Computer games and biodiversity

• Natur entdecken
• The Buzz Game
• Habitactics II
• Zoo Tycoon 2: Endangered Species
• Petits débrouillards
• Jump Start - Animal Adventure
• Ferruginous Hawk: Eco-Detective
• WWF panda junior (safari adventures)
• Oscar the Balloonist flies into the Mountains
• L'oeil du Cyclone

• Intro
• Games
• Reviews

WWF panda junior (safari adventures)

 

 

Story

The player can discover the adventures of Alex and Emma (she can choose between male and female character) as they explore the African continent. She visits nine typical different environments (e.g. the Savannah or the mountains of Ethiopia or Tanzania) and gets missions to solve by native animals. In addition to these missionsm, she can also explore the habitats and learn about her animal friends.

Elements of the game

Main elements of this game are 30 missions in different environments. For example, in the Savannah the player has to first put out the fire to protect nature. After that, she has to medicate an elephant that got hurt by poachers. Following she has to help the elephant to eradicate burned acacias and to crop new. Finally a water pipeline has to be sealed to make agriculture and the existence of animals and habitats possible. During the whole game the player gets in contact to more than 50 animals, which speak to the player, give her the missions and tell about their habitats and the problems they have with humans and ecological destruction.

After each mission Alex / Emma makes a photo of his/her new animal friend. The picture ends up in the photo album. This way the player gets by-and-by a collection of the most important African habitats and animals. The photo album also provides informative background information about them.

The interface is a typically for an adventure game: The player uses the mouse to control the character through a 3D-landscape. She also has a control panel that displays all the collected tools and detailed information on the missions.

How biodiversity is presented

The game manages it to communicate the fascination and huge diversity of Africa´s wildlife. It introduces more than 50 different animals with their native habitat, appearance and main character; interested player have access to much more information about them in the photo album. The issues of ecological destruction and loss of diversity are broached without dominating the game in a cheerless way.

Best practice because:

• comprehensive presentation of Africa’s wildlife
• good technical and graphical realisation with great synchronizing and sound (by the composer of the soundtrack of Mowgli II)
• good pedagogic concept