Zoo Tycoon 2: Endangered Species

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Zoo Tycoon 2: Endangered Species

Developer(s) Blue Fang Games
Publisher(s) Microsoft Game Studios
Series Zoo Tycoon
Engine Gamebryo
Version 2.1
Platform(s) Microsoft Windows
Release date October 2005
Genre(s) 3D Simulation
Mode(s) Single player
Rating(s) ESRB: E10+
OFLC: PG
Media CD-ROM
Input methods Keyboard, mouse
Elavated paths looking down over a pair of giant sable antelope.
Elavated paths looking down over a pair of giant sable antelope.

Zoo Tycoon 2: Endangered Species is the first of the Zoo Tycoon 2 expansion packs (The others are African Adventure, Marine Mania, the downloadable Dino Danger Pack and the newest expansion Extinct Animals). It gives the player 20 new animals, some of them are rare, such as the caribou and the koala, as well as giving the player new innovations such as sky trams, Jeep rides, elevated paths and several new campaigns and challenges.

Contents

[edit] Gameplay

[edit] Tour possibilities

With the addition of this expansion pack, the player can create a Jeep Wrangler or Jeep Commander tour through the zoo's exhibits. The new sky tram routes allow the guests to get a bird's eye view of the animals. Wooden and rock elevated walkways can be build over exhibits and large bodies of water, allowing visitors and players alike to walk right above the exhibits. These even allow food courts to be built above enclosures. Both the elevated paths and sky trams will give the guests a good view of the animals, while still keeping their privacy levels content, creating a win-win situation.

Various tour objects are available to the player; interesting, mechanical objects that move and improve the guest's overrall rating of the tour. This includes machines that spurt snow and giant sequioa tunnels.

As a bonus, guests can now toss coins into fountains, and pay for face painting featuring endangered species like pandas and tigers.

[edit] Animals & plants

As well as twenty new endangered animals, a feature called 'variant skins' allows certain animals to have variation in their skin colour - a herd of zebra can have multiple different stripe patterns – moose can be dark brown, tigers can be white and so on ('Marine Mania later included this feature, were there can be a greyish white shark, or goblin shark). Not only are there exotic animals, but also exotic plants like golden barrel cactus and scythian lamb and trees such as the bur oak and durian tree.

[edit] Graphical enhancements

Endangered Species introduces some much needed graphics updates and patches. Players can set the water in Zoo Tycoon 2 reflective by changing water detail to "very high". Trees, food and all of the 2D objects in the original game have been updated to be 3D.

[edit] Animals

Endangered Species contains 20 brand new animals from various countries and habitats. The expansion focuses on endangered animals like the orangutan and giant sable antelope. Zoo Tycoon 2's first expansion, Endangered Species updates most of the animal behaviors; basic herding behaviors were added (more advanced herding and pack behavior came out in African Adventure) and animals can no longer breed with their siblings and parents. Animal models and skins are also more realistic than the animals from the original game.

Animal Biome Conservation status Region Star rating required
African wild dog Savannah Endangered Africa 3.5
American bison Grassland Lower risk America 0.5
Baird's tapir Tropical rainforest Endangered Central America 1.5
Caribou Tundra Vulnerable Canada 0.5
Crested gibbon Tropical rainforest Endangered South-East Asia 4
Fennec fox Desert Lower risk North Africa 2
Florida panther Wetlands Critical Florida 5
Galapagos tortoise Scrub Endangered Galapagos Islands 1.5
Giant sable antelope Savannah Critically endangered Southern Africa 2
Gray wolf Boreal forest Lower risk Canada 2.5
Javan rhinoceros Tropical rainforest Critical Java 3.5
Koala Temperate forest Lower risk Oceania 2.5
Komodo dragon Scrub Vulnerable South-East Asia 2
Markhor Alpine Endangered Central Asia 2
Orangutan Tropical rainforest Endangered South-East Asia 4.5
Przewalski's horse Grassland Endangered Mongolia 3
Scimitar-horned oryx Desert Critical North Africa 1
Spanish lynx Temperate forest Critical Spain 3.5
Spectacled bear Temperate forest Vulnerable South America 4
Wolverine Boreal forest Vulnerable Canada 3

[edit] Ambient animals

These animals run or fly around freely in the zoo environment.

Animal Biome 1 Biome 2 Notes
American bullfrog Wetlands A larger, selectable version titled "giant bullfrog" is available in Extinct Animals.
American crow Scrub Temperate forest
Arctic tern Tundra
Kookaburra Scrub Temperate forest
Toco toucan Tropical rainforest

[edit] Varients

Endangered Species introduces animal varients. These varients are animals with different skins, and occur rarely when animals are being adopted. Only certain animals have varients. This feature is also included in later expansion packs.

[edit] See also

[edit] External links

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