Game Review: Zoo Tycoon 2: Ultimate Collection

Zoo Tycoon 2: Ultimate Collection is so fun! I’d probably recommend this game to anyone who loves playing video games or anyone who loves animals. So this game is perfect for me, as I love both. Despite the E rating, people of all ages can enjoy this game, which is awesome. It can be a bit laggy, but I have a really crappy computer, so probably you’ll be just fine. (System requirements are listed on the case.) I would definitely recommend buying Zoo Tycoon 2: Ultimate Collection over buying the regular Zoo Tycoon 2, just because you have to buy the expansion packs in order to get all the animals for Zoo Tycoon 2.

Basically the bottom line is that I spent $40 dollars on this game, and it was well worth the money. By the way, I bought it at Target if anyone is looking to buy it. If you’re still not sure, I’d say to watch some playthroughs of it on YouTube, and see if it looks like a game you’d enjoy. There are also free game demos available to download on the Zoo Tycoon 2 website.

About: Make way for more than 100 amazing animals from Zoo Tycoon 2 and all the expansion packs-Extinct Animals, Marine Mania, African Adventure, and Endangered Species. Build the coolest zoos ever! Plus, unlock super animals in minigames, create marine shows, capture dinos, and much more. It’s the ultimate zoo… and it’s yours.

Rating: E - E10+ (Cartoon violence)

Genre: Business Simulation Game

Mode: Single Player

Release Date: November 2004

My Rating: ★★★★☆

Molly's Recipes: Easy Fruity Ice Cream

This ice cream is so refreshing and fruity that it’s perfect to have on a warm summer evening! I wanted to make a completely vegan ice cream recipe that didn’t require much work, and so I started to play around with my blender. I ended up with this recipe that I think is delicious, and tastes exactly like regular strawberry ice cream. What’s nice about this recipe is that you can change out the frozen strawberries for whatever fruit you’re in the mood for: peaches, pineapple cubes, or even blueberries all taste amazing in this recipe. Enjoy!

Ingredients:

- 8 frozen strawberries (or any other frozen fruit you prefer)

- 1/4 cup soy milk

- 1 and 1/2 tablespoons organic cane sugar

- 1 teaspoon vanilla

1. Place all ingredients into your blender and blend on low speed for 2-3 minutes, or until all the strawberries have been blended up.

2. Pour mixture into serving glass or bowl, and enjoy immediately.

Option:

If you prefer your ice cream hard serve, put it into the freezer for a half hour or so, or until it has firmed up some.

Serves: 1

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Magic Happens At 2AM

Let me start by saying this: we were supposed to be able to see the northern lights in California on the early morning of Saturday, July 14, 2012. Apparently, you could see them as far south as Alabama. So my brother and I go outside at 2 AM and start looking for these northern lights to appear. 20 minutes later… nothing. But I’m actually not disappointed. In fact, I’m very glad that my brother and I got up at 2 AM.

The reason why? I SAW A BARN OWL! I know, I know. Barn owls are actually pretty common, and probably lots of you guys have seen one in the wild before. But this was my first time ever! I’ve of course seen plenty of owls in zoos and that sort of thing, but there’s something awesome about seeing owls in the wild, and out in their element. So this barn owl that my brother and I saw must have been patrolling its territory, because it flew over us heading in a westerly direction, and then about 5 minutes later, it flew over us again heading east. It’s so amazing how quietly owls can fly, too! This barn owl flew over us, with its wings flapping, and both my brother and I could not hear a single noise coming from that thing. The first time it flew over us, you could just tell that it was staring us down, too. It was probably thinking something along the lines of, “WTF? What are two silly humans doing outside? They’re never out when I’m patrolling!” Well, to answer your question owl, we “silly humans” were looking for the aurora borealis. And we never saw it.

Another thing that was fun about going outside at 2 AM is just how utterly quiet everything is. There is the occasional sound of a car, train or plane, but other than that, absolutely nothing. Everything is very still, and it feels like you’re the only person on the face of the planet. So I am recommending that all of you reading this just get up and go outside at 2 AM, and if you see anything magical, let me know! I’d love to read about it in the comments.

<< A lovely little barn owl.

(This is NOT a picture I took. It would be awesome if it was, though!)