Every now and then, we check out Windows Phone Store title designed for our younger audience, finding ourselves stumbling upon a gem of a game or app. Pango Zoo is one such app that is an attractive, dare I say impressive, Windows Phone children's game that lets your child interact with a host of zoo animals.
The game has more of a storybook feel than a gaming feel with five adventures for your child to discover and play through. The illustrations and animations are nicely drawn up and while the user interface does require a little exploration, that isn't necessarily a bad thing for children's game.
Available for low-memory devices, Pango Zoo comes across as a fun Windows Phone gaming title well suited for your Kid's Corner. It is a fun time waster of a game that you and your children should enjoy.
Play at your own pace
Pango Zoo opens with a very simple, uncomplicated main menu. Each adventure is represented on the menu by the animal featured in that story, which include:
- Feeding a tiger and brush his teeth
- Curing a sick zebra
- Cleaning up a dirty elephant
- Feeding and playing with the penguins
- Helping a fox clean up the zoo
Just tap the animal on the main menu to launch game play.
Pango the Raccoon narrates or leads you through each adventure. There are no written directions or audible commands but Pango does a decent job of hinting as to what needs to be done. For example, with the sick zebra Pango will look at the bouncing first aid kit to suggest you should tap on it. Then when the stethoscope appears, he will look at the zebra and you will have to stretch it to listen to the zebra's heartbeat.
Most of the gaming controls is tapping and dragging items into place. There is no score to be achieved and no time limit to race against. A home button sits in the right corner of the screen that will send you back to Pango Zoo's main menu.
Overall Impression
I can see Pango Zoo being a fun Windows Phone game to help your children pass the time. It does offer you an opportunity to interact with your children by explaining why you need to brush your teeth, the importance of staying clean, how shots help make you feel better and other life situations.
While Pango Zoo does encourage exploration and imagination, I wouldn't mind seeing stronger hints appear after a few minutes of inactivity to help guide a child in the right direction. The objectives aren't very difficult but I'm looking at it from an adult's viewpoint. Still, if your child does get stuck in an adventure this will open the door for your interaction.
All in all, Pango Zoo is a nice gaming option to add to your Windows Phone Kid's Corner. There is also a Windows 8 version that is well suited for tablet game play. Both versions are rated for children 3 years and older.
Pango Zoo has yet to receive any ratings and we see it falling in the neighborhood of 4 to 4.5 stars. Increase the Zoo population and that rating might grow. If you give the game a try, let us know in the comments what you think of Pango Zoo and remember to rate the game in the Windows Phone Store to give the developer a handle on how their work is doing.
- Download Pango Zoo for Windows Phone (Trial / $1.99)
- Download Pango Zoo for Windows 8 (Trial / $1.99)
