Zoo Tycoon 2: Nostalgia is My Favorite Drug

[@AnimalManA]

It has come to my attention that there a lot of people who actually really like Okapi, and I was like the one one weird kid who didn't care for them. If I offended you with the things I said about Okapi in this video, please accept this picture of a cute baby sloth as a peace offering: i.natgeofe.com/n/28f65c83-cb91-4489-ba1e-b62c76863c43/01_slothlove_leaves.jpg I will never take back what I said about secretary birds though, they are evil.

[@alecmcgrathofcanada9175]

Long live Secretary Birds...

[@zoes5317]

Ngl, it was really funny hearing the thing with Okapi and Secratary Birds because Okapi were my favorite animals as a kid (probs the lower top 10 now) and secratary birds are even higher up on my list.

[@NotKaiseph]

Your offering is accepted

[@NickName-mb6wy]

@@zoes5317 Same lol, I loved Okapi when I was little just because they have such a weird name and look, while imo secretary birds are gorgeous and interesting.

[@JrgPt96]

I feel it's a regional thing? like, I know the Zoo I visited in my childhood had a extensive Okapi habitat, and my favorite zoo I've ever been to (Alpenzoo in Innsbruck) has the Ibex as one of its most important exhibits. I think that if you grew up in a place where they just didn't have these animals for some reason or another, it's easy to not feel very strongly about them. So I don't blame you lol

[@MagicMinecraftMaps]

My fav thing to do in Zoo Tycoon 2 was to close down the zoo. Put a fence in front of the entrance, and then.. build a wild habitat like savanna! Placing savanna animals around the map that I created off of images from google. The wildebeest would act like wild wildebeests and follow the heard around. Lions would hunt in a real prides.. etc.. it was really fun and a different way to play. Watching the animals survive and to go extinct.. You would think the carnivores would out last all the other animals but wildebeests would kill lions. specific animals required bigger prides to hunt them, starvation.. If you ever go back to the game I suggest trying this out.

[@MagicMinecraftMaps]

Also herbivores would actually eat the grass types that you placed, after they ate all the food in one spot they HAD to leave and continue traveling around. Again, another way to play haha

[@AnimalManA]

That is AWESOME

[@Cole-ty9dz]

YOOOOOOO the nostalgia is coming back!!!!

[@third-strike]

I did this all the time too

[@Cole-ty9dz]

@@third-strike Funny thing, I actually had a procedure where I'd fence off an area within the map where the animals would establish a group and I kept putting elephant grass, hay, etc. Once I felt like it was time I removed the fencing and it legit worked.

[@Jartopia]

Zoo tycoon 2 was a big part of my childhood! (alongside spore) I once had a tapir enclosure. I bred a LOT of them. One of them was ghostly looking. I never found out why. Google has no answers so it must of been a glitch. I tried to breed another from it, but whatever caused it's appearance didn't pass on to the offspring.

[@westboy52]

Hey, that's actually super cool! I know I would've loved that to happen to me as a child.

[@unexpected2475]

Oh my god, another ZT2-Spore kid! Both of those games I played to death and back. Good times, good times.

[@098gxm]

Spore and ZT2 was my zen on days where I was coming home from a hectic school day. Or escaping family.

[@confettihorse]

I once had a jaguar that was a metallic! It was so weird, the other jaguars were perfectly normal. I remember at least the tiger having a rare white/albino variant, perhaps it was that? I can't recall if other animals had albino variants or not.

[@RIPDixie1865]

@@unexpected2475 Same here. Except in retrospect, ZT2 is actually a great game. Spore is so bad tho lmao

[@noneofyourbuisness1679]

Not gonna lie, a little scary how finely accurate you captured my own experiences with this game

[@markihappy]

Same

[@ZenizhivGreen]

We are not alone :)

[@olmondboy]

Guys I wanna meet you ❤️ my missing childhood friends

[@GeckIXproductions]

Same

[@00RExProductions]

Honestly I sometimes feel overwhelmed by Planet Zoo's endless posibilities. It happened to me with Planet Coaster, it was just to big a game for me, I just didn't know where to start, so I turned back to Roller Coaster Tycoon 3. I do like Planet Zoo and I do play it often, but that doesn't quit that nostalgic need I have for playing the Vainilla Zoo Tycoon 2. What a great video! Thanks for sharing your nostalgia!

[@majnuker]

If you like dinosaurs, try out JWE 2! It fits the bill for a bit more of a limited experience, but with really neat animals to watch :)

[@sethkael9839]

Exact same feeling here.

[@HeruruMeruru]

Same, Planet Zoo is just too overwhelming. Making exhibits and paths is needlessly complicated.

[@geministrial950]

I got Planet Zoo for black friday bc i heard the AI is pretty good, which it is! But.. Its just not the same. You have to keep track of so many things and unlike ZT2 you cant just grab an animal and toss it into an exhibit to have fun. You have to do a whole process to be able to transport it, then if you have too many feeders your employees will refuse to fill them, theres the whole genetics thing and so much stuff is just.. Too much. I wish ZT2 got revamped with Planet Zoo graphics and AI but with everything else staying the same, that would be a dream come true

[@gracep4288]

@@geministrial950 I agree. I feel like simplicity has been lost in modern video games and we always have to have all this advanced stuff. I miss games like ZT2 where it was simple and I could play for an hour and build a decent sized zoo without having to worry about management.

