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If you’re like me, an avid handheld user (Palm, Pocket PC), then you’ll be familiar with the usual must-have software. Things like AvantGo, Pocket Office, and other productivity apps are almost mandatory, and for games there was pretty much only one that you needed – Bejeweled. Ah yes, the addicting little game that could keep you occupied for hours on a plane or the train, but still appeal to you years later just as much as it did the first time you played it. PopCap games has since made the game available on many platforms including Windows and even recently Xbox Live. The beauty of Bejeweled was its simplicity and (in the handheld version) its use of the stylus on a touch screen. With the launch of the DS it seemed only a matter of time until it found a home on Nintendo’s new handheld. Ignition Entertainment seems to have beaten them to the punch though with their version of the game called Zoo Keeper.

The history of Zoo Keeper can actually be traced back to the web as well, just like PopCap’s Bejeweled. Coded in Flash and originally released by Robot, the game appears to have been picked up along the way by Success Co., was developed further and has now been published by Ignition for the DS.

Zoo Keeper is quite simply a blatant rip-off of Bejeweled. Instead of little gems that you must connect together to form lines of 3 or more, you now get to group together animal heads. There are several different types of animals in the game and the number of combinations present on the playing field varies from mode to mode.

Keeping that in mind, apart from having the same basic gameplay mechanics, Zoo Keeper actually adds several different modes that set it apart from its more famous counterpart. The standard Arcade mode which includes a timer that counts down focuses mainly on points, but Tokoton mode forces you to accumulate at least 100 of each animal before clearing a level. Quest mode pits you against several challenges that force you to pick and choose the animals you clear to match the level’s requirements. Also included is a 2-Player mode that takes advantage of the DS’s Single-Card download which let’s you and your friend play off a single cartridge.

Actually using the DS to the fullest of its abilities looks to be one of biggest challenges facing developers for the next little while. While Zoo Keeper uses the bottom touch-screen brilliantly the top screen goes for the most part unused – only showing some scores and your "animal du jour," which gives you extra points for clearing.

Sound and graphics wise Zoo Keeper does well for a little puzzle game. While the repetitive half-minute songs will drive you batty in a game that has the potential to keep you playing for hours on a single level, they are catchy and thankfully can be disabled mid-play. The sound effects are pretty much all you could ask for, with all the pre-requisite beeps and boops when you clear your animals. The design of the graphics are somewhat unique in gaming, focusing on the “pixel” style of graphics using blocky shapes for all the animals and simple primary colours. It works well for the type of game it is and helps to differentiate the animal types on screen.

The main problem that I have with Zoo Keeper is more a problem with the DS itself. This is one of the first games for the DS that makes almost exclusive use of the stylus and the unit really shows off its weight when playing a game like this. Due to the nature of the long gaming sessions, combined with holding the system in only one hand, you really start to feel the fatigue. And while the modes in Zoo Keeper do have some great appeal to them, I might be inclined to just play Bejeweled on my Palm -- which weighs way less than the DS and fits easily in one hand -- if I wanted this type of puzzle experience.

Another fight that Zoo Keeper is going to have is, does one spend the money for a DS game when they can get free demo versions (that include most of the playability) of basically the same type of gameplay on their PC, Palm or Pocket PC?

Leaving that question unanswered and left up to the buyer, Zoo Keeper is definitely a unique game as far as handheld console gaming goes. It makes great use of the stylus, and has colourful graphics and cute sound effects. One additional factor that can’t be overlooked is the addictiveness of this game. Zoo Keeper has been in my DS for weeks now, and as much as I complain about the weight of the DS, or the similarities between Zoo Keeper and Bejeweled, I don’t think I’m going to change it out for anything else that soon. It’s a fun little game that can be used for a quick distraction or let you be absorbed for hours. If you’re looking for a nice puzzle game for the DS I can give a pretty solid recommendation for Zoo Keeper, but careful if you already have Bejeweled on your Palm or whatever, because you might find yourself wondering why you spent money on essentially the same thing.