gameplay

''Zoo Tycoon'' is a zoo simulation video game putting the player in control of their own fictional zoo business. The gameplay formula introduced in the original '' Zoo Tycoon'' in 2001 received updates throughout the series, but its theme and main motifs remain unchanged: players must build, expand, and/or upgrade a zoo by purchasing animals, creating suitable animal habitats, and allocating staff and resources for animal maintenance and care. As the ultimate goal of the game is to earn revenue, players must also provide for visitors by building food/drink stands, sanitary facilities, picnic areas, and an aesthetically pleasing environment. Higher revenue is generated by keeping both animals and visitors happy. If the animals are released from their enclosure, they can kill the visitors. ''Zoo Tycoon'' features four modes: Training, Scenario, Challenge, and Freestyle. The Scenario mode puts players in control of a preset scenario in which they have to accomplish multiple objectives within a time period. New items are unlocked as the scenario progresses. The Challenge mode, first introduced in '' Zoo Tycoon 2'', resembles the Scenario mode in that the player is in a preset scenario with limited funds and must accomplish certain goals. It differs in that this mode is not progressive. The Freestyle mode differs in each game, but usually leaves the player free to build a zoo from scratch however they see fit.

Games

''Zoo Tycoon'' (2001)

'' Zoo Tycoon'', released in 2001, was followed in 2002 by two expansion packs: '' Dinosaur Digs'' and '' Marine Mania''. Within a year, ''Zoo Tycoon'' had sold over 1 million units, reaching the top-selling status on the software charts. Also, a free ''Endangered Species'' download was available from

Microsoft.com Microsoft Corporation is an American multinational corporation and technology company, technology conglomerate headquartered in Redmond, Washington. Founded in 1975, the company became influential in the History of personal computers#The ear ...

. In 2003, ''Zoo Tycoon: Complete Collection'' was released which included everything: the original game, the expansion packs, and the downloadable content.

''Zoo Tycoon 2'' (2004)

'' Zoo Tycoon 2'' was released in 2004 and was followed by the first expansion pack, ''

Endangered Species An endangered species is a species that is very likely to become extinct in the near future, either worldwide or in a particular political jurisdiction. Endangered species may be at risk due to factors such as habitat loss, poaching, inv ...

'', in 2005. The '' African Adventure'' and ''Marine Mania'' were released the following year. Also available as a premium download was the '' Dino Danger Pack'', available for purchase by credit card from the Zoo Tycoon website. Finally, '' Extinct Animals'' was released in 2007. ''Zookeeper Collection'' was a compilation of the original game, the ''Endangered Species'', and the ''African Adventure'' expansions. ''Ultimate Collection'' was a compilation of the original game and all of its expansions.

''Zoo Tycoon'' (2013)

Microsoft released a '' Zoo Tycoon'' game for

and

in 2013 as an Xbox One Launch Title. Microsoft announced a remaster of the 2013 game, ''Zoo Tycoon: Ultimate Animal Collection'', for

and the

on August 20, 2017. It features 4K resolution, HDR and 60 FPS support on Xbox One X. In addition to improved graphics and gameplay, new animals such as

kangaroo Kangaroos are marsupials from the family Macropodidae (macropods, meaning "large foot"). In common use, the term is used to describe the largest species from this family, the red kangaroo, as well as the antilopine kangaroo, eastern gre ...

koala The koala (''Phascolarctos cinereus''), sometimes inaccurately called the koala bear, is an arboreal herbivorous marsupial native to Australia. It is the only Extant taxon, extant representative of the Family (biology), family ''Phascolar ...

s, and

cougar The cougar (''Puma concolor'') (, ''Help:Pronunciation respelling key, KOO-gər''), also called puma, mountain lion, catamount and panther is a large small cat native to the Americas. It inhabits North America, North, Central America, Cent ...

s were included. It was released on October 31, 2017. There are multiple campaigns and challenges with animals from across the globe.

Handheld and mobile editions

In addition to the main series, there are several handheld and mobile games. '' Zoo Tycoon DS'' (2005) and '' Zoo Tycoon 2 DS'' (2008). '' Zoo Tycoon 2'' and its expansion ''Marine Mania'' are both available for the

mobile phone A mobile phone or cell phone is a portable telephone that allows users to make and receive calls over a radio frequency link while moving within a designated telephone service area, unlike fixed-location phones ( landline phones). This rad ...

. With the exception of ''Zoo Tycoon 2 DS'', none of these games were developed by Blue Fang Games. ''Zoo Tycoon: Friends'' was a free-to-play title developed by Behaviour Interactive, released in 2014. In April 2015, Microsoft permanently shut down ''Zoo Tycoon: Friends'' servers due to technical problems.

Board game

''Zoo Tycoon: The Board Game'' started its Kickstarter in October 2022 and eventually released in September 2023.

References

External links

Official website
{{Xbox Game Studios Blue Fang Games games Microsoft franchises Video game franchises Video game franchises introduced in 2001 Video games about animals Video games set in zoos