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Reviewed by Jimmy | 09.04.06

Intro
Nintendo's dog tamagotchi has become one of the most popular handheld titles in gaming history. Surprisingly I'm not talking about Metroid, Mario Kart, or Zelda, this one is called Nintendogs and it is cute, fun and highly addictive. Read our review of Nintendogs: Labrador and Friends Edition for the Nintendo DS.

Game
I know it's been a year since Nintendogs Labrador and Friends was released, but for this reviewer the Nintendo DS is fairly new, and Nintendogs is new. The Nintendogs crazy might have died down a bit from when this cartridge was originally released, but the quality of game is still untouchable. It's been a year and no Nintencats, or Nintenhuman; it's Nintendogs all the way.

For Dog Lovers
Nintendogs is a game designed for dog lovers. Really, who doesn't love dogs? Even some might argue that a Nintendog is better in a real dog in ways. No walks in the winter, no hefty vet bills, and no tearing up shoes. Yes, Nintendogs seems to have a lot of the positive without the negative set backs of having a dog. The only real problem is that it's not a real dog, but hey... in this digital age, it's a good substitute.

Fully Functioning DS
Nintendogs is easy to use and the controls along with those cute puppy dog eyes are enough to warm any gamer's heart. The voice recorder plays a big part in Nintendogs as you can teach your pup his or her name, tricks and other various commands like sit, fetch, and bark. You will also use the stylus a fair amount to pet your dog, throw items around, and even use the virtual pooper scooper. Another interesting twist in Nintendogs is that you have to use voice commands and the stylus to play this game, there is no way around it by using the D-Pad. Nintendogs is a more clear vision of what Nintendo wants between player and game interaction to be like, and Nintendogs is a great example of a DS one to help show off the features of the DS.

Loveable Lab
In this edition of Nintendogs you have the choice of six different breeds (Labrador Retriever, Miniature Schnauzer, Toy Poodle, Pembroke Welsh Corgi, Miniature Pinscher, Shiba Inu); of course the main dog in the Labrador edition is the great and loveable Lab. The dogs have pre-programmed personalities which vary in traits. You get to pick out your own dog from the Nintendogs Kennel, so it's not just a randomized pup. Each dog is represented well in its real life likeness right down to the hair on their coat to every little mannerism.

Love Your Pet
Over time you raise your dog from a little pup to a full grown dog. You can have up to three dogs at once and all need to be tended too constantly. Caring for your Nintendog is your job and like real pets all they really need is attention. You can also enter your dog in contests to keep it and yourself entertained. In this area the game is a little lacking because it's only separated into three events which get old fast. The three events are obedience, disc, and agility. Each event will take some practice and earning that first place badge takes some time and patience.

Barking, Walking, and Rubbing
Events and trophies aren't the only goal and achievement in Nintendogs. Half the fun is taking your dog for a walk, rubbing its belly with the stylus and giving it toys and attention that it urns for. Like I mentioned earlier the interaction is smooth and flawlessly integrated using both of the dual screens. Since my brief time with the Nintendo DS, no other game has made use of all the functionality like Nintendogs. An extra bonus in Nintendogs is that you can go into bark mode which lets you roam wirelessly and look for other dogs to hook up with. When in range you get a signal from the other DS and both dogs can interact on one screen. Another touch of brilliance.

Ah.. What do I do Now?
The one major drawbacks to Nintendogs is that you run out of things to do quickly. After the initial "wow" wears off each day you will be login in to take your dog for a walk, play around for a while, and maybe enter a competition. Nintendogs requires a few hours a week and that is about it. You can't really sit down and play this one for hours on end. Another small qualm about Nintendogs is that Nintendo has went the route of special cartridges for different breeds of dogs, I think we're up to four different versions now. It's really too bad they couldn't of fit more breeds on each cartridge, so it doesn't seem like a big cash in. Hopefully in the future they can better compress the data, so we can have a fully loaded kennel.

Lowdown
It's easy to become attached your Nintendogs virtual pet. This is a great pet simulator that takes advantage of all your DS special abilities. Over time the fascination with Nintendogs will fade but the overall experience is worth your time investment. Nintendogs is surreal, endearing, and clever. Dog lovers and gamers looking for something different should check out Nintendogs, it's one of Nintendo's best products.

Gameplay: 8.5, Graphics/Sound: 9, Innovation: 9, Mojo: 10. Final: 9 / 10

The Good Realistic Graphics, Life Like Animals, Easy to Use, Innovative Controls, Addictive

The BadRun out Things to Do, Only Six Breeds, Can Be Tedious

Features

  • Good dog! Pick from multiple breeds, ranging from Labradors to Chihuahuas , then care for and train the puppy using the touch screen and mic.
  • Pet the pup, acquire and play with more than 100 items like flying discs and outfits, or teach the dog to do tricks by creating voice commands.
  • If you train your pup well enough, you can compete in dog shows and agility contests - win to unlock other items and puppy breeds to keep yours company.
  • Play nice! Walk your puppies around the neighborhood or interact wirelessly with your friends' Nintendogs.
  • Lab & Friends: Labrador retriever, miniature schnauzer, toy poodle, Pembroke Welsh corgi, miniature pinscher and shiba Inu.



Nintendogs
Lab & Friends

 
Publisher
Nintendo
 
Developer
Nintendo
 
Genre
Virtual Pet
 
Released
Aug 2005
 
ESRB
Everyone



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