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| Zoo Tycoon | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Genres | Construction and management simulator,business simulator |
| Developers | Blue Fang Games,Frontier Developments,Behaviour Interactive,Asobo Studio |
| Publisher | Microsoft Studios |
| Platforms | Microsoft Windows,OS X,Xbox One,Xbox 360,Windows Phone,Nintendo DS |
| First release | Zoo Tycoon October 17, 2001 |
| Latest release | Zoo Tycoon: Ultimate Animal Collection October 31, 2017 |
Zoo Tycoon is a series ofbusiness simulation video games in which the player is tasked with building and running a successfulzoo. The series was initially developed byBlue Fang Games and published byMicrosoft Studios who later in 2001–2008 went on to create two stand-alone video games and seven expansion packs for PC andMacintosh platforms. In 2013, Microsoft Studios released a newZoo Tycoon game, developed byFrontier Developments forXbox One andXbox 360. An enhanced version of the Xbox game,Zoo Tycoon: Ultimate Animal Collection, was released forWindows 10 and the Xbox One on October 31, 2017.Frontier Developments, the developer of the finalZoo Tycoon game, released the spiritual successor to the series,Planet Zoo, in 2019.
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 originalZoo 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 inZoo 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.
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Zoo Tycoon, released in 2001, was followed in 2002 by two expansion packs:Dinosaur Digs andMarine Mania. Within a year,Zoo Tycoon had sold over 1 million units, reaching the top-selling status on the software charts.[1] Also, a freeEndangered Species download was available fromMicrosoft.com. In 2003,Zoo Tycoon: Complete Collection was released which included everything: the original game, the expansion packs, and the downloadable content.
Zoo Tycoon 2 was released in 2004[2] and was followed by the first expansion pack,Endangered Species, in 2005. TheAfrican Adventure andMarine Mania were released the following year. Also available as a premium download was theDino Danger Pack, available for purchase by credit card from the Zoo Tycoon website. Finally,Extinct Animals was released in 2007.[3]
Zookeeper Collection was a compilation of the original game, theEndangered Species, and theAfrican Adventure expansions.Ultimate Collection was a compilation of the original game and all of its expansions.
Microsoft released aZoo Tycoon game forXbox One andXbox 360 in 2013 as an Xbox One Launch Title.[4]
Microsoft announced a remaster of the 2013 game,Zoo Tycoon: Ultimate Animal Collection, forWindows 10 and theXbox One on August 20, 2017.[5] It features 4K resolution,HDR and 60FPS support onXbox One X. In addition to improved graphics and gameplay, new animals such askangaroos,koalas, andcougars were included. It was released on October 31, 2017. There are multiple campaigns and challenges with animals from across the globe.
In addition to the main series, there are several handheld and mobile games.Zoo Tycoon DS (2005) andZoo Tycoon 2 DS (2008).[6]Zoo Tycoon 2 and its expansionMarine Mania are both available for themobile phone. With the exception ofZoo Tycoon 2 DS, none of these games were developed byBlue Fang Games.Zoo Tycoon: Friends was afree-to-play title developed byBehaviour Interactive, released in 2014. In April 2015, Microsoft permanently shut downZoo Tycoon: Friends servers due to technical problems.[7]
Zoo Tycoon: The Board Game started its Kickstarter in October 2022 and eventually released in September 2023.[8]