[@AvocadoWatchThis]

Zoo Tycoon 1 and 2 were a huge part of my childhood. They were the reason why I knew about the okapi, how to pronounce it, their relation to the giraffe, conservation efforts, a bunch of other random trivia, and why, when my family were watching a hippo play with a ball in an underwater viewing area, I spent my time marveling at the real life okapi in the San Diego Zoo. I wasn't a fan of the PS4 Zoo Tycoon, viewing it as an atrocity, but my younger sibling who was never exposed to the real thing loved it... I guess there was a chance it was an okay game. Planet Zoo has captured my heart; however, I spent over a decade without access to either Zoo Tycoon 1 or 2. If I hadn't had that amount of time to dull the ache and fog over the details, I can't say for sure that Planet Zoo would have affected me as much. I still catch myself referring to Planet Zoo as Zoo Tycoon.

[@wild-strike]

Oddly enough I relate with every single thing you said. Yes, even the okapi I thought the ones at San diego with the Duikers were super cool when I was a kid and I still constantly go back to the zoo.

[@CHLOCHLOLP]

@@wild-strike same bro

[@killdozer7792]

To be honest, even now I remember the Zoo Tycoon games so fondly that whenever I visit a zoo, I'll always be on the lookout specifically for animals that were featured in those games, even the crummy Xbox reboot. The goal is basically to see as many animals included in those games as I possibly can (minus the impossible ones, of course). So far I've done extremely well.

[@SliceofSimple]

Okapi have been my favorite animal since I can remember, because of this game. And now I have my three little kids obsessed with them, too. All the love for zebra giraffes ❤

[@alfsleftnut9224]

yeah the ZT3 totally missed the point of zoo tycoon games

[@dmdm597]

I feel exactly the same as towards Planet Zoo. It's all I ever wanted as a kid, and I bought it day one but after I put it a few hours, it just didn't hit me the same way Zoo Tycoon 2 did. The game looked great and played great, but I guess I prefer the simpler mechanics of Zoo Tycoon 2 and Planet Zoo just ended up not being as fun as Zoo Tycoon was for me. Sometimes I feel that Planet Zoo is more about building beautiful zoos than playing an with actual zoo and make your animals happy.

[@Ebakyza]

This is why I'm afraid to try Planet Zoo, I feel like I'd be disappointed after I spent my childhood playing Zoo Tycoon 1 and especially and 2. Happy times!

[@dmdm597]

@@Ebakyza it depends on what you want from the game, I say that Planet Zoo is more like a building simulator, it's focus is more in building beautiful zoos and not so much in creating functional zoos and managing your animals. For me that was the beauty of Zoo Tycoon, I tried to make the best Zoo possible and just spent hours just looking at the animals going on theirs daily lives. In Planet Zoo you spend 4 hours just to create the entrance and by that time I'm already bored of it. Planet Zoo does not play like Zoo Tycoon, so if you are expecting that than i can't recommend the game. Plus the DLC for Planet zoo are really bad they are just animal packs that only add animals to the game. At least in Zoo Tycoon apart from adding animals the dlcs added some new gameplay mechanics.

[@Ebakyza]

@@dmdm597 the only reason I want to try this because it's a zoo game which is better looking than Zoo Tycoon. I might not find the nostalgia I'm looking for but I guess it's worth a try for us Zoo Tycoon fans. I also played for the animals and the chill gameplay and not because of the visitors. Zoo building was just a thing I had to do in order to have a functioning and aesthetic zoo. But some years ago I watched videos about Planet Zoo and I like those mechanics that personalize animals, like animals are more than a model with needs and a family tree in Planet Zoo, which can be interesting to explore.

[@cz941]

@@dmdm597 Well yes and no, I'd say it depends on the Game Mode in PZ. Yes, Sandbox Mode can be overwhelming if you're not so much into (custom) building stuff, but imo the Franchise Mode and the Career Mode focus more on managing a zoo and take care of the animals. And you have to admit, Frontier did an amazing job in recreating the natural behaviour of animals. But you're right about the DLCs, there are even animals in the game I havent touched yet, bc i feel like they're just copies of already existing animals, for example the clouded leopard. I just dont need another big cat, give me birds instead

[@stoyantodorov2133]

I know I'm months late to the discussion but here is my opinion to anyone who might stumble upon this thread. Planet Zoo beats Zoo Tycoon in pretty much every aspect. The only potential problem is the absolutely overwhelming amount of parts. The game doesn't really steer you in the direction of using the premade buildings, shelters etc. Most people end up spending an hour just decorating a merch store or something. This obviously isn't fun so they get the impression that the game is not good. If you use the premade stuff you save hours of decorating labour and get to manage and enjoy your zoo. So I absolutely do recommend the base game. The DLCs are overpriced and with every new mechanic they introduced at least one base game animal got it as well so you won't miss out on that.

[@s.a.m.morrison7275]

This was so nostalgic, I remember watching those videos where they created their own Prehistoric Park episodes with ZT2, so corny but yet so goood

[@Raptorworld22]

I remember those and the scary (at the time) horror ones I also remember a video that I still quote to this day, it was basically a ZT2 youtube poop, crapton zoo where the only animal is wildebeest, and the educator's joke of "The Iraq war is a lie, how do I know this? because there is no such place as Iraq!"

[@steelwixom5502]

I loved watching those as a kid

[@joeclayton4914]

I loved those!!!

[@Cole-ty9dz]

They're kinda cringe now that we're all older but man did they entertain me years ago. Especially since I didn't have the actual Prehistoric Park on DvD , I had to watch clips of it on here at least a decade ago.

[@thelastmikester]

Damn, two nostalgia hits for me in one day, ZT2 and Prehistoric Park, those two were my lifeblood as a kid lol

[@Conor3D]

Man I played way too much Zoo Tycoon 2 as a kid, really wish it was rereleased on Steam or something so I can officially own it again. Thanks for the nostalgia! :)

[@narrowwing]

Please send a link all I can find are discs

[@simpingdemon]

If you still want it it's on old games download

[@cassiopeiaraycraft9716]

@@simpingdemon THANK YOU!! i've been wanting to play this again for ages

[@timothymarcoux6569]

Play Planet Zoo, from the Planet Coaster creators

[@therpgerer]

@@timothymarcoux6569 planet zoo is great and from all points of view a better game then zt2 but man it just doesn’t have the same wow factor that zt2 did.

