Zoo Tycoon Expansion Pack: Dinosaur Digs Review

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(More customer reviews)I was thrilled to read the initial press releases about this game - and I have been very impressed by the actual game thus far. I bought it the day it came out, and am still having fun playing it a week later. These are the following dinosaurs/prehistoric animals that you will be able to house in a zoo: (1) Smilodon (sabertooth cat), (2) Wooly Mammoth, (3) Wooly Rhino, (4) Giant Turtle, (5) Stegosaurous, (6) T-Rex, (7) Allosaurous, (8) Velociraptor, (9) Triceratops (which you unlock with a cheat code), (10) Lambeosaurus (Duck-billed hadrosaurs), (11) Styracosaurus(Five-horned Dino), (12) Ankylosaurous (armor plated with bony tail), (13)Iguanodon, (14)Spinosaurus, (15)Plesiosaurus, (16)Kentrosaurus (cousin of the stegosaurus), (17) Caudipteryx (lean green hunter), (18) Coeleophysis (bird-dinosaur), (19) Herrerasaurus (very cool striped hunter - my favorite in the game!), (20) Apatosaurus, (21) Camptosaurus (gentle herbivore)...plus there is one more "unlock" animal in the game that is revealed when you make it to the later scenerios - it is very impressive!!! Also, you may ... via the special "internal update" function of the game and download two additional new dinosaurs. I'll just let those be a surprise for you, but they are also very cool. I have wanted to build my own Jurassic Park since that movie came out in 1994...this Zoo Tycoon expansion is our first chance to do it!!! Along with the animals, the game designers have also created a ton of prehistoric fauna and other items such as volcanoes to add to the exhibits. There is even a "Recovery Team" that includes a helicopter that takes off and captures the dinos when they get loose - and you know they will indeed get loose at some point. The animals in this game actually test the fences for weaknesses and attack the same spots repeatedly to facilitate an escape. There are electrified fences and giant concrete walls to try to keep these monsters penned - but good luck - they were born to cause mayhem! This expansion pack has 6 cool new scenerios for you to play with as well: An Ice-Age Zoo and a Jurassic Zoo are just two of them. There is even a scenerio where you have to salvage the remains of a "Dino Park" after its previous owner had to abandon it when things went horribly awry. Like Zoo Tycoon, there are also buildings to place in the park that have animals inside them, but which cannot be further manipulated by you - in this case, A Pteranodon Aviary, a Prehistoric Amphibians House, and a Jurassic Cinema (which has different movies on the Marquee like Dinosaurs Attack!). There is even a playground with dinosaur slides and different fossil statues to place around the zoo for aesthetic reasons. Plus, a Mammoth Cones shop and a Bronto Burger Stand, Yummmm!
This game is a must-have. I really enjoy playing my zoo tycoon, and I couldn't wait to play this game. And for anyone reading this who is excited about creating their own Jurassic Park - in the Fall there will be an even bigger surprise. The people behind the Jurassic Park name and logo are putting together their own Dinosaur Park building game, which at this point is being called Jurassic Park: Project Genesis. You will be able to do basically what you are doing in ZT: Dinosaur Digs, only you will actually get to use the logo from the movies on your buildings and have access to supposedly realistic-looking dinosaurs. While I love the animals that were created for Zoo Tycoon, they are slightly on the cartoon/stylized level. This is not a complaint, but an observation. If you want photo-realistic dinosaurs, supposedly Project Genesis is going to be something wonderful to behold.
The only bad thing I have to say about Zoo Tycon and Dinosaur Digs is that these games are not for everyone. Dinosaur Digs is what I call a "Bonzai Game" - one that you play slowly and over long periods, which does not have a lot of blasts and explosions in it...just like nurturing a Japanese Banzai over time. If you enjoy animals, and like games that are slow to play and involve the constant maintenance and upkeep of exhibits, then you will enjoy playing this. If you are more a "Tomb Raider" kind of player, then you will be disappointed to find little action here - there are no guns, lasers, or karate chops to be found. I personally enjoy escaping from my life for a few hours and disappearing into my little zoo, creating the exhibits with great care and trying to please all my guests. I like the thrill of trying to keep all my fences intact and make sure all the animals are healthy. I enjoy arranging the different plants and sculpting the scenery just so. And, I must admit, I also enjoy the moments when one of the dinos gets loose and wrecks havoc - watching the helicopters take off and race to subdue the beast (you can't control the helicopters, you can just build a helicopter port. After that, your staff does all the flying and dino-tranquilizing).
I sincerely hope there are dozens more expansion packs for Zoo Tycoon. It is incredibly well done, hours and hours worth of entertainment. I can't wait to see what other animals the people at Microsoft are dreaming up!

