Software:Zoo Tycoon DS

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Short description: 2005 video game
Zoo Tycoon DS
Developer(s)Altron
Publisher(s)THQ
Director(s)Masahiro Horiguchi
Designer(s)Yoshihiro Tanaka
Programmer(s)Masahiro Horiguchi
Shogo Namekata
Artist(s)Daisuke Nakano
Naoki Miyake
Hiroki Takahashi
Yusuke Sato
Kenta Kuraishi
Composer(s)Tomoyoshi Sato
SeriesZoo Tycoon
Platform(s)Nintendo DS
Release
Genre(s)Business simulation
Mode(s)Single-player

Zoo Tycoon DS is a 2005 construction and management simulation game developed by Altron and published by THQ for the Nintendo DS. It is based off the PC game Zoo Tycoon. A sequel to the game, titled Zoo Tycoon 2 DS, was released in 2008.

Gameplay

The graphics and gameplay are somewhat similar to the first Zoo Tycoon game, however, for the DS version, the terrain is in a grid format and does not blend smoothly with other terrain types like they do in the PC and Mac versions.

The objects and animals available in the game are also that of the first Zoo Tycoon game.

The game has two playing options, either tutorial/scenario or freeform. Tutorial/Scenario mode takes the player through many short games, each with a set goal, increasing in difficulty. Freeform lets players create a zoo free of time restrictions and goals. There are some limitations that the game has, such as not placing animals into the same exhibit.

Reception

Zoo Tycoon DS received mixed to poor reviews, with an average score of 44.96% on GameRankings and 44/100 on Metacritic, indicating "generally unfavorable reviews".[3][4] Greg Mueller, reviewing Zoo Tycoon DS for GameSpot, disproved of the game's graphics, criticizing how "Of all the 50 animals [in the game], only a few of them actually have distinct looks. You'll see the same brownish blob move around using the same two or three frames of animation over and over, which just doesn't look natural at all.". Muller also criticized the near-complete lack of music and sound effects, remarking "You could play this game on mute without missing anything. You might be deprived of the sweeping noise maintenance workers make, but you can just grab a broom and make the noise yourself, which, incidentally, would probably be about as much fun as playing this game".[5] Dan Adams of IGN also strongly detested the game, despairingly opening up his review with the words, while sending himself death threats; "Please kill me. I just want to die. Zoo Tycoon DS has sucked the will to live out of my eyeballs and left me with nothing but cramped hands. ... I can't remember the last time I saw such an ugly game with so many deficiencies."[6] The most positive review came from Nintendo Power, who praised the game for "faithfully reproducing the Zoo Tycoon experience" on the Nintendo DS.[7]

Zoo Tycoon DS received a "Platinum" sales award from the Entertainment and Leisure Software Publishers Association (ELSPA),[8] indicating sales of at least 300,000 copies in the United Kingdom.[9]

References

  1. ↑ Bramwell, Tom (November 14, 2005). "What's New? (11th November)". https://www.eurogamer.net/a-whatsnew-111105. 
  2. ↑ Surette, Tim (October 10, 2004). "Zoo Tycoon set loose on DS, PC expansion gold" (in en-US). https://www.gamespot.com/articles/zoo-tycoon-set-loose-on-ds-pc-expansion-gold/1100-6135378/. 
  3. ↑ "Video Game Reviews, Articles, Trailers and more - Metacritic". http://www.gamerankings.com/ds/927198-zoo-tycoon-ds/index.html. 
  4. ↑ "Zoo Tycoon DS". https://www.metacritic.com/game/zoo-tycoon-2001/critic-reviews/?platform=ds. 
  5. ↑ "Zoo Tycoon DS Review". http://www.gamespot.com/reviews/zoo-tycoon-ds-review/1900-6137177/. 
  6. ↑ "Zoo Tycoon DS - IGN". November 2005. http://uk.ign.com/articles/2005/11/01/zoo-tycoon-ds. 
  7. ↑ Nintendo Power, November 2005 issue, Page 112
  8. ↑ "ELSPA Sales Awards: Platinum". Entertainment and Leisure Software Publishers Association. Archived from the original on May 15, 2009. https://web.archive.org/web/20090515224703/http://www.elspa.com/?i=3944. 
  9. ↑ Caoili, Eric (November 26, 2008). "ELSPA: Wii Fit, Mario Kart Reach Diamond Status In UK". Gamasutra. Archived from the original on September 18, 2017. https://web.archive.org/web/20170918063107/https://www.gamasutra.com/view/news/112220/ELSPA_Wii_Fit_Mario_Kart_Reach_Diamond_Status_In_UK.php. 
  • MobyGames is a commercial database website that catalogs information on video games and the people and companies behind them via crowdsourcing. This includes over 300,000 games for hundreds of platforms.[1] Founded in 1999, ownership of the site has changed hands several times. It has been owned by Atari SA since 2022.

Features

Edits and submissions to the site (including screenshots, box art, developer information, game summaries, and more) go through a verification process of fact-checking by volunteer "approvers".[2] This lengthy approval process after submission can range from minutes to days or months.[3] The most commonly used sources are the video game's website, packaging, and credit screens. There is a published standard for game information and copy-editing.[4] A ranking system allows users to earn points for contributing accurate information.[5]

Registered users can rate and review games. Users can create private or public "have" and "want" lists, which can generate a list of games available for trade with other registered users. The site contains an integrated forum. Each listed game can have its own sub-forum.