[@tylerray1368]

Gosh, the nostalgia. I actually remember being really happy they had Okapis. My local zoo has Okapis, and they were awesome as a little kid. I actually got to pet them when I was 18 and nobody was nearby to yell at me. They felt like bristley horses.

[@AnimalManA]

with every comment i get about okapis i regret making fun of them more and more XD

[@petloverspy]

@@AnimalManA You shall suffer for your sins

[@martijn9568]

​@Animal_Man_ The same should be the case for making fun of Ibex. Ibex are one of the most iconic mountainous animals in Europe. And the developers probably wanted to include at least one animal from Europe in the default game without expansions.

[@ProsopAnonymous]

Honestly I watched so many animal documentaries as a child, I was thrilled to see an Okapi in the game, lol

[@eoau]

Just to let you know, the Whale shark actually has an extra growth stage after you adopt them. You adopt them as Juveniles and they grow to be adults eventually (since you said their size was treated poorly). The same goes for Deinosuchus :) Also this video was amazing I can relate to sooo much of it since ZT2 has been my favourite game for many many years now. I remember on the loading screen it would take 5-10minutes sometimes and kid me would still just be sitting there watching it, waiting for my probably very laggy zoo to load up

[@antonioferrari5884]

My favorite thing to do with Zoo Tycoon 2 is to create ecosystems where I would place a group of herbivores (around 20 of them) and carnivores (4 of them), and watch them live together. The whole area would become this habitat and watch the animals in there.

[@minty6891]

Wow, all the hundreds of hours I sank into this game when I was younger and I never knew about the animal mutations when failing the minigame!

[@AnimalManA]

Guess you’re just really good at the minigame!

[@LilEuphie]

Watching this while playing Planet Zoo 😭 Wish we could just get a remaster of ZT2, I loved it so much and PZ just doesn't hit the same with all the construction and bugginess. I also remember searching for ZT2 custom content after watching a Stalker2k7 video and that being the first game that I ever modded! Such good memories!

[@Haszady]

Prehistoric kingdom is gonna be similar to zt2! I have played the alpha and it is just really similar

[@Ecotasia]

Spent way to much time modding Zoo Tycoon 2. Salker2k7 really got me into mods and KZbin.

[@madisonplaysgamez]

I hate the work zone feature its tedious and takes away from what I really want to be doing..

[@jennynoelle6782]

ZT2 is such a nostalgia trip. I totally remember watching old machinimas made using the game... and having my mind blown (I was, like, 15 and didn't have the internet growing up - I didn't know mods existed. As a concept.). Whenever I got bored, I would often make animal-based kingdoms. I would surround the land with waterfalls, fill it with different biomes and oceans, come up with some lore (like there being a single, "magic" tree in the exact center of the zoo, which the 'citizens' would worship), and fill the land with herbivores (and food, enrichment, shelters, etc.). Then I would just let stories unfold - mostly stock tropes, like "a single, young male zebra 'prince' goes on a journey to find true love, and finds it in the pretty, last-of-her-kind quagga living in the 'enchanted' forest". Sometimes I would section off a part of the zoo (usually the upper left of the map), create a fully-decked-out "palace" (series of tiered plateaus), plonk down a male and female lion, and call them the "King and Queen of Animalia".

[@AnimalManA]

that's really cool! thanks for sharing.

[@radstriker9285]

I, too, tried to fill the ZT2-shaped hole in my heart with Planet Zoo. But its own strength was its demise for me, the sheer amount of freedom is overwhelming, and it really feels more like you're managing a business than a place with animals. One of my favourite things of ZT2 was how hands on you could get with the animals, I loved being able to pet them and feed them, and really just being able to interact with things. Something fun is that english is not my first language, and Zoo Tycoon's name is, well, english, so when I played it as a kid I decided on an arbitrary pronunciation and it took this video to discover that was NOT the correct way to say it lmao Amazing video, except for the secretary birds hate and extinct animals erasure

[@jm0062]

zó ticón

[@annemiiiiie]

me too lmao. Went with a full germanized spelling xD

[@bookapanda6064]

Zoo Tycoon with Marine Mania and Dinosaur Digs was my childhood 🥰 So many fond memories 😅 (like unleashing a Dino to recreate Jurassic park) 😂

[@moodchanger3470]

yes the best childhood memories ever. feeding people to the trex.

[@tinkrtailr]

God, I remember the Christmas my mom got me Zoo Tycoon 2... it was probably one of the best Christmas gifts I got, I literally screamed in joy.

[@SucicRaven]

ZT2 (and WolfQuest) was my favourite game as a kid. I remember waking up super early on weekends and during school vacations so I could beat my brother to the only computer and play until my parents woke up. I still have the cds laying around even though some don’t work anymore. Ultimate collection still works fortunately, scratched as it is, but I don’t play anymore. These days I play Planet Zoo instead. ZT2 could hold my attention for hours when I was a kid, but adult me needs more complexity to enjoy creating and managing a zoo. ZT2 will always have a special place tho.

[@mysterycommenter]

I love Zoo Tycoon 2 and while I'm enjoying Planet Zoo, there's still no comparison to Zoo Tycoon 2. I was so excited when I discovered mods. Of course a ton of them didn't work and a good number of them crash your game instead but they are still awesome when you find ones that do work. ZT2 is so much calmer than PZ and I wish they would actually add in a slow it down mode and let you walk around PZ as well.

