Nintendogs
is a series of three virtual pet games that feature
incredibly realistic puppies for you to raise - without
resorting to the pooper scooper or Bounty - the quicker
picker upper. I have to admit that I was a little
reticent at first, not being very comfortable with
the cutesy stuff, but Nintendo has done a really good
job of bringing the virtual pet genre to an entirely
new level.
I
don't want you thinking I went soft on you, but I
can see that Nintendogs will appeal to a large demographic
- including those that wouldn't even think of entering
into an arcade. Nintendogs isn't so much a game as
it is an experience and I would not be the least surprised
to hear that people (okay, maybe not people but certainly
girls) are buying the DS system just to play Nintendogs.
There
are three different versions of Nintendogs but aside
from the name and a different roster of dogs it's
virtually the same program. Dachshund & Friends,
Lab & Friends, and Chihuahua & Friends offer
different breeds of dogs. Only a real dolt would consider
buying all three, but I promise I won't call you any
names if you just purchase one. If you own a DS, at
least rent this game. The attention to detail is incredible.
The genre has come along way from raising an egg.
Unlike
any previous game, the DS is utilized to the max.
With it you can pet your dog, throw balls for him
to fetch and give commands via the built in microphone
using a voice recognition program. By saying a command
three times into the microphone the system will recognize
your voice and issue the command to the dog. It's
not perfect and sometimes you'll have to speak the
command a few more times before it registers. Always
talk in the same clear tone and try to eliminate any
background noises to reduce any tracking errors.
The
level of graphic detail is astonishing. The dogs are
fully rendered in 3D and display incredibly realistic
animation as the puppies frolic and tumble all over
the screen. It's hard not to get attached to these
mutts for crying out loud.
Interaction
with your pets is somewhat limited but it's still
an incredible experience. You can take a walk, give
them a bath, feed them, pet them, play with them and
even enter them in a dog show. Taking your best friend
out for a walk, you will explore new environments
and interact with all kinds of toys, bones and balls
while amassing a collection of collectibles.
The
way you interact with your pet will affect his or
her demeanor although the dogs never become aggressive
or dangerous. In fact they never age and they don't
die. No heartache for Tiffany.
Bark
Mode is interesting but I'm sure it will never attain
mainstream status. It might become popular at dog
shows or other such events. If you leave your DS in
sleep mode, to save on batteries, it will recognize,
via the wireless network, anyone in the immediate
area with the same game in the same mode. What will
happen is the dogs will visit each other and be able
to exchange gifts and information. You can then put
these anonymous passersby into your friends' list.
It's a neat concept but one that I'm willing to bet
will never work for me. I think you would have to
live in New York City to make this mode work.
Nintendogs
shows a lot of promise for the development of future
games built on this premise. It's a little on the
short side as you'll soon be looking for more things
to do but once you consider the attention to detail
and the underlying depth you should be amazed at the
near flawless execution of this not-entirely-original
concept.
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Move
over Tamagotchi, Nintendogs is barking up your tree.
Nintendogs, for those who haven't heard of the strange
DS title making its way to North America August 22,
2005, is a puppy sim. Raise a puppy - (three different
versions of the same offer a variety of breeds - see
below for details) - feed it, play it with it, take
it for walks. The game has taken Japan by storm and
by all accounts appears to be an absolute pop culture
phenomena.
One
thing I've noticed about these "virtual"
pet deals is that kids often ignore their real pets
to spend time with the pretend ones which is absolutely
stunningly moronic. My daughter plays with her Tamogotchi
with far more dedication, love and attention than
she is willing to provide Derek and Mr. Fishy Fish
& Chips, the two family gerbils which she begged
for a Christmas and a half ago. That has more to do
with bad parenting then an innocent childs digital
wanderlust. I'm referring to my wife's bad parenting
of course... I'm too busy operating this website,
drinking with the boys down at the wharf and attending
2:00 am cockfights to parent, therefore I'm completely
exempt from scrutiny.
Nintendogs
lets you pick a puppy from a variety of breeds available
at the beginning of the game. As you start spending
time with your pup you can throw flying discs and
balls to improve the pup's agility. You can bathe
it when it gets dirty and use your own personal voice
commands to train the dog to do tricks. If you train
it well enough, your dog will excel in obedience and
agility trials and disc competitions, which will earn
money that you can use to buy other supplies and puppy
breeds. When you earn enough cash, you can buy even
more puppies to live with their original pup. Players
can socialize their pups by walking them around the
town, where they will meet neighborhood dogs, and
maybe even find new toys. Trips to the park and gym
offer valuable training time to prepare for agility
trials and disc competitions. Over time, the pup's
stamina will increase so players can explore farther
and farther.
Players
care for and train their puppy by petting it, walking
it and buying it supplies to play with. As a puppy
competes in obedience and agility trials, owners can
win money to purchase other puppy breeds.
Players
can socialize their pups by walking them around the
town, where they will meet neighborhood dogs, and
maybe even find new toys. Trips to the park and gym
offer valuable training time to prepare for agility
trials and disc competitions. Over time, the pup's
stamina will increase so players can explore farther
and farther. Players also can interact wirelessly
with their friends' Nintendogs -- they can set their
DS to bark whenever another puppy is within wireless
range.
3
different Nintendogs games to choose from:
Chihuahua
& Friends: Chihuahua, German Shepherd, Boxer,
Cavalier King Charles Spaniel, Yorkshire Terrier or
Shetland Sheepdog
Lab
& Friends: Labrador Retriever, Miniature Schnauzer,
Toy Poodle, Corgi, Miniature Pinscher or Shiba
Dachshund
& Friends: Miniature Dachshund, Golden Retriever,
Beagle, Pug, Husky or Shih Tzu
Features:
- Pet
the pup, acquire and play with more than 100 items
like tennis balls, flying discs and even clothing
accessories. Teach your dog to do tricks by creating
your own personalized voice commands.
- Train
your pups well and compete in obedience and agility
trials. Win these competitions to earn cash, which
you can use to buy supplies and even more dogs to
keep your first puppy company.
- Walk
puppies around the town to meet neighborhood dogs
or interact wirelessly with friends Nintendogs
using the innovative Bark Mode.
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