ZooKeeper

[Aylmer]

I got it. It plays identically to Bejeweled, which is the most popular game for PDAs, at least for the Palm OS. Oh, it's enhanced a bit, with music, cutscenes, etc. And I've not tried the wireless gameplay. But if you swap the jewels in Bejeweled for the animals in ZooKeeper, it's the same game. You can play Bejeweled in your browser for free at Popcap.com , tho you'll need the Flash plug-in.

This is not a slam, btw. Bejeweled is addictive as all hell. It's just that to charge $40 for a game that has been around on PDAs for free for almost a decade truly bites.

[Pandarbock]

I got it. It plays identically to Bejeweled, which is the most popular game for PDAs, at least for the Palm OS. Oh, it's enhanced a bit, with music, cutscenes, etc. And I've not tried the wireless gameplay. But if you swap the jewels in Bejeweled for the animals in ZooKeeper, it's the same game. You can play Bejeweled in your browser for free at Popcap.com , tho you'll need the Flash plug-in.

This is not a slam, btw. Bejeweled is addictive as all hell. It's just that to charge $40 for a game that has been around on PDAs for free for almost a decade truly bites.

Bejewelled isn't free on PDA's it is free on PC however (at least the first one was).

[Aylmer]

There are lots of older demoware versions around the web. The demo is a single .prc file so you can just keep reinstalling if you wanted. Bejeweled is up to version 2.3 or something now, and the newest full version will not run on PDAs with less than 8megs of ram. On my Palm I play the PopCap Puzzle Pack, which came on an SD card, for which Bejeweled is one of five games, the others being Alchemy, Atomica (awesome), Mummy Maze, and Seven Seas. I paid $20 for the puzzle pack.

BTW, Bookworm, by Popcap games, is available for the GBA, and is a great game if you like word games (and if you can find it). That cart has the Popcap credits on it, but ZooKeeper for the DS has no mention of Popcap, and it *IS* Bejeweled, 100%, with animal faces switched out for the jewels.

[Pandarbock]

Actually I can tell you that this game probably had little to no money put into its development (aside from the production cost) it probably took less than a month or two to make and is really just a cash in by the company I for one have never heard of at a $40 price tag. It will probably get a decent enough sell rate even at that cost to make some cash for the developer and publisher seeing as there isn't alot of selection in the DS library. Once alot more DS games especially in the puzzle genre come out, you can bet your ass that companies will not even try to get away with a $40 MSRP on something as simple as this game.

[Gadfly2317]

Actually I can tell you that this game probably had little to no money put into its development (aside from the production cost) it probably took less than a month or two to make and is really just a cash in by the company I for one have never heard of at a $40 price tag. It will probably get a decent enough sell rate even at that cost to make some cash for the developer and publisher seeing as there isn't alot of selection in the DS library. Once alot more DS games especially in the puzzle genre come out, you can bet your ass that companies will not even try to get away with a $40 MSRP on something as simple as this game.

I just don't understand this price at all. I bought it anyway; I really wanted a puzzle game and this one is a blast. I don't have a a PDA, and it may be free on PC, but this isn't the type of game I have any interest sitting at my PC and playing.

This game is fun, but I feel like I got raped and extorted paying this kind of price, and I think it helps reflect poorly on the DS as a system in consumers eyes. Playing a game like this for forty dollars while in the other slot I've got the $29 Minish Cap with production values that just blow me away, it just leaves me shaking my head.

WHY? What is this little company thinking? Does Nintendo have ANY say in pricing? They licensed this thing to be on their system. Sega and Nintendo's first DS titles offer so much more, and they were $29. Or 34? Anyway, its damn shameful, that's all I can say.

[Pandarbock]

I just don't understand this price at all. I bought it anyway; I really wanted a puzzle game and this one is a blast. I don't have a a PDA, and it may be free on PC, but this isn't the type of game I have any interest sitting at my PC and playing.

