History VideoGame / ZooKeeper2003

* HeelRealization: In the ending, the Curator is touched by the Zookeeper's determination to keep the zoo running and is [[TenderTears driven to tears]] from realizing that [[spoiler:blaming his wife's death on the animals]] was a huge mistake.

->"You don't feel like doing anything, do you? You are a failure."

''Zoo Keeper'' is a MatchThreeGame developed by Kiteretsu. It was originaly a [[https://kiteretsu.jp//games/zka/zka.htm web game]], but due to great popularity in Japan it got ported over to arcades, the UsefulNotes/GameBoyAdvance (as ''Zooo''), the UsefulNotes/Playstation2 (as ''Zoo Puzzle''), the UsefulNotes/NintendoDS and the UsefulNotes/Nintendo3DS. It went on to receive smartphone ports as well as a competitive online version called ''VideoGame/ZookeeperBattle''.

Gameplay modes include Zookeeper (meet a quota of every animal), Tokoton (get 100 tiles of any animal), Quest (clear a variety of objectives as quickly as possible) and Time Attack (same as Zookeeper but with a six-minute limit).

* GameOverMan: Every time you lose, the Zookeeper gets nonsensically insulted by the Curator.

* NintendoHard: Good luck getting past level 20 in Zookeeper mode.

* AwesomeButImpractical: If three SP panels are lined in a column or a row, they wipe the entire board out and award a ton of points. Now what are the chances of that ever happening?

* DifficultyLevels: Easy, Normal, Hard and Super Hard. To unlock that last one, you need a top high score on every mode.

* AWinnerIsYou: Averted, as the game does have a rather surprising ending.

* RogueAnglesOfSatin: The web version spells "Normal mode" as "Nomal".

* {{Combos}}: What made ''Zoo Keeper'' actually a bit more fun than ''Bejeweled'' is that you remain in control of the matrix while a chain is in progress.

* LuckBasedMission: Quest mode was widely criticized for being ''heavily'' reliant on luck. One example is the level that requires you to only match each animal only once. Who could have guessed that years later [[BribingYourWayToVictory people would be paying real money]] to perform well in those kinds of puzzle games?

* AntiFrustrationFeatures: The limited Binoculars item reveals all possible matches in the board.

Gameplay modes include Normal (meet a quota of every animal), Tokoton (get 100 tiles of any animal), Quest (clear a variety of objectives as quickly as possible) and Time Attack (same as Normal but with a six-minute limit).

* DramaBombFinale: The ExcusePlot of the game is that you're a Zookeeper working for the Curator, a PointyHairedBoss. If you get past level 20 in Normal mode[[MoodWhiplash ...]] [[spoiler:You find the Curator is the Zookeeper's father. His wife died in an accident while they were managing the zoo, so he began to hate his job and everything that had to do with it. Thanks to his son's efforts, however, he sees the error of his ways and promises to treat him better from them on]].

* NintendoHard: Good luck getting past level 20 in Normal mode.

''Zoo Keeper'' is a MatchThreeGame developed by Kiteretsu. It was originaly a [[https://kiteretsu.jp//games/zka/zka.htm web game]], but got ported over to the UsefulNotes/GameBoyAdvance (as ''Zooo''), the UsefulNotes/Playstation2 (as ''Zoo Puzzle'') and the UsefulNotes/NintendoDS. It went on to receive smartphone ports as well as a competitive online version called ''VideoGame/ZookeeperBattle''.

''Zoo Keeper'' is a MatchThreeGame developed by Success. It was originaly a web game, but got ported over to the UsefulNotes/GameBoyAdvance (as ''Zooo''), the UsefulNotes/Playstation2 (as ''Zoo Puzzle'') and the UsefulNotes/NintendoDS. It went on to receive smartphone ports as well as a competitive online version called ''VideoGame/ZookeeperBattle''.

* GameOverMan: Every time you lose, the Zookeeper gets (nonsensically) insulted by the Curator.

* DramaBombFinale: The ExcusePlot of the game is that you're a Zookeeper working for the Curator, a PointyHairedBoss. If you get past level 20 in Normal mode... [[spoiler:You find the Curator is the Zookeeper's father. His wife died in an accident while they were managing the zoo, so he began to hate his job and everything that had to do with it. Thanks to his son's efforts, however, he sees the error of his ways and promises to treat him better from them on]].

* LuckBasedMission: Quest mode was widely criticized for being ''heavily'' reliant on luck. One example is the level that requires you to only match each animal once. Who could have guessed that years later [[BribingYourWayToVictory people would be paying real money]] to perform well in those kinds of puzzle games?

* BigBad: The zoo's {{jerkass}} curator is deliberately mistreating the animals, which causes them to riot and break loose.