Zoo Tycoon Endangered Species Theme Pack Blue Fang

Zoo Tycoon 2: Endangered Species

This expansion could have used a little more expanding.

A good expansion pack is really about not only creating new content and gameplay, but making good changes to the way a game plays. One of the best expansion packs ever made, Brood Wars for the original StarCraft, managed to completely alter the way the game worked while maintaining game balance and adding tons of content. While Zoo Tycoon 2: Endangered Species is in a much different genre, the rules still apply. An expansion needs to have content and gameplay improvements that help make the game something more than it was. Blue Fang at least added some new content with endangered animals and a couple of new features, but overall, Endangered Species isn't exactly going to turn the game into the pinnacle of the tycoon genre.
There are five main additions to this expansion pack. The first of which is the obvious addition of new animals of various endangered species. These animals are harder to breed and therefore provide a bit more attention and perfect environments in order to provide the right setting for romance. This level of content is expected and is nice for those that spent so many hours perfecting their zoos when the parent product was released last year. There are some new items, flora, and buildings to go along with the animal additions, but there's nothing that's considerably different to do when building an enclosure. Fences, terrain, trees, shelter, food… that's about all you need. It's just a matter of checking with your zookeepers to make sure you have everything in the environment that you need. It's still fairly arbitrary as it's just a matter of adding and subtracting items until you've found the right mix of objects and terrain. It's not so anal as Zoo Empire, which is both good and bad. At least you're allowed a bit more leeway with this one.
The remaining additions at least add a bit more gameplay, but not enough to warrant an excited recommendation. Conservation areas are probably the best for creating new gameplay challenges. These areas are natural preserves that as a park developer, you're not allowed to touch. Only support beams for sky rides and elevated pathways can be built over the top of these areas… which really seems like it would ruin the protected areas anyway but maybe that's just me.

Along with conservation, two modes of transportation have been added to create a more interesting environment for players and park visitors as well as provide a healthy new source of income. Jeep rides and sky tram rides provide park guests with an easy way to get around the park as well as see the sites. They're easy to build and can go right over or through exhibits. With both of the rides, the more the guests riding them get to see, the more they'll be willing to pay. For instance, sky riders will want plenty of trees, items, and animals to take a look at from on high while jeep riders will want to go through as many exhibits as possible. They're good additions. The Jeeps are about the same as the safari rides in RollerCoaster Tycoon: Wild! and I've seen the sky rides in Zoo Empire before as well. Neither are new ideas, but they do add some more fun, especially since you can ride them while in park guest mode and snap pictures while you're at it if that's what you like to do.

The last addition is one that should have been in the game to start. Elevated platforms allow bridges to be built across large chasms or can work as observation platforms into exhibits or conservation areas. I suppose it's actually a great addition, but I've seen that feature in games for years now and can't understand why it's such a big deal. The process for building them isn't as always as good as it is in RollerCoaster Tycoon and can actually be a bit of a hassle at times.

All of these ideas are used across the 9 campaign scenarios and 11 challenges. The number of new missions is certainly acceptable along with the freeform game. Anyone really interested in creating kick ass zoos will have a good time doing it through any of these.

Emdangered Species isn't one of those expansions you really need to rush out and buy, especially for 30 bucks. It's a little hard to understand why it took Blue Fang a year to make so small an expansion. There are some good additions, but stuff that I would have expected to be added on top of a different major theme. I guess when it comes to zoos, it's a little harder to find new topics for great expansions.

On the other hand, people who are only interested in making detailed parks and having new animals will have a good time exploring this new title, especially if they can find it in the bargain bin somewhere. Animals are still cute and most of the basic ideas are still decent.

In This Article

Zoo Tycoon 2: Endangered Species

Expansion to the management sim lets zookeepers adopt and raise some of the world's rarest animals, such as the Giant Galapagos Tortoise.

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Source: https://www.ign.com/articles/2005/12/07/zoo-tycoon-2-endangered-species

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