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Zoo Keeper Zoo Keeper - Japanese Logo - Katakana / Kanji

Zoo Keeper - Cabinet - Video Game Marquee

Description

You control Zeke the zookeeper who must rescue his girlfriend Zelda from the Zoo. There are four levels or "adventures". Each level has its own task such as trapping the animals in the zoo, jumping ledges up the screen and jumping animals to earn a bonus keeper.

Zoo Keeper was produced by Taito in 1982.

Taito released 487 machines in our database under this trade name, starting in 1967. Taito was based in Japan.

Other machines made by Taito during the time period Zoo Keeper was produced include: Janputer, Space Cruiser, Zarzon, T.T Mahjong, Space Seeker, Birdie King, Electric Yo-Yo, Front Line, Jungle Boy, and Jungle Hunt

Zoo Keeper - Cabinet - Machine
Cabinet

Specs

Name Zoo Keeper
Developer Taito (Japan)
Year 1982
Type Videogame
KLOV/MOG # 10540
Class Wide Release
Genre Platform
Monitor
Conversion Class unique
# Simultaneous Players 1
# Maximum Players 2
Gameplay Alternating
Control Panel Layout Single Player
Controls
  • Joystick: 4-way (up, down, left, right)
  • Buttons: 1 [Jump]
Sound Amplified Mono (one channel)
Cabinet Styles
  • Upright/Standard
Control Panel Zoo Keeper Control Panel Image

Game Play

During the first part of the game, you move Zeke around to build a wall around the Zoo. He must jump to avoid any of the wild animals that are loose. Special items will appear on this level when the fuse-like timer at the top of the screen reaches that part. If the timer makes it to the word "End", the current level ends and the game proceeds on to the next. The bonus items that occasionally appear on the screen include mugs of root beer, ice cream sundaes, clover clubs, watermelons, etc.

When the timer reaches a net, one will appear at a certain location on the wall and if Zeke picks it up, he will be able to capture the animals on the loose and put them back into the Zoo. The net will eventually disappear and the captured animals will try to escape from the Zoo by eating through the wall. Zeke will have to continue building the wall around the Zoo until time is up. At the end of that level, bonus points are awarded for every animal captured. The animals found on this level are snakes, moose, camels, rhinos, elephants and a lion.

On the second level, Zelda is tied to a palm tree and Zeke must rescue her by jumping upwards from level to level while dodging coconuts thrown by a mischievous little monkey. On each of the ledges there are various foods and drinks that Zeke can collect for extra points. Sometimes, one of the ledges will even have a "Free Game" sign that will grant you a free credit. While Zelda is tied up, she says "Save Me!" and whenever Zeke gets knocked out by one of the deadly coconuts, she says "Oh, No!" If Zeke makes it all the way to the top and rescues her, she says "My Hero!" and a bonus of 5,000 points is awarded.

The third level is the same as the first, but on the fourth level, Zeke must constantly jump over herds of charging animals that come out of the cages at the end of each escallator. Zeke then rides the escallator to get to the next floor. Zeke must get to second escallator to reach the top floor where Zelda is, to rescue her. After Zeke has rescued Zelda on the fourth level, the game begins again with an increased difficulty.

Zoo Keeper KLOV/IAM 5 Point User Score: 3.96 (19 votes)

Fun Factor: 3.89

Overall Like 4.33
Fun (Social) 2.78
Fun (Solo) 4.05
Collector Desire 4.12

Technical Rating: 4.20

Gameplay 4.39
Graphics 4.00
Originality 4.47
Sound/Music 3.67

Personal Impressions and Technical Impressions each account for half of the total score. Within the Personal Impressions category, Like carries a little more weight than the other factors.

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Cheats, Tricks, Bugs, and Easter Eggs

On the coconut level, jumping on the top platform is worth 5000 points. However, each time you jump down off the platform and back it doubles your points. If you time it right you can get a maximum of 300,000 points per jump.

