Zoo Tycoon 2 has won rave reviews from gamers of all ages, as well as accolades from numerous parenting organizations for its fusion of education and entertainment.

Press for Zoo Tycoon 2

“If you're looking for a game that's fun, looks great, and is educational, then search no more! Rarely in the gaming industry can one find a game that is equally fun and educational, but Microsoft has a strong contender for first prize with this gem.” 
– Game Daily

“ZT2 is definitely on track to be completely superior to its predecessor. I base this summation on watching my five-year old son fiddle around with the game. In no time flat he had waterfalls flowing, savannah grass waving, and penguins and lions hanging-out together.”
– Armchair Empire Preview

“Personally, I enjoyed the freeform maps—I found starting my own zoo from scratch to be a lot of fun. Overall, I think the game will be a good buy, not just for the diehard Sims fans out there, but also for players new to the genre. Now, you’ll have to excuse me, I forgot to build a fence around the tigers …"
– Warcry Preview

“Zoo Tycoon 2, for the animal lover young and old, is far more than twice the game as its predecessor and could easily have been called Zoo Tycoon Squared.”
– Gamezilla Review

“I haven’t read that thousands of fans stayed home just to play the latest version of Zoo Tycoon 2, but maybe they should have. There certainly is a lot here to build up rather than shoot down, and the enhanced 3D graphics make it easy to zoom in quite close to observe the animals, almost as if you were on a safari. You can also click on any animal and find out what it's doing at any given moment. There’s also a new and easy-to-reference Zoopedia, where players or just visitors can get all kinds of entertaining and interesting facts about the 30 different animals … Bottom line: this is a great game for the whole family to enjoy, and kids interested in animals will particularly be pleased with the content and opportunities to learn and interact with animals … definitely worth the upgrade if your family is already a fan of the first version.”
– Power to Learn Review

"Zoo Tycoon 2's campaign and challenge levels should keep most animal lovers busy for at least a little while. However, the game's real value seems to be in its sandbox mode, which, along with the game's "zoopedia" (a reference guide powered by Microsoft Encarta that provides educational animal facts), seems like a great way for parents with kids on their laps to spend some quiet afternoons, pointing out the tiger exhibit and maybe saving a photo or two."
– Gamespot Review

“[The 3D graphics] add much needed character to the various denizens of the zoo. The animals themselves caper around, courting, chasing, playing with toys, sleeping, eating and generally acting in far more entertaining manners than their terribly reticent real world inspirations. Treat them well, and they reproduce, leading to impossibly sweet youngsters. It hits the nurturing gene in the mind directly and well.”
– EuroGamer Review

Zoo Tycoon 2 Awards

National Parenting Publications Honor Award, 2005

National Parenting Center Seal of Approval, 2004