Zoo Hospital (DS) Review
Posted by Caleb Newby on 11.14.2007
Majesco, the makers of the surprise hit Cooking Mama, are back with a new title for the Nintendo DS. Zoo Hospital is their latest offering allowing you to visit, diagnose, and treat a wide variety of animals (in the form of several mini-games) from around the world. Should Zoo Hospital find its way to extinction, or is it king of the proverbial DS-jungle?
The backdrop for our adventure has us visiting our Aunt Lucy, veterinarian at a world famous zoo, to intern for the summer. Fortunately she is by our side the entire time, as allowing a wide eyed intern free roam of the zoo to treat animals on an inkling would end in disaster.
Gameplay
Gameplay is dictated by the touch screen and stylus, with the top screen providing the map of the zoo, a display of the ailing animal, or your Aunt Lucy and her advice. To take your time between diagnosis sessions you can visit all any of the animals in the zoo to read up on details. While throughout this game I couldn’t shake the feeling I am well beyond the target age, reading the various animal facts was a fun time of relearning tidbits I’d forgotten over the years and in some cases, learning for the first time.
At the core of the gameplay is diagnosing and treating the sick animals in the zoo. There will always be someone under the weather, and thus something to keep you busy. Find the flashing icon of the ill critter, and touch it to be brought to the diagnosis screen. After running the needed tests and finding what is wrong, it’s time to treat, and in some cases, operate.
This is where the minigames come in. From cleaning gunk off of an eye, stitching up a wound, or removing a spoon from a stomach, there is a variety of procedures. Unfortunately it isn’t a wide variety, as my count places the number of minigames somewhere near 15 or so, with a few being fairly similar. The most difficult of all for me was just giving a simple shot, as at one point I had to calm and sooth Manny the Chimp near ten times as I kept fumbling with the injection. I must not have a gentle touch. After a successful treatment, a new animal is unlocked until you’ve uncovered 40 in all.
Graphics
The major focus in Zoo Hospital is, oddly enough, the animals. Each is depicted in vibrant detail. When healthy, the zoo inhabitants are frolicking, lounging and enjoying life, where as a sick animal will be found laid up ready for treatment. The minigame graphics are solid, if unremarkable. Honestly, the animals are the stars of the game and it’s obvious in the graphical presentation as well.
Sound
Each animal has its own sounds, from being in pain to playful. Poor Manny the Chimp, he was in pain for quite some time until I finally got it right with him. To my Discovery Channel trained ears, the animals sounded as I’d expect, from the Bison to the Zebra. The music is of the inoffensive background variety.
Lasting Appeal
Once you’ve unlocked most of the animals in the zoo, which takes a few hours of gameplay, there is still the task of obtaining expert badges in ten different categories. Badges show your proficiency level in working with the different animals types based on their home region or type. For example, you can earn a rank in North American animals as well as herbivores to track your skill with the various subsets. This is where the game’s target audience is evident, as younger children who are interested in animals may keep interested in the repeated diagnosing and treating where most will
Fun Factor
What really hurts this game is its lasting appeal, which ties in directly to its fun factor. Fun for the first hour or so, once the minigames starts recycling repeatedly and you’ve grasped the somewhat limited scope of the game, you realize that yes, this is all there is. Diagnose, treat, repeat. Always one new sick animal. Adding a type of simulation aspect of running and managing the hospital could have added a fun alternative dynamic
The 411
When it’s all said and done, Zoo Hospital is a shortened experience that won’t hold much interest to an older audience. Its charm may be enough to allow kids with interest in animals more replayability than most, but suffers from lack of depth and variety which gets repetitive after a couple of hours. At $30 it won’t break the bank, but it may be wise to wait for a sequel that builds off the strengths and fixes the previously mentioned weaknesses.
Graphics
7.3
Animals look very nice, but mini game graphics lack variety.
Gameplay
7.0
Touchscreen works well with minigames, as we've seen many times before on the DS.
Sound
7.0
Animal sounds are good, but that's about all there is.
Lasting Appeal
3.5
Once you unlock the animals, there isn't much more to do.
Fun Factor
5.0
Young children with a love of animals will gain the most enjoyment, not recommended for adults.
