Gaming to Go: Zoo Keeper
by Matthew Madeiro 
{ Nov 24th 2008 at 3:00PM }
Zoo Keeper did two things I frankly never expected the moment I finally got my mitts on the cartridge. The first was a highly distressing personal evaluation delivered to me by a balding man with a suit and a cigar: "You are a total failure." These words stand alone in a sea of poorly-translated lines he throws out during the course of the game, being both completely accurate and completely depressing. Thanks, Ignition Entertainment, for properly translating only one part of Zoo Keeper -- the part that completely ruined my life.
The second thing was to raise an interesting question about an-oft expected aspect of portable gaming on the DS. Is sleep mode, wherein you close the DS's lid and go on with your day, absolutely necessary? In every case I would say yes, as putting the handheld in a low-power state is the best way to conserve energy for repeated gaming throughout the day. The question then becomes whether I can truly recommend Zoo Keeper for this week's edition of Gaming to Go, as the game is completely lacking in that vital feature. What do you think? Click the big button down there and decide for yourself if Zoo Keeper is worth picking up despite such a glaring flaw.
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Mike Sylvester @ Nov 24th 2008 3:48PM
My mom's addicted to this one and any other Bejewelled-alike. I got it for her from a bargain bin, which it was relegated to shortly after release. I'd assume sales were stunted by the depiction of a cute little Hitler on the cover of the box.
Link @ Nov 24th 2008 3:55PM
Sigh. Don't knock this game because it doesn't pause when you close the lid. Have we forgotten how to use the start button? It's a great time waster, and multi-player is surprisingly fun.
VOTE: Recommended.
Matt Madeiro @ Nov 24th 2008 5:58PM
The issue isn't the fact that the game doesn't pause when you close the lid. Zoo Keeper doesn't properly go into sleep mode, meaning the game will continue to suck the same amount of battery life when the lid is closed as if you were still actually playing it. Being able to close the lid and conserve power mid-game is one of the DS's best features, so having a programming bug that prevents that is definitely worth noting.
It's still a good game, though, as I noted in the column.
Link @ Nov 24th 2008 6:05PM
Ah. I see what you mean.
Well, in that case, CURSES, ZOOKEEPER!
Kimiko @ Nov 24th 2008 4:08PM
The quick startup of ZooKeeper is something makers of bigger games should take note of. Too many have ginormous load times and especially those annoying logo screens that can't be skipped.
ZooKeeper is also the game that comes closest to the real Bejeweled on the DS. Puzzle Quest is also good, but turns it into a player vs. AI game.
Matt Madeiro @ Nov 24th 2008 6:00PM
Definitely agreed. Spending fifteen seconds to jump into the game might seem a lot until you consider that most titles waste thirty seconds or more on several logo screens.
Thanks for reading!
bensons @ Nov 24th 2008 7:34PM
I've recommended Zoo Keeper to a few of my friends now and most of them are now as addicted as I am!
This is one of my train journey must-haves- I can happily play it for five minutes or an hour or two. I prefer it to Puzzle Quest even, I doubt many people will agree with me here though.
ecco6t9 @ Nov 24th 2008 8:55PM
I remember when this came out and thinking it was the first great DS game outside of Mario 64.
BlackDS @ Nov 24th 2008 9:45PM
The very best "game on the go" IMO, I believe I have mentioned this many time in past posts.
I own the European version BTW, that doesn't have the sleep mode bug; however, I rarely put the game in sleep mode. It's made to play in one sitting. The better you are, the longer you will be playing and the more hectic the challenge.
I have all the high scores and I have unlocked everything.
Also, this game is hard to find. If they reprinted Zookeeper, than I would definitely buy a few copies to give away.
So enjoy Zookeeper, if you are lucky enough to find it.