[@megakaren2160]

I remember blocking the zoo entrance with a toilet and then letting the dinosaurs loose. In ZT1, I made an enclosure out of decorative fences. Added some paths, vending machines, toilets, and benches. Then I'd drop a few guests in and I'd have a human exhibit.

[@ianharmon3440]

I actually tried that a few times on ZT2 lol. Put a square of humans in the middle and the rest of the zoo was nature preserve, or even better, make paths for the animals to roam around on while the people were inside... I was a funny child.

[@Aethuviel]

There is one animal I want as a mod for ZT2. Humans. Really, like cave people. Naked (or with loincloths, for the prudes out there), dumb, and you have to fulfill their needs like the animals. But I guess that's the guests for you.

[@mastercago3361]

As a south african the safari was one of my favorites as a child, It gave me the opportunity to build zoos with all the animals i would see in local zoos and and in our own national parks, me and my cousins always got excited about the animals that were local to us, as they were the ones we had the most knowledge about. My grandfather was an old hunter and would tell us stories about all these animals that you found less exciting, but we couldnt be more excited seeing them ingame and reliving his stories.

[@lindsayve9268]

My fellow South African can we just marvel at how people pronounced animals like gemsbok and wildebeest 😂

[@mastercago3361]

@@lindsayve9268 when he said "What even is a gemsbok, nobody knows that" (paraphrasing) i was like, uhm, that's the first buck i knew the name of, and the most exciting to see in nature XD

[@ianharmon3440]

@@mastercago3361 Yet another reason why the game (with expansions) is so awesome - there are so many animals that just about anyone can find ones that they connect with or enjoy! (For me personally though I was always saddened by the lack of platypus and echidna... but there were plenty of other favorites to make up for the lack).

[@PedroSantos-en4kj]

This game was a big part of my childhood, I related so much to most of the stuff (except the hate for African adventure animals how dare you!) I probably logged thousands of hours in this game over quite a few years. And for planet zoo, I would advise giving it another chance, I had the exact same response when I first played it but once you start being familiar with it you’ll be in love!

[@alex__andrei]

I have this game since 2015, and I’m still playing it. This game with mods is just something else! This game was my childhood,…it’s very important to me 😇

[@hanniaedithmartinezadame794]

I loved this game, I still have it but now, compared to other same kind of games, it became boring to me. But it will forever be part of my heart c:

[@AnimalManA]

I feel the same, not as fun as it once was, but still an important part of my childhood c:

[@cole8834]

8:02 Okapis are my favorite animal at my local zoo. They're beautiful, bigger than you'd think, and not too skittish

[@SliceofSimple]

Literally my favorite animal, too. I'll go anywhere just to sit and watch the okapi for hours

[@wtr3059]

17:34 By resurrecting the animals with the research station, if you gst 100% in the "resurrection minigame" you get "Super Animals". These are bigger than the regular extinct animals and live longer among other benefits. In the campaigns it is also a very cheap way to produce a zoo as the animals produced in this method cost no money to make and animals tend to be the most expensive in the game. Sure, it requires some extra time but the 8000$ for the research station with the minimal subsequent maintainance cost is nowhere near the cost it would take to get these animals by just "clicking".

[@Kisseyhersh123]

Zoo Tycoon is my favorite franchise. Sad that last year was the 20th anniversary and nobody really said a peep.

[@NimbleJim]

This popped up in my recommendations and Im so glad. Zoo Tycoon 2 was a massive part of my childhood. I remember making huge parks and adding well over 1000 mods. I used to film tours with my phone camera and send them to my then girlfriend, now fiancee. I remember playing it on my laptop in staffroom of my stepdads workplace to distract me on the morning that I found out my grandfather had passed away. This game will forever hold a special place in my heart, and though I don't think Ill ever go back to it. (I lost my disk ages ago) I will always think fondly of it.

[@AnimalManA]

Thank you for sharing this

[@lyssafer509]

I just bought Zoo Tycoon 2 again recently and have been playing it for hours. I was not prepared for how strong the nostalgia would hit when that opening video first started up.

[@maygonzales4130]

Same! I only had my original for half a year before it along with other games were stolen from me. I was utterly devastated, cried my eyes out about the whole thing. Recently I got my hands back on the game and I’m enjoying it like I never left especially after adding some mods here and there!

[@dinomation]

I remember getting the ultimate collection on the last day of second grade and I’ve played that game ever since and I can’t tell you how much I’ve played this game. I really love it and even though I prefer planet zoo I still really like to play this game and I see why still so many people love it.

[@tapele5987]

WOW! I didn't know it was possible to make good-looking exhibits in Zoo Tycoon 2 as yours! Hahaha, I always closed off a plain part of the park with a fence and that made my exhibit! Your terrain management is fantastic! Waterfall, small hills, etc.! Love it

[@TGOPoma]

I remember plaything this game for hours and hours on end, trying to get full star zoos because I thought it would unlock something. Man, 2004-2005 was a special timeframe for me as a kid.

[@TheSporemaniak1]

Good lord I remember playing this game like a maniac alongside Spore. There is something different about these games from that decade that still make us come back, don't they?

[@bezka3545]

I still have CD's with the game and all DLC's. Even managed to get them to work sometime ago, but my PC has had a reset since then and I don't remember how to make it work. These games are awesome, especially when Dinosaurs come into play. This game is amazing and I wish they released it on steam or somewhere where it's easy to access.

[@killdozer7792]

Honestly, I spent so many hours in Zoo Tycoon 2 and for the most part, I never actually opened my zoos to the public. I remember five zoos in particular which were basically just all the animals from either the base game or the expansion packs. I even remember drawing little maps so I know how they'd be set up and how they'd look.

