Zoo Tycoon 2 : Endangered Species expansion pack product reviews

It's been a long time coming, almost a year to the day in fact, but it's finally here, the first expansion pack for the brilliant Zoo Tycoon 2 theme-zoo simulation from Blue Fang and Microsoft. And what an expansion pack it is!

Take your existing zoos and add whole new concepts to them, such as the aerial rides, that allow your zoo visitors an overhead view of your exhibits, or the elevated walkways allowing your guests to walk and stand above the animals, cross over protective ditches, etc. The Jeep tours are nifty, especially if you build a safari-park style zoo, but they don't fit well with urban exhibits.

The new buildings add extra dimensions to the zoos, each with their own unique twist, and of course, the rare animal species available are a lot of fun to add, if you have any room left, and the 'amusing bahaviours'... well, I'll leave you to find out what they are for yourself... more fun that way. It's also fun to theme your 'extras' such as the rubbish bins... the visitors love that sort of stuff and the increase in 'donations' are almost immediately obvious.

Overall, if you enjoy this type of game and you have the original ZT2 application (required to run this), then you are going to find this expansion kit a must-have and a total blast. Though the price tag may seem a little steep for 'just an expansion pack' at first glance, you will soon discover it is well worth it, as the add-ons and extras are brilliant additions to your current zoos, and great raw materials to start a new, more planned zoo with.