My Zoo Vet Practice 3D (Nintendo 3DS) Review

My Zoo Vet Practice 3D consists of a home area and various animal enclosures, which are slowly unlocked over time. The character in the main home area is controlled entirely by the touch screen. The controls are quite poor, with the motion being slow and awkward, and the character occasionally getting trapped behind objects. Added to this, the animation is almost comically bad, looking like something from the 1980s. Outside of the home, controls are better, largely due to the fact that they largely rely on menu screens.

There are options to visit and help several animals during a day, although this is limited to just one animal at the start of the game, and the additions come in slowly. There is also no choice as to which animals to unlock. This would be an easy feature to implement, as all animals essentially function the same. Given that this is clearly designed for kids, it seems silly that fans of giraffes have to wade through several days of healing chimps, for example.

This problem is part of a more general issue that players are constantly told what to do and how to do it. The gameplay is always the same: An animal is sick, a button or two are pressed to find out what's wrong with it and how to fix it. The appropriate cure is then selected from a menu. The issue is not just that it's repetitive, it's that there's absolutely no skill or scope for error. It's sweet that it doesn't allow any animals to die, and perhaps appropriate given the target audience, but there should be some kind of interaction with the animals that isn't dictated just so. It's as if it isn't a game at all, but a set of instructions that will block any attempt to deviate from them, no matter how minor or insignificant. It ultimately boils down to selecting things from a menu when instructed to do so, which is obviously not a particularly fun or engaging experience.

There are some positives to take away, though. For example, it is unashamedly educational, with lots of information on different animals, habitats and medical conditions. The information is not sugar-coated or dumbed down, either, with some of it an important part of the game, and other bits open to explore. Too often games shun education for the sake of entertainment, so this makes a refreshing change. It's just a shame that the title couldn't bring along some entertainment beyond the interesting information available.

Whilst there aren't many music tracks, the ones that are present are surprisingly good, with the classical guitar of the hub area being a highlight. It's disappointing that more time hasn't been spent on providing more tracks that last longer before looping, but perhaps the developers were conscious of the fact that this is designed to be enjoyed in short bursts.