[@gardenandthewild9492]

I'll never forget the original Zoo Tycoon. I never did play the second game, but the first on I'll always remember and hold dear. Born in 93', It was the first game I ever owned as a kid when it came out, and along with it, my very first computer my parents went out and bought. The original Windows 2000... The old 17" Square box PC monitor... That hideous grey cream-esque keyboard and mouse with that horrible scroller that you use to take out and clean every so often it got gunked up with hair and food lol. Not long after, my friends would introduce me to the original Age of Empires, and so began a two decade career of PC gaming. Amazing. Nostalgic, and an incredible journey. Thank you for this video. :)

[@AnimalManA]

Hang you for sharing, and thank you for watching!

[@meganlouise978]

this showed up in my recommendeds out of nowhere and i'm so glad it did. the intro music to this game IMMEDIATELY took me back to being, like. 11 years old and making a massive savannah exhibit just so i could see how cool the african wild dogs were. i was obsessed with them for months in elementary school because of this game. the music still shreds in these games and i'm not sure why.

[@AnimalManA]

The music is so underrated! It hits me too!

[@alyssabullock6421]

When I was little, I wanted Zoo Tycoon 2 SO BAD. My animal loving heart was on the fritz, so Im absolutely delighted that Planet Zoo exists, and that so many people still remember this game. Also, omg, the fan-made KZbin series/movies, aaaaaa, i remember the dinosaur ones! I loved those! ;;

[@calkingherper4189]

This game was and still is my absolute favorite. I remember getting on the family computer just itching to continue my next zoo project. This game holds a special place in my heart, and I am so happy to see that so many other people cherish it as I do.

[@peterd4047]

I remember when me and my friend would just release dinosaurs all over the place and watch the visitors get eaten. We also would just flood the place, placing deep water all over the park, we must have been so bored lol. Also omg that main menu song just slapped me in the face with nostalgia!!!

[@Pinnaporaptor]

You mentioning ZT2 Machinimas instantly sent my mind back to a time where my bones weren't made of sand, fantastic video man 👍. It's a shame there isn't much of a way to play it anymore.

[@fireball111121]

Zoo Tycoon 2 was my childhood. I was WAY into the modding scene and even tried to make a few on my own. I was far to young to really understand what exactly it was I was doing, but it taught me a lot and now I have a career in computers! While most people were limited to the 5 (if you include Dino Digs) expansion packs, I had probably 500+ animals to play around with to the point that my computer started to slow down a lot. Planet Zoo is so large that I don't even feel like I need any mods (though I'm well aware of their existence) as I spend so much time creating intricate enclosure and guest services that even after all this time I've still yet to use every animal in the base roster, much less all the DLC.

[@berenice.guerin]

Zoo Tycoon 2 was such a good game... I rembember liking being sick as a kid thanks to it. When I had the flu or else and wasn't able to go to school, my mom would take me to work with her so that I wouldn't be alone at home. She's an accountant and had an extra computer in her office. In order to keep me calm and not let me disturb her colleagues, she would let me play Zoo Tycoon 2 all day long. Playing this game right next to her while she was working, remembering her asking me if everything was going great in my zoo... Man, these are among the memories I cherish the most. She didn't really like me playing video games all day long, but it was different with this game. I was reading every page of the encyclopedia, and I just loved to explain to her all of what I was learning. I'm now an adult and I'm a scientific illustrator, specializing in zoology. I'd be lying if I said this game didn't have anything to do with this.

[@cozmicclockwork1136]

Zoo tycoon will always hold a very dear place in my heart. My cousin's who let me have the game told me about the animal details icon so I picked up on that quickly. Although being a dumb kid I thought it was all I needed and made habitats that were too small, too chock full of every kind of food dish and enrichment item too many animals starting off, often breeding excessively. The design for visitors faired similarly with everything condensed in one spot. Over the years I've drifted back to the game every so often and recently I've really taken to utilizing everything to make some really nice zoos. I have planet zoo but for me there's too many systems, it's not really intuitive for new players and snap functionality that could help with it is limited in my experience so I haven't really played it much. Although it could also be I don't like the lack of a keeper mode to make interacting with my zoos more engaging. I never really found myself on early zoo tycoon KZbin but I'm still glad I found your video and this has gotten pretty rambly but I also find it so interesting how many other people share these really similar experiences around this game. Edit: also restoring fossils into animals using the lab can result in super versions of this same animals, that live longer and are healthier, they can also pass that trait down to their offspring.

[@zolacookie]

I remember having a portion of my zoos fenced off so I could farm glaciers and collect cavemen. They’d have their own stalls and everything

[@wilmeow]

totally agree! zoo tycoon 2 has been my favorite game for years and years now and i wish i could play it more :( the developers making it impossible to play nowadays without pirating really sucks but nonetheless it’s a fantastic game that is the source of a lot of my childhood nostalgia!

[@moodchanger3470]

old zoo tycoon and roller coaster tycoon were the best. i had the zoo one with the dinosaurs and the marine animals too. i miss it

[@cluelessclyde4536]

Man... this and the sims (2 to be exact.) was such a big part of my childhood and even though now I find myself not really enjoying the TS series anymore, I still find myself going back to ZT2 (even ZT1) because even though I LOVE Planet Zoo, there's just something about Zoo Tycoon 2 that makes me still come back to it, like, my very first memory of it was that my mother had built a nile crocodile exhibit (she wouldn't let me play the game at first because of mothers being mothers) and we thought that the croc would attack us in guest mode so we kinda screamed a bit and she turned around and ran for the gate but then the next day when I got to play I found out that we're pretty much a ghost to everything so I had told my mom that the animals won't attack you. I also remember when I was little I would sometimes pretend to have had a nightmare so my mother would let me play ZT2 and then I'd sometimes play all night XD but yeah, no matter what, this game will always hold a special place in my heart. (Also it was only about 3 or 4 years ago that I had learned how to mod ZT2)

[@FatalGecko58]

Even though I never owned the game, the memories of watching old Zoo Tycoon 2 skits came flooding in after bringing it up in the video. One of the one’s I used to watch alot was one about aliens or something.

