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World of Zoo

(2009, Video Games - Simulation, Rated E, Play it on: Windows, Nintendo DS, Nintendo Wii, Nintendo DSi)

  • Is it age appropriate?

    About our ratings

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    Not age appropriate for kids under 5, age appropriate for kids over 6; suggested age 8.

  • Is it any good?

    5.0

  • Common Sense says

    Spectacular virtual zoo lets kids get creative with animals.

In this game kids can:   be creative, learn trivia, play in a virtual world

Why We Rated This on for Ages 8 and Up

The good stuff

  • Ease of play:

    The free-form nature of the game makes it accessible for even very young children, who could still get some enjoyment out of playing even without grasping any of the more technical aspects of the gameplay.

  • Educational value:

    There's a plethora of zoological knowledge embedded in the game. Through National Geographic fact cards, kids can learn trivia about all the animal species in the game, including habitats and endangered status. They'll also learn the differences between closely-related species, such as alligators, crocodiles, and caimans. However, this is not a realistic animal simulation -- there is plenty of fantasy play.

  • Messages:

    Players learn the responsibility in caring for their animals, as well as the rewards one gets from kindness and compassion. They also get valuable lessons about endangered species. Creativity is encouraged in the animal editing mode.

  • Role models:

    As a first-person game, there's no real main character to be a role model. But the structure of the game encourages the zookeeper (the player) to act with kindness and compassion throughout.
 

What to watch out for

  • Violence & scariness:

    Agitated animals can briefly turn on their zookeeper (meaning, you, the player). When this happens, they snap and growl angrily at the camera and the word "Attacked" appears onscreen. There are no repurcussions for being attacked.

  • Language:

    It's the player's job to clean up poop with a device called the "Poo-Vac."  Also, some sick animals will audibly pass gas.

  • Consumerism:

    The National Geographic name appears on "fact cards" that fill kids in on animal trivia.
 

What Parents Need to Know

This review of World of Zoo was written by Christopher Healy

Parents need to know that this very entertaining zoo simulator mixes a lot of real animal knowledge and realistic animal behavior (tigers flinch and flee at the sight of a crocodile) and mixes it with some elements of cartoonish fantasy (pandas beat on drums and go down slides). It also has an animal editor which allows kids to customize their zoo inhabitants in a slew of different ways, from ear and paw size to stripe and spot patterns and more. Children could, if they wanted to, end up with a blue-and-green spotted tiger with a bushy tail and thick legs -- but it would still act like a tiger.

Families Can Talk About

Talk to your kids about the media in their life. We have more tools and tips that can help
  • Families can talk about responsibility and caring for pets and animals. What would be required to care for a real animal that is overlooked in the game?
  • Parents can also use the game as a jumping off point for discussion and further research into the plight of endangered species. Children who become interested in the topic through playing the game can look up real-world ways to help.
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More on World of Zoo

What’s the Story?

In WORLD OF ZOO, players care for and play with the animals they create to live within their own virtual zoo. Every animal can have its appearance edited -- colors, patterns, tails, noses, paws, manes, etc. -- to suit the player's whim. As the zookeeper, players will feed the animals, clean them, play with them, and clean up after them. Keeping the animals happy earns the player stars, which he or she can use to "buy" more animals or build fancy play areas within the animal habitats. Close

Is It Any Good?

Zoo sims are certainly nothing new, but World of Zoo is well executed and has enough original features to make it stand out among the crowd. The  focus on interacting with the animals makes World of Zoo's gameplay more akin to pet sims like Nintendogs than to business-y games like Zoo Tycoon. And World of Zoo's animals are loaded with personality. When they're at play, they're adorable; when they're angry (which is not often), they're appropriately scary.

Caring for the animals and keeping them happy is relatively simple, which means there's not a lot of drudge work you're forced to do in order to get in some good belly-scratching time. It is seriously fun to watch the animals. For instance, it is very amusing to build a dummy gazelle in the big cat habitat and then seeing a lion bat at it the way a kitten bats at a a ball of string. The creature editor, where you can mix and match animal body parts, is also insanely fun to play around with; that feature alone could give kids hours of enjoyment.

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Publisher’s Details

Released on 10/27/2009, price $29.99–$39.99, not online enabled
ESRB rating: E (for Crude Humor, Mild Cartoon Violence)

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Most Recent Reviews

  1. Parent Reviewer
    maximus.anderson ...
    Lives in California
    I rate this title on for age 5 and give it 5.0

    Great Game for Kids!

    Both my 5 & 7 year old love this game! It's fun to play with the animals and earn points to get more animals. Shows you have to play AND clean up after them

    This review...

    Helped me decide | Had useful details | Read my mind
    Flag as inappropriate

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