This game is fun, but I feel like I got raped and extorted paying this kind of price, and I think it helps reflect poorly on the DS as a system in consumers eyes. Playing a game like this for forty dollars while in the other slot I've got the $29 Minish Cap with production values that just blow me away, it just leaves me shaking my head.

WHY? What is this little company thinking? Does Nintendo have ANY say in pricing? They licensed this thing to be on their system. Sega and Nintendo's first DS titles offer so much more, and they were $29. Or 34? Anyway, its damn shameful, that's all I can say.

Nothing really to understand it worked on you and alymer did it not. They knew that they could get away with it and you two are at the very least a small example of it panning out for them. If I recall there was a couple of not so stellar titles near the GBA's launch that sold for $35 for much the same reason, because there was little to nothing out yet to compete.

As far as nintendo having a say about the pricing, nope I believe they already had lawsuits against them for that in the past on the NES (price fixing :D) you know that grey area that nintendo fans tend to not want to think about ;)

[Gadfly2317]

I made the mistake of going out on MSN and trying out Bejewelled 2. This made me feel even more irritated about what was done with Zoo Keeper. First, some of the features, like using four gems to create exploding super gems are really cool. But still, basically, its the same game as Zoo Keeper.

What chaps my ass is 1.) The sound of Bejewelled and 2.) the Graphics. Bejewelled 2's graphics are still basic, but there are lots of little light effects, and these gorgeous pre-rendered backgrounds. Even the GBA can do great photo-realistic pre-rendered backgrounds. The DS is capable of effects and graphics and sound/music that could have made Zoo Keeper seem like a polished and classy little puzzle game. Sure, the core gameplay is the same, and its addictive. My wife has pretty much taken my DS away from me to play Zoo Keeper, except when I the system to work to play Zelda. . . .

but the point is, the comparison to the free Bejewelled's pretty polish just makes Zoo Keeper look that much more like a cheap, crudely thrown together cash-in.

Bring on Wario Ware Touched.

[Aylmer]

I have Bejeweled for my PDA (Palm OS). It came on a SD card (very similar to a DS cart)which I bought for $20, but (I hope you are ready for this) It came with FOUR other games!!! And all of them are as graphically pleasing and as playable as Bejeweled! One in particular by the name of Atomica is awesome to play and beautiful to look at! In fact, I think if you go to Popcap.com you can play it on your PeeCee, assuming you have a Flash plug-in.

That's what really frosts my ass. If all five of these games were on a DS cart then it would be well worth $40. But to have simply swapped out awesome graphics (Bejeweled) for stupid kid-drawn animal faces (ZooKeeper) and pimped it as a 'new' game for a new system is outright dishonest, IMO.

Pandarblock is right, they saw us coming. One thing, though, that really irks me is that Ignition has come up with a very cool game for the full size consoles, which is Pool Paradise. They did lay a turd with 3D Pool, the GBA version of a billiards sim, but to do this sleight of hand thing with Bejweled/ZooKeeper is very low indeed.

I think the lesson here is maybe to not be one of the first to buy a game, unless you are sure of the developer or are familiar with the franchise. I know that I intend to follow that advice from now on.

[Pandarbock]

I have Bejeweled for my PDA (Palm OS). It came on a SD card (very similar to a DS cart)which I bought for $20, but (I hope you are ready for this) It came with FOUR other games!!! And all of them are as graphically pleasing and as playable as Bejeweled! One in particular by the name of Atomica is awesome to play and beautiful to look at! In fact, I think if you go to Popcap.com you can play it on your PeeCee, assuming you have a Flash plug-in.

That's what really frosts my ass. If all five of these games were on a DS cart then it would be well worth $40. But to have simply swapped out awesome graphics (Bejeweled) for stupid kid-drawn animal faces (ZooKeeper) and pimped it as a 'new' game for a new system is outright dishonest, IMO.

Pandarblock is right, they saw us coming. One thing, though, that really irks me is that Ignition has come up with a very cool game for the full size consoles, which is Pool Paradise. They did lay a turd with 3D Pool, the GBA version of a billiards sim, but to do this sleight of hand thing with Bejweled/ZooKeeper is very low indeed.

