Ignition Entertainment has announced that they’ve managed to secure rights to publish Zoo Keeper, a cute Japanese animal puzzler, in the US and Europe.

In Zoo Keeper, you tap the stylus to change the positions of animals on screen to create lines of three or more of the same type. Moreover, when these animals are caught, other animals will fall into their place. Straightforward and easy to play, similar to the MSN game 'Bejewelled'.

One particular feature we like about Zoo Keeper is the ability to play simultaneously in two-player modes with a single cartidge, thanks to the DS's wireless capabilities.

"Zoo Keeper is perfectly suited to the Nintendo DS, with its use of both the touch screen and the wireless communication capability," said Peter Rollinson, Product Manager, Ignition Entertainment.

"Its simple yet addictive gameplay will appeal to young and old alike, much like the Nintendo DS itself surely does."

Zoo Keeper will presumably be available at the European launch of the DS in early 2005. RP