Rachel Levin

Wildlife Tycoon-Venture Africa is a game in which players learn the 
importance of a balanced ecosystem. Set in Africa, the player must maintain many 
diverse habitats including grasslands, waterholes, and desert plains. To accomplish this, 
the player must learn to balance food, water, and animal population size. The player is 
not represented in the game as a character that interacts with the animals, but instead 
views the game as an outside observer. The player can adjust his/her vantage point with 
they keyboard arrows and mouse. By using the right and left arrows and up(forwards) 
and down(backwards) arrows, the player can travel over Africa to monitor his/her 
developing ecosystem. By using the mouse to click additional up and down arrows on the 
screen, the player can adjust his/ her height over Africa ranging from ground level to an 
overlooking aerial view. 
	The game sends the player on quests suggested as "goals." The player is given 
goals of what could be favorable for their ecosystem. For example a text box may appear 
advising the player that more shrubbery is needed for the zebras to eat. This would be a 
quest to obtain and plant more bushes. However, these quests are not required in a 
specific order. One may choose to refill the waterhole before planting more bushes but 
should keep in mind the longer he/she puts off the goals, the faster the ecosystem may 
deteriorate. Also, the difficulty setting that the player selects determines the amount 
suggestions/goals that are provided by the game. A hard game would require the player to 
keep track of more the developing ecosystem without interjections from the game than an 
easy game would.

Educational Value
	As stated before, this game teaches the importance of a balanced ecosystem and 
preservation of an environment. While some facts of nature are changed to allow the 
game to run smoothly (ex: flamingos only require water to live and thrive), the game 
instills the understandings of what factors are essential for a thriving population and how 
alterations can be devastating- a result playing out all over the world today. If the 
waterhole dries up, the flamingos will lose their homes and all animals will dehydrate; if 
there is not enough vegetation, animals will starve; and so on. The game is appropriate 
for a wide range of ages because of the three difficulty levels: easy, medium, hard. Easier 
games are more suitable for children for whom this game is their first exposure to the 
ideas of ecosystem preservation. Harder games are more suitable for those who already 
have a more developed understanding of these issues and can keep track of a larger area 
of Africa without aid from the game. 

Kids Appeal
	This game is most appropriate for ages 6-12 depending on game level. Also, 
players who will enjoy the game most are those who love animals and those who are 
driven to keep them alive- not shoot at them, which is definitely not an option in this 
game. Lastly, a patient player is ideal. The game is about raising and nurturing the 
animals to help build a thriving ecosystem all of which requires dedication from the 
player. 

Ease of Installation/Use
	Installation of Wildlife Tycoon is very straightforward. I encountered no 
difficulties and no need to consult a manual. Clear instructions to set up the game load 
directly from the CD and automatically appear on the screen to guild the user through the 
process.  
	The game as well is easy to use. Just as installation instructions popped up 
automatically, instructions pop up throughout a step-by-step tutorial of the game supplied 
as an option in the game menu. This eliminates the necessity for a users manual. 

Bottom Line
	Wildlife Tycoon-Venture Africa lives up to its box's claim to being "the 
ultimate ecosystem game". By teaching kids about the need for a balanced ecosystem, the 
game provides hope for continuing restoration and preservation of the natural world.