I think the lesson here is maybe to not be one of the first to buy a game, unless you are sure of the developer or are familiar with the franchise. I know that I intend to follow that advice from now on.

I guess Ignition is publishing Mercury for the PSP as well (the only psp game I would get come NA launch if I were to buy one). You might not want to hear that K-mart had ZooKeeper for $30 last week on ad :D and I saw it for $35 at best buy.

Anyway I guess it is just us 3 posting here anymore so what game are you all looking forward to the most? For me it is Castlevania DS, the game is 2-D greatness something that is dying off the more the gfx whoring mainstream get their hands on the market. The newest videos of the game in action only make me want it that much more :D

[Aylmer]

I'm taking a wait and see attitude towards upcoming games. I'm starting to think that developers are having a hard time getting their heads around this strange DS beast.

I just did a review of the GC game Space Raiders, and that got me thinking about how cool it would be if old school 2D scrolling shooters made their way to the DS with modifications.

Just prior to the death of the Dreamcast, there were two 2D arcade shooters that came out, Mars Matrix and Bangai-O. They were awesome games! If those kinds of games could be made for the DS, some cool stuff might be possible. For instance, the top screen could display the enemies assembling and getting into formation, while the bottom screen would be where you kill them. This would allow for new gameflow elements, like prepping which weapons to arm your guys with, that kind of thing.

Anyway, it's wait and see for me for the time being.

[Gadfly2317]

I'm taking a wait and see attitude towards upcoming games. I'm starting to think that developers are having a hard time getting their heads around this strange DS beast.

I just did a review of the GC game Space Raiders, and that got me thinking about how cool it would be if old school 2D scrolling shooters made their way to the DS with modifications.

Just prior to the death of the Dreamcast, there were two 2D arcade shooters that came out, Mars Matrix and Bangai-O. They were awesome games! If those kinds of games could be made for the DS, some cool stuff might be possible. For instance, the top screen could display the enemies assembling and getting into formation, while the bottom screen would be where you kill them. This would allow for new gameflow elements, like prepping which weapons to arm your guys with, that kind of thing.

Anyway, it's wait and see for me for the time being.

There are a couple in development I've seen. I'll have to look them up later. One is a shooter by the people who made Iridion, and the screenshots are gorgeous. Using the two screens as one long verticle screen will make this the system of choice for these types of games.

And I want a pinball game too. Verticle screen. . . first system that will do a decent pinball game. Horizontal screen pinball doesn't work on GBA, and it won't on PsP. Not exactly an essential genre, but its one I haven't visited in years, and it's the perfect kind of short-burst game that work best on handhelds.

[Gadfly2317]

Delayed Impressions and final thoughts on Zoo Keeper:

I got this game based on Aylmer's recommendations. I was definitely annoyed that the price was so high for such a simple, basic game that was a version of on old PC game. I'm annoyed in general that it appears both DS and PsP games are going to be priced nearly as high as console games (though it was nice that Sega and Nintendo both came in at such reasonable prices with Feel the Magic and SM64DS.)

I'm feeling a lot less annoyed now that I've had the game awhile and seen how much play time its getting. In terms of technology, the game is overpriced, but in terms of time spent, I've paid a lot more for games that I've spent much less time with. The game has also gotten my DS more or less confiscated by my wife when I get home with it'and plays the game nearly obsessively (she doesn't normally play videogames, the last game I bought that hooked her like this was Culdcept on Ps2.) I'm seriously considering buying a second DS---since I will almost certainly have to anyway when Animal Crossing DS comes out (a fave of both of ours.)

Favorite Mode is the 6 minute time attack where you try to rack up as many points as you can before the timer expires. I take regular short breaks throughout the day, and this game is perfect for that. I thought I was doing awesome when I finally broke 500,000 points in six minutes; the next day my wife managed to top 600,000 and I can't even get close. Anyone got any tips on racking up big points in this game? I have hit my ceiling, and pride prevents me from asking her how she got so many points. But her name is smirking down at mine on the high score menu.