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Create prehistoric pandemonium while adding dinosaur after dinosaur to your growing zoo in Zoo Tycoon: Dinosaur Digs Expansion Pack. Players let their imagination run wild, as they build the most amazing zoo filled with dinosaurs and tremendous ice age beasts. Manage more than 20 all-new awe-inspiring creatures, including a T. rex, velociraptor, and even a saber-toothed tiger. Players that can keep their animals and guests happy achieve the ultimate status of Zoo Tycoon.
This adventurous, dinosaur-filled expansion pack requires Zoo Tycoon to play. Since Dinosaur Digs integrates seamlessly with the Zoo Tycoon software, players experience adventure and fun the moment they start the game.

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Eco Tycoon: Project Green Review

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(More customer reviews)The premise is great. We got it for both the fun factor and to teach my kids a bit about the balance of politics versus environment. You have to choose which R & D projects to fund, balance taxes, energy needs, popularity, policy, and such. You attend a summit every 5 years and are either congratulated for your efforts (which usually means your own people are mad at you) or pay off the countries most irritated with you to fund their own advancement efforts and/or pay fines. Sound familiar? The tutorial starts you off so you can understand the game then you proceed without further tutelage. I made it as far as a couple of decades before having blackouts and getting voted out of office, and now I'm eager to try better next time! I think a little more explanation of the graphs is in order, my only complaint so far.

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Ski Resort Tycoon Review

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(More customer reviews)For the price this is a one of the best games I have seen. It has tons of stuff to build and is hilarious to watch. You get little skiers and snowboards doing everything from jumps and wipe out crashes to avalanches. It also has a lot of game play depth.(100's of stuff to build and control) You can even view your resort from any thing you have built or see it through the eyes of any of the skiers or snowboarders. I have really enjoyed this game and I would recommend it to anyone who liked roller coaster tycoon or anyone who likes to ski.

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Fairy Godmother Tycoon Review

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(More customer reviews)"Fairy Godmother Tycoon" is the first "Tycoon" game I ever played, and because of how great it is I've become addicted to playing the whole Tycoon series!
In this game you've been hired by the Fairy Godmother to re-build her potions empire. Your goal is to increase sales & take business away from the competition, ultimately putting them out of business. You do this by:
*Checking the weather report daily, as this lets you know the percentage of the population that will need your potions that day.
*Ensuring that you purchase enough stock each day & that you've priced the potions appropriately - if you price them too high no one will buy, but if you set the price too low you won't make enough of a profit.
*Choosing how much to spend on marketing & research
*Paying attention to the sales reports to see how happy your customers are, the number of lost sales, & how you are doing in relation to the competition.
*And purchasing upgrades that will allow you to:
1. Help your store look better
2. Decrease the time it takes to make potions
3. Keep customers entertained while they're waiting
4. Increase wharehouse size
5. Put various spells on townspeople & competition
If you find that you need additional funds to get going, you can always visit the loanshark - but the interest rates are REALLY high!
You can also make additional cash by helping out various fairytale characters like the tortoise & the hare, the 3 bears, & Rapunzal in hysterical fairy-tale spin-offs/spoofs that pop up here & there.
It might sound complicated but its really not - a great tutorial is included that walks you through everything - in fact, it's one of the best tutorials I've seen.
Overall, this game is AWESOME! But be warned, it's HIGHLY addictive! I think it would be great for older kids as well as adults. I am 37 years old & couldn't get enough of it!

