Yesterday we brought you a look at Advanced Mobile Applications’ Hills of Glory 3D and the upcoming Windows Phone 8 version of Babel Rising 3D. AMA, you’ll remember is a sister studio of Ubisoft. They’ve worked with a number of gaming franchises, including the Android version of Townsmen (coming to Windows Phone from Handy Games).
Today we conclude our Casual Connect USA coverage for the year with first looks at two more upcoming games from AMA: Animal Park Tycoon and Yeti Rising. Both games are due out on Windows Phone 8 and Windows 8 later this year.
Head past the break for the full hands on video and more details!
Animal Park Tycoon
At first glance, Animal Park Tycoon looks like another Ice Age Village-style city building game. But this game is actually much more closely related to classic simulation games like Theme Park. And since Microsoft chooses not to release its own Zoo Tycoon for Windows Phone, Animal Park Tycoon is the next best thing.
Players start out with a tiny zoo which they’ll manage and grow. The first order of business will be placing a few animals around your zoo. Acquiring all of the animals in a collection gets you special rewards, too. Animals are a big responsibility though; you’ll need to feed them and care for them when they’re sick. And that upkeep costs money.
To bring in the money your zoo needs, you’ll have to manage ticket prices. Raise prices too high and you’ll scare off the visitors; keep them too low and the zoo won’t grow. Other management tasks include building various concession stands such as hamburgers and ice cream, and even hiring workers to take care of the place.
On top of the realistic aspects of running an "animal park," players will have access to other fun activities. There's the animal races, for one. Bet on which of five animals will win the race. You might win money or even a rare creature. And like other building games, you can of course visit friends' zoos.
Animal Park Tycoon is a free to play game, so of course it has the standard two types of currency. You’ll never need to buy currency to progress through the game though. And here’s what makes this one so much more exciting than Farmville-style games: no waiting! Build something and it’s instantly built. The game doesn’t keep going while you’re away though – again, it’s refreshingly close to a classic simulation.
AMA hopes to release Animal Park Tycoon on Windows Phone 8 and Windows 8 by September.
Yeti Rising
If Babel Rising was too religulous for you, perhaps this yeti-themed take will warm your heart. You’ll play as a gigantic yeti – the mythical snow creature – as cartoonish climbers assault his mountain. Tap the screen and use various powers to bring the snow down and keep them at bay.
Of the games AMA brought for us at Casual Connect, Yeti Rising is the farthest from release – hence the brevity of the hands-on video. But we can expect it by the end of the year on Windows Phone 8 and Windows 8. It will be free to play, so everyone can get in on the yeti defense action.