As my loyal readers (thanks to all three of you) can attest, I am no fan of expansion packs. Far to often an expansion pack has far less to do with expansion and far more to do with extricate a few more dollar bills from the pockets of loyal gamers with as little effort as possible. In short, developers and publishers are preying upon the popularity of a title and brand loyalty by pushing out a piece of software that supposedly builds or "expands" upon the original title. The unfortunate reality is that all too often the "expansion" pack will be comprised of little more that a series of paltry content additions that fail to advance the original game in any meaningful way. "Look the Orcs are blue!"

So it was with no small amount trepidation that I accepted the assignment to review the first expansion for the popular "Zoo Tycoon 2". The Zoo Tycoon franchise, published by Microsoft and developed by Blue Fang, has to not only been a commercial success, but a critical one as well. The series manages to find the magic formula that few others have been able to achieve. Create a game (or series of games) that is challenging, entertaining and educational across a broad spectrum of demographics.

This is not to say that the franchise has not seen its share of pratfalls. Just look at the "expansion" packs for example. Sure it was cool to run your own version of "Jurassic Park" complete with cunning ‘raptors and their bloodthirsty cousins. But did it really "expand" the game? In truth, no. The dinosaurs they created were really just the common zoo animals in a new skin. Take the artificial intelligence of the tiger and cross it with the rules of size for the elephant; apply a new texture and wireframe and presto! A T-Rex!

And so it is with no small amount of mortification that "Endangered Species" the first expansion for "Zoo Tycoon 2" forces me to rescind some of my previous lamentations of "expansion" products.

"Endangered Species" does precisely what an expansion pack is supposed to do. True, the features include the ubiquitous series of "new" zoo animals, which includes twenty species from the endangered or rare species lists. Personally I thought the Komodo Dragon rocked. Additionally the new zoo challenges are more creative and somewhat more difficult than those included in the original set. The last set of "expanded" standard fare is a serious amount of new objects. Not just a few new flower pots and a couple of trees, we’re talking several new statues, themed benches, fountains, arches, blinds, etc.

When it comes to "expansion" you can’t get any better than "Vehicle Tours" and "Sky Tram Tours." Including just one of these would have made this product excellent. Including them both rolls it right into outstanding.

As the name implies, the "Vehicle Tour" allows the Tycoon to place a series of roadways throughout the zoo and its exhibits. Visitors to the zoo simply go to the garage and jump onboard a Jeep for a truly in depth tour. Properly planned, the roadway and vehicles will not upset the animals in the least and will drive the visitor satisfaction level through the roof. After all, how happy would you be if you could come within arms reach or your favorite animal.

"Sky Tram Tours" operate essentially the same with the major distinction that they can go practically anywhere at any angle and won’t disturb the animals in the least with only the most rudimentary of zoo planning. Personally I found the Trams far more flexible but individual visitors did not seem to be quite as happy as with the "Vehicle Tour". Of course my anecdotal evidence suggests you can push forty percent more visitors through the Tram Tour than the vehicle tour.

My favorite feature though is really more of a necessary adjunct to the previous two, and that is the elevated platform. The sheer creativity that can be derived from the ability to create a platform, series of platforms or walkways at any height and nearly any configuration is unparalleled. What really sets this feature off is that you can place nearly anything on an elevated platform, everything but an exhibit. From something as simple as a viewing blind suspended over a Savannah exhibit loaded with snarling lions to a complex series of platforms hosting a "food court" overlooking a massive play area, the options are nearly limitless.

With all these new goodies you must expect some flubs and while there are some to be had, they are few and far between. In general I found that placing some of the new tiles (elevated platforms, Tram posts, etc) was awkward, and became increasingly more difficult as the adjoining terrain becomes increasingly severe.