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Fairy Godmother Tycoon gives you the chance to the power behind the world of fairy tales. Climb the ranks of the Fairy Godmother's operation, then set up shop in different villages across the land. Check the weather forecast each day to find out which curses will strike the peasant village. Buy supplies and upgrades to create magic potions, set your prices, manage your inventory and hire contractors to help move your product. Sell your potions at top dollars and put the competition out of business. Start building your empire in Fairy Godmother Tycoon today!

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Restaurant Empire Review

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(More customer reviews)Maybe not perfect, but I'd still buy it again.
Here are the pros:
* Campaign mode is not impossible to complete. With some other games like almost all the versions of SimCity, I find it almost impossible to successfully complete their demands, but with Restaurant Empire, it's much easier. In fact, it may be a little too easy. See "cons" below.
* Graphics are great. Not stunning, but great.
* Graphics *control* is fabulous. Best in any game I've ever played. You can rotate the game in a smooth, continuous motion. You can tilt your view from about 15 degrees above horizontal to straight overhead. You can zoom in and out effortlessly. I've never had so much control over my view in a game. Wonderful!
* Plot is cute. You're going to be the wonderboy of the culinary world, out to save the world from the evil OmniFood corporation, known for cheating in the food contests and genetically modifying their food.
Cons:
* Campaign may be a little too easy. In the beginning of the game, it sets goals that are very challenging. Having your fledgling restaurant make $40,000 in a month, for example, is incredibly difficult with the resources you have at that point. However, once you get past step 5 or 6 (in an 18-scenario campaign), it gets much easier. In fact, I started losing on purpose to build up cash for the next step - and on one or two occasions, I won anyway, without even meaning to. A little frustrating.
* There are a few annoying stereotypes to deal with. The mobster from Italy... well, he speaks-a in-a very annoying-a way-a, if you get my drift. But that's nothing compared to the black chef who is supposed to be from Louisiana, but speaks likes he's from South Central, "homey". And there's only one woman in the game, and she's demure and waffle-y, letting your character tell her to do whatever you want. She's only too happy to do what you tell her, but only if you promise you think she's capable. Not a huge con, but annoying enough to get me to save my game and quit every once in a while.
* There's not as much control as some people would like. I, for one, would have liked a recipe interface where I could add ingredients to certain recipes (or even create my own), or similarly tinker. As it stands, you can only change the quality of ingredients or decide whether or not to use optional ingredients. I understand there would be a lot more programming involved if one were able to create recipes, but I'm one who likes micromanagement. I also missed the ability to tailor my training program - the only thing you can do at this point is put a specific amount of money towards training in general. You can't target specific staff members (i.e., newly hired personnel).
* Lastly, there's only one campaign! Sure, it's long. Sure, you can change the way you play and either draw it out (and make loads of cash) or see how fast you can complete it. But in the long run, it's still the same things you have to acheive to finish, and that could get boring really fast.
All in all, this is a very good game. Much better than my previous restaurant sim, Fast Food Tycoon 2. And here are two gameplay hints for those of you who decide to purchase it:
1. There's a website for the game...Go there and download a patch for the game - it'll fix some of the minor problems and improve some aspects that needed tweaking. However, you have to follow this order: Install game from cd. Input cd code from back of jewel case. *Then* install the patch. Otherwise, your cd code won't work, and you'll have to start over.
2. Close any programs you may have running in the background, such as AIM or another messenger program. I had a few problems with the game freezing up on me, and only if I had all my background programs stopped was I guaranteed a problem-free game.
Enjoy!

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Turn your small restaurant into a massive chain that rakes in the money! / Rated E: Everyone

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