[@mckennadelamora6148]

You know, in a land filled with planet zoo videos (which I do love) you could probably make zoo tycoon 2 videos and people would adore watching them just as much. Like you said, nostalgia is a hell of a drug.

[@Nintendoof]

This was a fantastic video and speaks to the precise reasons I’m not the one to just want open ended choice driven games. I want to see the guard rails that game designers curate. The fact that Zoo Tycoon 2 was able to inspire even young players without overwhelming them speaks to good and more timeless game design. I was thinking of getting Planet Zoo the other day and think about how I spent an hour making a custom building in Planet Coaster instead of actually you know, playing the game. I’m glad these more granular hi fidelity games exist, but they don’t replace what something Zoo Tycoon 2 accomplished in its time.

[@cassius5692]

I had a similar experience with Planet Zoo. Zoo Tycoon and Zoo Tycoon 2 were defining parts of my childhood but I've always longed for a modern version that took advantage of new technology to offer the things ZT2 lacked, like exhibits inside true buildings, more advanced graphics, and more customization overall. I was hyped to see Planet Zoo announced. I followed it closely from the start, pre-ordered the deluxe version, purchased every expansion, and yet I've struggled to play it for any extended length of time even though I could play ZT1 & ZT2 for hours on end. Really, I probably put more hours into ZT2 than any other game in my life, but much of that time was spent admiring my zoo and interacting with it. Something I feel like I can't really do in Planet Zoo because it takes SO much time just to get past the building phase if I want the zoo to look nice. I did want more freedom to build the zoo I imagined but I feel like PZ almost overdid that freedom at the expense of the rest of what made ZT1 & ZT2 fun. I remember the thing that really made ZT2 seem so special to me in comparison to ZT1 was the animal interaction. There wasn't a lot of it, just the show mini-games and the press space to wash/feed/etc. but it brought you further into the animal management element and that's the part that my animal obsessed childhood (and adult) self loves the most. Planet Zoo doesn't focus on the animals and honestly I think that's why it doesn't keep my focus. I really wish there was a more balanced version, simpler but modern building mechanics paired with more focus on animal care. There have been a few other zoo games released recently and there are a few more on the way. I have yet to find one that scratches the same itch ZT2 did but I'll be keeping an eye out in hopes that changes sometime soon. Also imo one thing ZT2 did really well was the expansions. I can't say I'm surprised Planet Zoo has gone the route of Planet Coaster, releasing tons of expensive but sparse expansions, but I can say I'm disappointed. I think most devs could learn a thing or two about doing DLC right by looking at ZT2 and the amount of new content that came with each new expansion.

[@justZAYLE]

I remember I stayed up all night chatting to modders and youtubers through all the forums that popped up for the game. I would spend days making lists of plant life that I wanted them to create in blender to try and make a more "realistic" zoo with the tools that were given. I saw that the community was still active years later but sadly took a big toll when people moved to Planet Zoo. Who could blame them with such an upgrade to buildings and more real zoos. However Zoo Tycoon will forever be one that I personally hold in my heart forever. Thanks for bringing up the memories :)

[@LordFyrestone]

When we get a crossover between Prehistoric Park and Planet Zoo, we'll be at the ultimate Zoo Tycoon! I'm with you. The original is where my heart is.

[@Ecotasia]

It was sad to watch the decline of the modding community, though I guess I tapped out a year or so before Planet Zoo.

[@Maxime2]

There are videos on youtube that are rarer than everything and they manage to hit you perfectly and wake the right memory up. Your video absolutely is part of those ! Thank you for the amazing dive through childhood memories you just gave me.

[@AnimalManA]

Aw, thank you so much for watching!

[@ZombieTTG]

This was a fantastic video, and really captured everything about how I felt about Zoo Tycoon 2 as a kid. Kudos to you for making my childhood come back to life!

[@AnimalManA]

thanks for watching, mate :)

[@herpderp3916]

Watching this video as I play Planet Zoo, it's an amazing game but ZT2 definitely hits me in the nostalgia hard. I think I also remember that Mysterious Island series, gonna have to rewatch it.

[@murraymanitos]

Fun fact: Ratel is just another name for a honey badger. That “lower risk” designation is INACCURATE, Zoo Tycoon 2!

[@ianharmon3440]

Yeah, several of the conservation statuses are inaccurate - some certainly due to the fact that the game was released 18 years ago, but even when I played it back in like 2007 and the 2010's they still seemed a little off to me.

[@SpaceKnight105]

that could be a good challenge, build a extinct zoo but no buying and placing dinos in the animal tab, you have to find them and create them

[@lolchocl]

What a great video! I think you perfectly summed up the feeling of having played this game for hours as a child. Thank you for the nostalgia :3

[@thecat7803]

Oh wow, I did have the first one. I also had a hard time getting into Planet Zoo just because of how complex the systems were.

[@LinariaFreeze]

Zoo Tycoon was a huge part of my childhood, especially the Seaworld expansion. The day I got Zoo Tycoon 2, I was in heaven!