History

Logo used until March 2014

MobyGames was founded on March 1, 1999, by Jim Leonard and Brian Hirt, and joined by David Berk 18 months later, the three of which had been friends since high school.[6][7] Leonard had the idea of sharing information about computer games with a larger audience. The database began with information about games for IBM PC compatibles, relying on the founders' personal collections. Eventually, the site was opened up to allow general users to contribute information.[5] In a 2003 interview, Berk emphasized MobyGames' dedication to taking video games more seriously than broader society and to preserving games for their important cultural influence.[5]

In mid-2010, MobyGames was purchased by GameFly for an undisclosed amount.[8] This was announced to the community post factum , and the site's interface was given an unpopular redesign.[7] A few major contributors left, refusing to do volunteer work for a commercial website.{{Citation needed|date=June 2025} On December 18, 2013, MobyGames was acquired by Jeremiah Freyholtz, owner of Blue Flame Labs (a San Francisco-based game and web development company) and VGBoxArt (a site for fan-made video game box art).[9] Blue Flame Labs reverted MobyGames' interface to its pre-overhaul look and feel,[10] and for the next eight years, the site was run by Freyholtz and Independent Games Festival organizer Simon Carless.[7]

On November 24, 2021, Atari SA announced a potential deal with Blue Flame Labs to purchase MobyGames for $1.5 million.[11] The purchase was completed on 8 March 2022, with Freyholtz remaining as general manager.[12][13][14] Over the next year, the financial boost given by Atari led to a rework of the site being built from scratch with a new backend codebase, as well as updates improving the mobile and desktop user interface.[1] This was accomplished by investing in full-time development of the site instead of its previously part-time development.[15]

In 2024, MobyGames began offering a paid "Pro" membership option for the site to generate additional revenue.[16] Previously, the site had generated income exclusively through banner ads and (from March 2014 onward) a small number of patrons via the Patreon website.[17]

See also

  • IGDB – game database used by Twitch for its search and discovery functions

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 Sheehan, Gavin (2023-02-22). "Atari Relaunches The Fully Rebuilt & Optimized MobyGames Website". https://bleedingcool.com/games/atari-relaunches-the-fully-rebuilt-optimized-mobygames-website/. 
  2. ↑ Litchfield, Ted (2021-11-26). "Zombie company Atari to devour MobyGames". https://www.pcgamer.com/zombie-company-atari-to-devour-mobygames/. 
  3. ↑ "MobyGames FAQ: Emails Answered § When will my submission be approved?". Blue Flame Labs. 30 March 2014. http://www.mobygames.com/info/faq7#g1. 
  4. ↑ "The MobyGames Standards and Practices". Blue Flame Labs. 6 January 2016. http://www.mobygames.com/info/standards. 
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 Miller, Stanley A. (2003-04-22). "People's choice awards honor favorite Web sites". Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. 
  6. ↑ "20 Years of MobyGames" (in en). 2019-02-28. https://trixter.oldskool.org/2019/02/28/20-years-of-mobygames/. 
  7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 Plunkett, Luke (2022-03-10). "Atari Buys MobyGames For $1.5 Million". https://kotaku.com/mobygames-retro-credits-database-imdb-atari-freyholtz-b-1848638521. 
  8. ↑ "Report: MobyGames Acquired By GameFly Media". Gamasutra. 2011-02-07. https://www.gamedeveloper.com/game-platforms/report-mobygames-acquired-by-gamefly-media. 
  9. ↑ Corriea, Alexa Ray (December 31, 2013). "MobyGames purchased from GameFly, improvements planned". http://www.polygon.com/2013/12/31/5261414/mobygames-purchased-from-gamefly-improvements-planned. 
  10. ↑ Wawro, Alex (31 December 2013). "Game dev database MobyGames getting some TLC under new owner". Gamasutra. https://www.gamedeveloper.com/business/game-dev-database-mobygames-getting-some-tlc-under-new-owner. 
  11. ↑ "Atari invests in Anstream, may buy MobyGames". November 24, 2021. https://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/2021-11-24-atari-invests-in-anstream-may-buy-mobygames. 
  12. ↑ Rousseau, Jeffrey (2022-03-09). "Atari purchases Moby Games". https://www.gamesindustry.biz/atari-purchases-moby-games. 
  13. ↑ "Atari Completes MobyGames Acquisition, Details Plans for the Site's Continued Support". March 8, 2022. https://www.atari.com/atari-completes-mobygames-acquisition-details-plans-for-the-sites-continued-support/. 
  14. ↑ "Atari has acquired game database MobyGames for $1.5 million" (in en-GB). 2022-03-09. https://www.videogameschronicle.com/news/atari-has-acquired-game-database-mobygames-for-1-5-million/. 
  15. ↑ Stanton, Rich (2022-03-10). "Atari buys videogame database MobyGames for $1.5 million". https://www.pcgamer.com/atari-buys-videogame-database-mobygames-for-dollar15-million/. 
  16. ↑ Harris, John (2024-03-09). "MobyGames Offering “Pro” Membership". https://setsideb.com/mobygames-offering-pro-membership/. 
  17. ↑ "MobyGames on Patreon". http://www.patreon.com/mobygames. 
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