Reviews
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Nintendogs
by Alan Rappaport Right off the bat you have to drop the idea that Nintendogs
is a game in any traditional sense. Nintendogs is an ‘experience’
that is a tailor fit for the Nintendo DS. There are no warp pipes,
boss battles or bonus levels here. What there is is an experience
that will be playing with you almost as much as you will with it.
Don’t think of Nintendogs as a game you bring home from your
local game shop. Think of it more as actually going to the kennel
and bringing home a real live puppy. That’s exactly where
Nintendogs picks up, bringing you to the Kennel at the beginning
to select your canine companion. I can only imagine the amount of
research that went into Nintendogs, as each of the initial available
puppies have their own distinct personalities based on the breed
with a little bit of imagination thrown in.
After you adopt your puppy the ‘experience’ is on, and
it’s just you, your living room, and your new virtual pup.
You’re pretty much on your own from the get-go, and fully
responsible for your dog’s every need. Though this experience
may be similar to those Tamagotchis kids were crazed about, Nintendogs
is a much more visual, engrossing, and rewarding experience, one
that even the most hard core gamer can find joy in.
When I first brought Boomer home, I was amazed at how lifelike he
was on my DS. He was a very energetic pooch, constantly wagging
his tail, and at times looked as if he was ready to leap out of
the portable right into my lap.
It didn’t take long interacting with Boomer for me to discover
I wasn’t going to be playing with him on the train any time
soon. Interaction with Nintendogs is achieved through use of the
stylus to ‘touch’ and play with your puppy, and voice
commands to train them. Though encounters with people talking to
themselves are quite common during my daily commute, I don’t
care to join their crazy ranks by talking to my DS. Nintendogs relies
heavily on verbal commands, and real life experience with my own
dog had me going above and beyond even what the technology could
handle. I found myself talking in excessive ‘baby talk’
to Boomer while playing with him.
Verbally training Boomer took a little effort, though I imagine
it was still easier than training a dog in real life. The effort
is all worthwhile when your puppy finally begins to understand,
and I had the biggest grin on my face when Boomer finally began
responding to ‘Plant it’, ‘Play Dead’, and
‘Gimmie Gimmie’.
To train your puppy you will need to tap a light bulb icon in the
top right of your screen anytime your pooch performs a ‘trainable’
action... A cheerful bark from your puppy means your command was
understood, red question marks means your dog was confused by what
you said. It will take several instances of this light bulb training
before your puppy will fully understand your commands. You are free
to associate any verbal commands you would like with each action,
so be sure to get creative.
After spending time training and caring for your doggie, you’ll
be so proud that you’ll want to begin showing them off, and
what better way to do that then by entering them in Nintendogs competition.
There are three different contests available for you to show off
your pooch – a verbal command contest, a Frisbee catching
contest, and an agility contest. Here’s where all your hard
work and practicing will pay off – in addition, the affection
between you and your puppy will play a role in how well they perform
under pressure. Place in the top three spots to advance to the next
level, otherwise its back to the beginning for your canine.
Feeding, walking, and bathing though mundane sounding activities
are all quite enjoyable to engage in with the Nintendo DS. Unfortunately,
you can only do so much with your pooch in one sitting, so you’ll
be best to care and visit him at multiple times during the day,
rather than spend hours upon hours together. Just make sure not
to neglect your furry friend, or you might power up your DS to find
your living room shockingly empty. I was beside myself when Boomer
ran away, but elated when he returned home. I made sure not to stay
away from him for too long after that one incident.
Nintendogs offers Nintendo DS owners a unique experience and a
welcomed break from everything we’ve become accustomed too
in portable gaming. Though Nintendogs doesn’t offer an endless
amount to do, it’s still a great title, and one that you’ll
find yourself obsessing over for the immediate future. Just make
sure to care for your puppy as best you can, as Nintendogs will
be sure to bring a smile to your face every time you return to your
virtual living room.
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