Jambo everyone! That’s the greeting we all learn to say on the Safari ride at Disney. I’m not at Disney World, but I did see African animals in the new EA game SimAnimals Africa while attending the Blogger’s Day event.
The demonstration was given by Producer Bart Menayas. This game is not for the hard core gamer, it’s for their kids. Aimed at ages 8-12, I think it hits the mark pretty well. The demo we watched took place in the savanna part of Africa and showcased the animals you would find there, lions, zebras and giraffes for example. I could see many positive changes in the game from the previous version including better graphics and animal interaction. One major change is that you can now control an animal, the only catch is you have to make friends with it first.
Playable elephant
Animals have unique talents. Lions can hunt and yes they hunt other animals. There is no blood, just a big pile of dust and the other animal is gone. Zebra’s can kick things like trees (to down fruit) and lions (because they ate a zebra). The animals also have relationships with each other, which can lead to mating of the same species and friendships with the others.
Zebra kicking the crap out of a lion.
There is a back story for those who want more than a sandbox. Humans used to live here and they left mysterious totems for you to discover with mysteries to solve. Totems tell stories and give instructions on what to do next. The more you play, the more you can unlock. There are 9 playable areas in all.
Zebra totem
This game will also available in a DS version, which is similar in game play but the story line has a twist. There is a mysterious egg and you must work toward getting it to hatch. Along the way you collect bugs, fish and animals to receive special gifts that help you in the game like more rain. We did get to see the spoiler animal that came out of the egg and I’ll just say that you won’t find it in Africa and it’s pretty cool.
DS version of SimAnimals Africa
Both games are set to release in late October.
[...] Now you can see the nice graphics and game play that I talked about a few weeks ago when I did my preview of the game. You might want to add this game to your list for the kids. [...]
This week, we tested SimAnimals Africa for the Wii courtesy of Electronic Arts. SimAnimals Africa is a family-friendly game that transports kids into the African wild where it’s their job to explore and tame the exotic kingdom full of animals like lions, gorillas, elephants, and crocodiles. Kids pet, befriend, play with and even directly control the animals’ movements with the Wii-mote. Status cards allow kids to learn about what type of food each animal likes best and what type of environment they prefer. The game’s end goal teaches children to keep the environment in balance by caring for the animals and plants that populate it. This opens the door for your child to begin exploring the world around them from the comfort of your own home, and can offer great opportunities to explore what our world needs to remain healthy and happy. The next time you sit down for a game night try playing a videogame that teaches an appreciation for the environment while remaining fun and exciting at the same time.
Read the rest of our in-depth review at http://www.fivehens.com/simanimals-africa/