 | ON: Content is age-appropriate for kids this age. |
 | PAUSE: Know your child; some content may not be right for some kids. |
 | OFF: Not age-appropriate for kids this age. |
 | NOT FOR KIDS: Not appropriate for kids any age. |
World of Zoo
- Nintendo Wii, Nintendo DS, Nintendo DSi, Windows
- Price: $29.99–$39.99
- Genre: Simulation
Common Sense Media says
Spectacular virtual zoo lets kids get creative with animals.
Parents say
Kids say
QUALITY
What parents need to know
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.
What's it about?
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.
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.
What families can talk about
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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AGE
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
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AGE
Cute game, I would get it
My 5 year-old cousin plays this game, and she really enjoys it (she can't read though, so someone has to be with her for her to understand most of the words) the crocodiles seem like they would scare her, but she doesn't really play with them anyway, so there's no problem :)
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Kid, 12 years old
May 14, 2010
AGE
A fun, easy, but mildly boring game!
This is a good game right here. I sold my Havoc-Heli for $20 and began looking for a good game for Nintendo DS. Then, I found World of Zoo. It looked interesting, so I tried it. And guess what? I haven't been able to get off of it! There's no "Attacked" stuff in here. Maybe that's just on the Wii and Windows. Anyway, it's a little bit boring. All you do is tend to your animals. No guests or shops or nothing. I was expecting something like Zoo Tycoon, but this is fun in its own way. You also get to type up Journal Entries each day!!!
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Kid, 10 years old
January 15, 2010
AGE
Hope You Get The Game!
Very fun! Me and my sisters LOVE it! As you take care of animals, They start likeing you more and more until you get promoted to a even higher level until you become a "Whisperer". But still, This game requires PAITANCE AND
PEOPLE WHO CAN CONTROL THEIR ANGER! Although,
this might not be PERFECT for 5 and smaller. Because, When you're playing with the Crocodiles, They CAN attack you.
Hope I Helped You Decide!
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| Platforms: | Nintendo Wii, Nintendo DS, Nintendo DSi, Windows |
| Available online? | Not available online |
| Genre: | Simulation |
| Developer: | THQ |
| Release date: | October 27, 2009 |
| Price: | $29.99–$39.99 |
| ESRB rating: | E for Crude Humor, Mild Cartoon Violence |
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