This game has also got me gaming on a handheld at home. . . something I never used to do. We both play this game while watching TV shows that don't require strict visual attention (news, Discover, History channel, etc.) I used to sometimes play GBA games on the TV via Gameboy Player, but I didn't like the GBA enough to play it except at work. The DS's bright screen, and pick-up and play stuff like Zoo Keeper and FtM (games where my thumbs and hands don't get sore or cramped at all) have altered my gaming patterns quite a bit.

I can't stick to a topic to save my life. Anyway, point is, Zoo Keeper rocks, even if it is an overpriced version of Bejewelled. I've already spent more hours on it than I spent on Fable, so looking at it from that point of view, I don't regret at all the money spent to add this game to my DS.

[Aylmer]

...the animals fell from the top of the playfield in groups of four in various configurations, like four in a line, or an L-shape, or a cross, and that the object of the game was to clear lines of animals from the playfield. And as you did so, new animal groups would fall from the top at an ever increasing rate. And that you could rotate the groups of animals as they fell to make them fit the holes in the line. And that Russian sounding music played in the background...

Well, I think you get the idea. For you, ZooKeeper is a great game, because you were not really exposed to Bejeweled that much, if at all. But from my perspective, after playing Bejeweled on my PDA and laptop in airport lobbies and on planes and in motel rooms too many times to even count for a few years, it was a real let down to find that ZooKeeper was Bejeweled in disguise.

I know that it's an addictive game, and it may be that multiplayer is a real kick (tho I'd love to see a DS version of Super Puzzle Fighter). But I've logged God knows how many hours in Bejeweled, and after playing ZooKeeper a bit, it's kind of like last night's guacamole...still tastes ok, but looks very unappetizing.

[Gadfly2317]

...the animals fell from the top of the playfield in groups of four in various configurations, like four in a line, or an L-shape, or a cross, and that the object of the game was to clear lines of animals from the playfield. And as you did so, new animal groups would fall from the top at an ever increasing rate. And that you could rotate the groups of animals as they fell to make them fit the holes in the line. And that Russian sounding music played in the background...

Well, I think you get the idea. For you, ZooKeeper is a great game, because you were not really exposed to Bejeweled that much, if at all. But from my perspective, after playing Bejeweled on my PDA and laptop in airport lobbies and on planes and in motel rooms too many times to even count for a few years, it was a real let down to find that ZooKeeper was Bejeweled in disguise.

I know that it's an addictive game, and it may be that multiplayer is a real kick (tho I'd love to see a DS version of Super Puzzle Fighter). But I've logged God knows how many hours in Bejeweled, and after playing ZooKeeper a bit, it's kind of like last night's guacamole...still tastes ok, but looks very unappetizing.

I totally see what you are saying. That would suck to buy a "new" puzzle game to find it was one you'd already played for years. It's great that you posted a warning here for others who may have already played Bejewelled.

I love though, that you also mention you've played Bejewelled too many times to count over the last few years. Good game. I'm finding it extremely addictive; I like killing my time this way with my portable gaming. But I don't hold a candle to my wife. . .she REALLY loves this game. She'll be getting a PDA soon for business reasons, and I will be loading Bejewelled on it ASAP so I can get my damn DS back. Another reason I'm glad you clued me in to the existence of Bejewelled's availability online.

[Pandarbock]

Favorite Mode is the 6 minute time attack where you try to rack up as many points as you can before the timer expires. I take regular short breaks throughout the day, and this game is perfect for that. I thought I was doing awesome when I finally broke 500,000 points in six minutes; the next day my wife managed to top 600,000 and I can't even get close. Anyone got any tips on racking up big points in this game? I have hit my ceiling, and pride prevents me from asking her how she got so many points. But her name is smirking down at mine on the high score menu.

Well if it is anything like bejewelled, always play the combos from the top first and save the ones on the very bottom for if you get stuck. (I always save at least one good one at the bottom if I can).