Lion Software
Beleive it or not, there is actually software out there that deals with
lions on a somewhat serious level. Like the other listings on this page,
it is probably not complete. If you run across anything not listed here,
please drop me an E-mail note at the address at the bottom of this page.
New feature: I have now added date tags to the end of each review to indicate
when the individual entry was last updated, starting with April 1999.
Updated 10-19-2004 Email address updated..
- Cats from Wild to Mild, CD-rom for PC
- This is a CD of information on both wild and domestic cats. It's coverage
of wild cats is quite in-depth, with large sections being devoted to the
largest cats: Cheetahs, Cougars, Jaguars, Leopards, Lions and Tigers. There
is also a section that briefly looks at the main species of smaller wild cats.
In general, the quality of the images and information is superb. The section
on domestic cats includes information on many popular breeds, along with
guidelines for selecting one as a pet. Many, many photos and video clips.
Animal sounds are also featured in many areas. Along with all this, there are
5 years worth of cat calendars, cat poetry, such as 'Possum's book of
Practical Cats' (Read by the CD producer!), screen savers, online help, and
some nice pictures of the producer's family! Although there are a few spots
where the flow of the discs stumbles a bit, the overall execution of such an
ambitious project is outstanding! Highly recommended! NOTE: This CD is not
a by-product of a museum show now travelling the country which has a similar
name. This CD is available from Whalesoft, 20 Short Drive, Etters, PA 17819.
Email: Whale9999@aol.com You might be
able to find this at the Marketpro Computer Show if it visits your area. (4-99)
- Eco East Africa, Viridis software, CD-rom for PC
- This unusual game puts you in charge of a fictitious East African game
park called Ethemba. You have a very difficult challenge when you take over:
Poachers have overrun the park, the tourists and scientists have left, and
the local natives are restless. You need to drive the poachers out, attract
new tourists and scientists, keep the local natives happy, and promote the
park. Although not dealing directly with lions, it does deal directly with
it's ecosystems. The game also has excellent graphics, and a 'tourist' mode
that lets you wander the park without the managerial worries. And, if you
don't do your job right, there is a big male lion that puts you out of your
misery! Although the game has a few functional shortcomings, it is quite
engrossing. This game is now long out of print. (4-99)
- LION, Sanctuary woods, CD-rom for PC or Mac
- This outstanding piece of software lets you 'control' twenty different
lions. Each animal has various strengths and weaknesses, and you must learn
how to use them for the animal to survive. You can either hone your 'lion'
skills with twenty problem-based scenarios, or play one or more lions in an
open-ended survival simulation. This program also includes extensive
background information about lions, including stills and video sequences.
(some of the best I've ever seen!) The quality of the simulations is very
high, and you must really 'think like a lion' to succeed. Note that this is
now an old piece of software, and needs a machine with DOS capabilities to
work (Windows 95 or older. May work with Windows 98.). Unfortunately, Sanctuary
Woods, and it's sucessor, Theatrix, has gone out of business. I have recently
been made aware of a large qualtity of these games available from
www.cdaccess.com I suggest if you want
a copy of this program to order it now. I don't know how long they will
continue to stock it.(6-00)
- Safari, Medio software, CD-rom for PC
- This award-winning CD-rom contains a wide variety of information on
African wildlife, including lions. For each animal represented, there are one
or more clips of 'video', sound bites, and a number of still pictures. The
information presented on each animal is more substantial than many other
multimedia presentations, and most web sites I've seen. There are many other
features of this disc I have yet to explore, including a 'virtual reality' tour
of the Masai Mara game reserve in Kenya, and info needed to get you ready to
go on a real safari. (It helped me do this!) Highly recommended, although some
of the video clips may be too violent for young childern. This CD has become
rather hard to find.(4-99)
- Savage, Discovery Channel software, CD-rom for PC.
- Despite the hype, this program turned out to be very disappointing. It is
more like multimedia games made ten years back. The program requires a lot of
hardware power to run well, and it is finicky about video drivers. Some
editing of the program's config file will probably be necessary. The graphics
leave a lot to be desired, and must usually be run in low resolution mode to
allow acceptable performance. The user interface is very poorly thought out,
and requires multiple keys to be pressed to acess critical functions. Although
a mouse or joystick are supported, much use of the keyboard is required. The
controls respond in a very 'rubbery' way, making precise control of your lion
difficult. You cannot jump levels, and you must master each level before
moving on to the next. In short, don't waste your money on this program. If
you want a lion simulator, get 'LION'! The only consolation-- there is another
game packaged with 'Savage', called 'Operation Weather Disaster'. This is a
vastly superior game!(4-99)
- Sim Safari, CD-Rom for PC.
- Another addition to the popular line of 'Sim' games. In this game, you get
to run an African game park. I have the game, but have not tried to play it.
I am told it is a lot like 'Eco East Africa'
(6-02)
- Zoo Tycoon, Microsoft, CD-Rom for PC.
- This engaging game lets you build and run your own zoo! It is well done and
quite addicting. The game starts you out with scenarios of increasing complexity
to get you acccquainted with what it takes to build and run a zoo. Free form
play lets you build and run your own design. One scenario is an all-big-cats
zoo! Interestingly, one of the very first things the training scenario has you
do is create a hole in the lion enclosure fence! This game is a favorite among
the Sierra Safari Zoo volunteers, and we spend long hours discussing our 'zoos'!
(6-02)
Back to the 'King of Beasts' home page.
Back to the Tim Stoffel home page.
Send mail, comments, material contributions, flames, etc. to:
Tim Stoffel
tim@lionlamb.us