[@rijuthefairy]

One of the things I used to Zoo Tycoon 2 was to make a human exhibit. I did it when I got bored. The fun thing is I'd most like I still do it if I could find the old zoo tycoon 2 Game disc

[@ROCKNROLL947]

Zoo tycoon was the first game I played with dedication. I was lucky because find the game in my country was almost impossible, but it gave me a lot of fantastic moments

[@vegokhana]

I remember sneaking the Zoo Tycoon 2: Ultimate Collection box into my mom's cart as a kid. Surprisingly, she didn't get mad and bought it anyway. Let's just say that that decision was one of the best of my life. I remember playing the game for hours on end. Previously I just had the demo version of Zoo Tycoon 2, but now I have the full game along with it's expansions. The launcher had some videos and the play button on it, and I remember LOVING those videos (Especially the dolphin, panda, and lion vid). I played the game for years, and installed plenty of mods along the way, which were mostly dinosaur and prehistoric mods, as I was a big dino nerd at the time, still am to this day. I still have that precisions box and the CDs with me, all three of them. I still sometimes load them up on my laptop and play the game. ZT2 has been a large part in my life, and who I am today, and I am grateful for the opportunity to play this game.

[@eddw7650]

I loved Zoo Tycoon 2 as a kid! To the point where I even 'borrowed' money from my parents without asking so I could buy the Marine Expansion when it came out because I go so overexcited...ah childhood shame haha. A very nostalgic video, I immediately bookmarked the Complete Edition on CEX for the future after watching this, thank you for bringing back so many memories!

[@sarapocorn]

This video just awakened so many memories. Thank you. I played Zoo Tycoon and Zoo Tycoon 2 for so many hours as a kid and still do now - at 28 with a Master‘s in Biology. Which I probably also got due to these games.

[@Jana-px5xp]

Honestly, I have the same feeling towards Planet Zoo. Zoo Tycoon 2 was my Nr. 1 childhood game so naturally I was so pumped for planet Zoo. I got it, played a few hours and stopped. Its just way too much for me. Like its really really overwhelming with all the customization and details you have to look out for. I‘ll always prefer Zoo Tycoon 2 over Planet Zoo.

[@Swoshan]

i have the same feeling but for the first Zoo tycoon game! just hearing the intro song gives me joy xD

[@Franklli]

I hope I wasn't the only one who blocked the entrance and basically made a nature reserve. God, I'm so glad young me begged for the ultimate collection in Walmart(or sam's, I can't remember)

[@irissupercoolsy]

I played both Zoo Tycoon 1 and afterwards Zoo Tycoon 2!! Still one of my favourite games to this day! I played so many hours of them.

[@c0rn322]

God damn it was nostalgic to see ZT2. ZT2 with its zookeeper mode was one of the best gaming experience I had as a kid. It's relaxing, bonding with your animals was great, hell roleplaying as a guest was fun too. Planet Zoo with superior graphic and tech still cannot give me the similar feeling, it's super hard to bond with your zoo compared to ZT2. I'd still be playing this game if it didn't give my PC a stroke after I placed too many fooliages.

[@retime5929]

This game does mean a lot to me. I remember being under restrictions just to play it while young. And every chance I got, I got on Zoo Tycoon 2, customized my zoos through sandbox mode to help with my curious and creative side. I always explored the possibilities of setting up a type of feel for the animals and the guests for the zoos. When night fell, I remember how the lights all around the zoo lights up perfectly. I remember looking beyond the zoo limits, just watching as birds fly in the distance, and forests on a hill as the sun sets. The loading screen was just pure bliss. I remember one that had an orangutan looking out at the Zoo entrance in the distance, with the sun over head. I tired to recreate that in the zoo. I tried, searching for that particular screen every load. But never saw it again. The videos were definitely pure quality content as well. Zoo Tycoon 2 will always have a special place in my heart. Thank you for this video bring light on these memories.

[@AnimalManA]

thank you for sharing this it really warms my heart. It's all those little things, ya know?

[@retime5929]

@@AnimalManA Thank you, I would gladly return to those days

[@rattyeely]

I love this game so much, it's great to hear someone finally talk about it

[@TheTakenChance]

Man the nostalgia. I loved the Marine Mania expansion. I use to build so many shows and I loved the training mini game. Great video.

[@rickwilson4077]

Honestly, I love Zoo Tycoon 1 so much. It’s how I grew up. I did enjoy Zoo Tycoon 2, but like you with Planet Zoo… I kept creeping back to ZT1. I still own my CDs of ZT1, but somehow my ZT2 discs have been lost to time. This video did remind me how much I did love the jeep explorers even if they sucked ass. 🥰

[@bunneehra]

This video brought me soooo much joy. I still recall that Christmas Eve when I received ZT2 and left all the boring adults downstairs to sneak up to the computer and install it. Thank your for your video and such a sweet nostalgic moment!

[@BluesGold.]

This review is just so wholesome and relatable. As someone who grew up with this game too, it makes me happy I’m not the only one who was really impacted by Zoo Tycoon 2

[@Kalisha2401]

Wow, that was one of the most played games of my childhood - and I only learned today that you could build waterfalls... xD

[@Kalisha2401]

Omg, and it never occurred to me to design pure aquariums via the terrain tool. They look so great, I think I need to dig out the game again :D

[@aquadragondavanin6745]

man it really puts into perspective how a system can affect a game, i had zoo tycoon 2....on the ds. and i loved it! i apparently loved it so much i somehow ended up with two copies! but wow does it look more impressive on pc. this was a really good video man! good stuff. B)

[@didelphidae5228]

Holy cow, this is a blast from my childhood. I still remember building arenas where I dropped guests into tanks with prehistoric marine life while others watched in awe from the surrounding bleachers.

[@nublarrex5690]

The modding community is one of the most amazing things about this game

[@Ecotasia]

It was sad to see it decline, but everything has to end at some time I guess. I would love to see a video detailing the rise and fall of the modding community.

