The latest entry in our classics series, Zookeeper DX (2011), was a tile-swapping game we didn’t want to swap for anything else.
Zookeeper DX, in 2011.
What was Zookeeper DX?
Before we get to the DX-ed version, let’s rewind to the original Zoo Keeper. It was a browser-based game that shamelessly ‘borrowed’ from famous match-three effort Bejeweled. The main twist initially appeared to be that you swapped adorable critters rather than shiny stones. But this simple take on a classic formula exploded in popularity for reasons I’ll get to shortly. Fast forward a bit though, and Zoo Keeper’s animal-matching mayhem clawed its way on to Game Boy Advance and Nintendo DS before landing on iPhone.
Animals-Cross-Thing!
Why was it a classic?
Because it was brilliant. Sure, the original Zoo Keeper was derivative. But its creators infused the game with enough magic to make it something truly special. It had a wonderfully weird personality as you attempted to sort the zoo’s animals and please your boss. But the real game-changer was being able to make new matches while old ones were still cascading, setting up combos that bent the fabric of match-three reality. When playing on a touchscreen – first, the DS with a stylus, and then the iPhone with a finger – the speed was exhilarating as you desperately chained combos to keep the timer from hitting zero.
Still playing, 14 years later…
Where is it now?
The good news is it’s still on the App Store, optimized for modern iPhones, and with modes that can fit into whatever time you have to spare. ‘Normal’ tasks you with clearing a set number of each animal to advance. ‘Tokoton’ challenges you to hit a staggering 100 of any animal. And ‘Score Attack’ is a breakneck, adrenaline-fueled sprint against the clock, where every second counts. The bad news is, well, you won’t have much spare time once Zookeeper DX sinks its claws into you. It’s still the undisputed king of its particular jungle in gaming – a simple premise, flawlessly executed, oozing character, and delivering endless ‘just one more go’ vibes.
Zookeeper DX ($1/£1) is available from the App Store.There’s also sort-of-sequel Zookeeper World on Apple Arcade, although it’s a much tamer and less exciting beast.