Nintendogs Review

Publisher: Nintendo

Review by: bard

Features

+ Cute puppies.

+ Innovative concept and design.

+ Genuinely unique experience on any gaming system.

- Easy to "run out of things to do".

Nintendogs: The Basics

My puppy's name is Molly. She's an adorable chocolate labrador retriever. She has a very spunky personality, is loyal, intelligent and skilled at catching a frisbee in mid-air. I was nervous about getting a second puppy, but Molly adjusted quite well. Breadcrumb is a schnauzer and is every bit as adorable as Molly. She's a bit ornery in comparison and not as physically capable, but she's my puppy and I wouldn't trade her for all the polygons in the world.

This is the kind of lovey-dovey spew you'll get out of any owner of Nintendogs. No matter what age or gender, anyone laying a hand on this game will be captivated. Even though these are virtual dogs composed of lines of code and polygons, they still tug at your heart and make onlookers coo and whimper at their cuteness.

Not a Wha?

Nintendogs is not a game. Nor is it a simulator. It's more like an interactive pet experience. Select from over fifteen different types of puppies to take home and train, care for, play with and grow to love. Teach them tricks, enter them into competitions and take them on walks around the neighborhood. Basically the only "goal" of the game is to love a puppy. That's a frighteningly easy thing to do.

The realism conveyed by these puppies will amaze you. Nintendo's programmers spent a lot of time studying the behavior of real dogs. Their movements and behavior are accurate and life-like, almost to the point that it's spooky. But this loving attention to detail makes the experience a genuine part of your life. Nintendogs will leap out of the screen and become something you think about all day, even for non-gamers. You'll run home after work or school just to feed your dogs. They'll greet you with wagging tails and cute, wet-nosed grins. In other words, it's kewl!

How's Your Day?

Your time in Nintendogs will be divided by caring for your dogs (feeding, bathing, walking), goofing off (throwing soccer balls, using the bubble blower), training them with verbal commands, and entering them into competitions. Your typical dog day is filled with things to do.

As soon as you fall out of bed in the morning and turn on your DS, the puppies will see you and come running. Real time and game time are the same, so your puppies will act accordingly. First, check to see if they're hungry or thirsty. How about an early morning walk? Grab your leash and trace a path around the neighborhood, crossing beach-side views and parks to meet other dogs and maybe even find a surprise or two. And uh, be sure to bag any 'gifts' your dog leaves on the sidewalk.

When you get home, your dog might be dirty. Grab a comb and some shampoo, it's time for a bath! Nintendogs are remarkably easy to bathe compared to non-virtual dogs. It adds to their charm.

Three different competitions offer a variety of stylus workouts and challenges for both you and your puppy. Disc throwing, the agility course and obedience trials are your options. Different breeds fare better on different trials, but a little training gives them a nudge in the right direction. Depending on how well you perform you can earn some hefty sacks of cash. Use it to buy dog food, get another puppy, or even to remodel your home!

Conclusion

Nintendogs is designed as a pick-up-and-play game. Each dog can enter only three competitions per day and walks must be spaced out in 30 minute intervals. Because of this, if you're sitting down to a nice long Nintendogs session, you may actually run out of things to do. The best course of action is to flip off the DS and go for a jog by yourself or with others. When you come back, those puppies will be very happy to see you.

Nintendogs owners are as boastful and attached to their pets as real dog owners. Each puppy has a unique personality that is very subtly expressed the more you spend time with them. Touch screen interaction lets you fall into the game, while voice interaction makes you feel like you have a real dog. Nintendogs is a winning breed of a new type of game: The kind that makes you fall in love.