DESCRIPTION

Animals from across the globe are being captured and altered into various shapes by the villainous Dr. Buc Ooze. Your task is to free the hapless beasts with the aid of the titular ZooCube. Situated at the center of the screen is the requisite cube, which the player may rotate and swivel as desired. Different shapes appear at the outer edge of the screen and begin to make their way toward the cube from one of six directions: top-left, up, top-right, bottom-right, down and bottom-left. Once they touch the cube, they stick to its surface. When two like shapes touch one another, they are removed from the playing field, and the player is awarded additional points.

Each of the cube's sides can only hold a maximum of six pieces at a time, any more and the game is over. By pressing the B button, shapes already attached to the cube can be forced to swap places, allowing players to cycle through the available pieces in order to match them with any incoming shapes. Falling pieces can also be locked into place, and will subsequently rotate along with the cube, even if they haven't touched it yet. Additional items are thrown into the playing field at random, and by rotating pieces along the correct axis, can be collected to add bonuses and multipliers to your score. Bonuses are awarded for special feats such as maintaining a "balanced" cube — where each side has the same number of shapes attached.

Power-ups that increase your "smart bomb" tally or the rotation speed of your cube can also be obtained. If players find themselves in a pinch, a "smart bomb" can be used to clear one piece from every row of shapes currently attached to the cube. With a second ZooCube Game Pak, two players can participate in Versus and Cooperative gameplay modes via the Game Link Cable. Teaming up sees a second ZooCube added into play, requiring players to exchange certain shapes in order to complete a particular level. Competitive gameplay modes infuse the power-ups with various offensive attributes, resulting in a number of adverse effects inflicted upon your opponent. The in-game battery backup records the top ten scores achieved. ~ Gavin Frankle, All Game Guide