More pictures

Cabinet Information

The game comes in the same shape cabinet as most of Taito's other games, but has sideart instead of the generic "Taito" lettering and pattern. The most common art features zoo animals in monochrome blue on an orange background. Color side art does exist although this is far less common.

Conversion

The game uses the same boardset as Qix but has the addition of a coin processor board to prevent ROM swaps as well as an additional daughterboard with extra ROMs. A ROM hack exists to make the game run without the coin processor board, so there is a possibility that a conversion could be a straight ROM swap with some hackery for the additional ROMs. Other games that run on nearly identical hardware are Space Dungeon, The Electric Yo-Yo and Kram.

VAPS Arcade/Coin-Op Zoo Keeper Census

There are 14,717 members of the Video Arcade Preservation Society / Vintage Arcade Preservation Society, 9,455 whom participate in our arcade census project of games owned, wanted, or for sale. Census data currently includes 164,291 machines (6,886 unique titles).

Very Common - There are 184 known instances of this machine owned by Zoo Keeper collectors who are active members. Of these, 168 of them are original dedicated machines. 5 of them are conversions in which game circuit boards (and possibly cabinet graphics) have been placed in (and on) another game cabinet. 10 of them are only circuit boards which a collector could put into a generic case if desired.

For Sale - There are 6 active VAPS members with a Zoo Keeper machines for sale.

Wanted - Very Popular - There are 43 active VAPS members currently looking for Zoo Keeper. There is one active VAPS member looking for a Zoo Keeper circuit board set.

This game ranks a 34 on a scale out of 100 (100 = most often seen, 1=least common) in popularity based on census ownership records.

This game ranks a 65 on a scale out of 100 (100 = most often seen, 1=least common) in popularity based on census want list records.

Rarity and Popularity independently are not necessarily indications of value. [More Information]

Flyers

Fixes

If the original NiCad battery is still on the PCB, remove it and replace it with a 3.6v rechargable, mounted away the board. The 4116 video RAM ICs often fail and since they are becoming hard to find, they can be replaced with modified 4164's.

Manuals

Foto-Finder® (Books)

  1. The Encyclopedia of Arcade Video Games Kurtz (ISBN 0764319256) Page: 166; Color photo Price guide: No
  2. Encyclopedia of Arcade Video Games Kurtz (ISBN 0764319256) Page: 166; Color photo

Additional References (logged in members often see more)

  1. 3D Model (External): Upright

See the game at:

This game is available at the following public arcades, bars or museums:

Name Location State Country Details Check-ins
Upstate Pinball & Arcade Museum 109A West Trade St, Simpsonville South Carolina United States Arcade (Classic Videogame)
Children: Allowed
Focus: Classic Games
Food: No
Alcohol: No
Payment Method: Admission Charge
2

eBay Listings

Click to search eBay for Zoo Keeper Videogame machines and related items.

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TOP WATCHED LISTINGS FOR: Zoo Keeper

Ebay Compatible Application

Zoo Keeper Arcade Marquee 26" x 8"

Auction ends in: 4 weeks, 1 day

FixedPrice
$18.95

ZOO KEEPER Glass Bezel Screen Printed - PERFECT! PA EXCLUSIVE!

Auction ends in: 9 hours, 29 minutes

FixedPrice
$185.00

Taito Zoo Keeper (5 Board) PCB SET,Not Tested, Sold as is

Auction ends in: 3 weeks, 5 days

FixedPrice
$500.00

ZOO KEEPER Glass Marquee Screen Printed - PERFECT! PA EXCLUSIVE!

Auction ends in: 9 hours, 31 minutes

FixedPrice
$135.00

ZOO KEEPER Arcade Marquee For Reproduction Header/Backlit Sign

Auction ends in: 3 weeks, 6 days

FixedPrice
$15.75

ZOO KEEPER ARCADE MACHINE by TAITO 1982 (Excellent Condition) *RARE*

Auction ends in: 2 weeks, 3 days

FixedPrice
$3,589.00

Auction Results

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Auctions Recap

Year Count Median $ Average $
2017 1 747.50 747.50
All Years 1 747.50 747.50

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