[@nublarrex5690]

@@Ecotasia same

[@mosey_around2231]

I remember the killer penguin being so unnerving. I think you first get it as an egg, so when it hatched, I was just "Wtf is this, why does it have fangs, and why are its eyes glowing?" and the fact that it could kill a T-rex scared me. I would be especially terrified when this bug would happen, when instead of seeing the scientist in the fossil reviving room, the killer penguin would be in its place just staring at you. Man I loved and still love Zoo Tycoon 2

[@Cyber.Oni.Ink.]

Planet Zoo looks awesome in its endless possibilities but it is PLAGUED with game breaking bugs and the management parts of it are a nightmare to work out. I much prefer going to the simpler, yet full of content, Zoo Tycoon 2 Complete Edition

[@jojo-oi7up]

as a kid who loved zoo tycoon 2 and other tycoon/city-builder games, planet zoo is a really refreshing game for me. its the game ive always wanted since zoo tycoon 2 so it still has me reminiscing about the days when i played and loved zoo tycoon 2

[@onefortheages5983]

Anyone else make crazy mazes to force your siblings to find there way through with fences?

[@citylights1173]

Every couple of years I'll go on a journey through KZbin to see if anyone has played recently, or just to visit some of those old mini movies. It's great to know that this game meant to much to so many people. Really love the video. I remember finding some sort of blog website way back when through the launcher, outfitted as a kind of script. I believe the main characters were mice? I haven't been able to find it since.

[@Ecotasia]

Yes, Zeek and Zoe the moce that show up on the cover art for some reason.

[@JumpscareRodent]

Planet Zoo needs to add more pieces that are fully made for you already, so that the simpler people can make everything without custom placing every detail

[@Khiruji]

You can. In the steam workshop of Planet Zoo

[@JumpscareRodent]

@@Khiruji Yes but the game base should come with it.. Mods are not for casual fan

[@elecbo4517]

@@JumpscareRodent The steam workshop isn't a mod, it's exclusively base game content that people upload; it can be downloaded and placed at the click of a button and is a built-in feature.

[@JumpscareRodent]

@@elecbo4517 I never said the Steam workshop is a mod lmao. The game should come with more already put together pieces is what I said

[@Fantallana]

@@JumpscareRodent no, you literally said “mods are not for casual fans”. Scroll up dude

[@benenwren4110]

"There aren't any woolly mammoths in this game but there are mastodons which are kind of the same." -WHEEZE-

[@thelastmikester]

Damn, here comes the nostalgia train, womp. Loved Zoo Tycoon 2, was the first game that I ever played on PC, absolute classic

[@clerthebird129]

I’ve been sick recently and whenever I’m sick, I always end up downloading old games that I used to play as a kid. Brings me some comfort I guess. So this time around, I’ve been playing Zoo Tycoon 2 for hours a day and man, the memories and nostalgia are so good, and the game is honestly great!! This video was lovely to watch, thank you 🤍

[@eddiesantiago7971]

Love this game so much! Planet zoo is great but I miss the challenge mode in zoo tycoon 2 it made your zoo feel so much more alive! And the behavior of the animals in this 2004 game feels more realistic than Planet zoo. Nursing, eggs all that. And the marine expansion and the personality of zt2 is just amazing

[@flipex6304]

Damn, I'm glad I came across this video. The ZT franchise is one I'll always hold near and dear. I was reminded of all the different memories I made from this one simple game. Spending hours trying to get all the unlockable items, nagging my older sisters about the 5-star zoo I made, watching Resort of Horrors or Farm of the Dead on repeat and being legit creeped out, or downloading HUNDREDS of mods onto my family computer to the point of extreme slowdown lmao. Sites like Zoo Tycoon ABC, Zoo Mania, ZT2 Designing Centre, Aurora Designs, Zeta Designs and Zoo Tycoon Unlimited were probably my earliest memories of ever having to sign up to a site lmao just so I could get access to that Fire and Ice unicorn or the Jurassic Park Pack. Speaking of which, OMG the fanmade UXPs were the shit! Arabian Nights, Island Excursions, Obsessional Ocean, Cretaceous Calamity, Radical Remake, and my personal favourite PARANOIA! Good times.

[@wildthorn2315]

I remember I used to play with a wild horse mod and make whole storylines of horses in this big maze canyon

[@marianopw004]

I'm 33 and I did play A LOT of ZT1 back in the day, when ZT2 came out... my pc culdn't handle it... I did give it a chance like 2 or 3 years ago and it just fell magical, like, reconciling with my past self, still play it from time to time. Also tried Wildlife Park 2 and 3 but those do not feel the same. Now I plan to go to Planet Zoo and Jurassic World (cause I also used to play Operation Genesis in those younger years). Great video!

[@karthikperiasamy7321]

omg the nostalgia. for some reason it feels like the graphics were better when i played the game than when i look back now. i can relate to EVERYTHING you said. my friends would come over during the summer vacations, and i would show them how to breed animals. I once made a zoo which was just a tiger safari, at one point i discovered that if you had enough tigers, some of them would be white tigers! i was so excited. this game had so many easter eggs. these days, u google a game and find out all its hidden features in a second. but there was something extremely fulfilling spending hours on zoo tycoon and finding these easter eggs yourself. thanks for this video, ill probably go cry now😂

[@betabug64]

I remembered how everything I learned about how to play the game all came from KZbin videos. Very useful for when I later played the demo of the expansion packs Endangered Species & Marine Mania.

[@liza9101]

Why does this video not have more views? There's humor, tips&trick I learned when I was today years old and a nice voice to listen to!

[@AnimalManA]

aww thank you :)

[@SwetyBoi]

I just had nostalgia shot to my brain when you showed those clips of Mysterious Island. I was 10 years old and my brother was 6, we would watch those videos together religiously. Get all spooked and then play ZT2 right after lmao. Thanks for that.