Nintendogs Chihuahua & Friends (Nintendo DS)

Review (Reviewer: JVG 2)

Computer Game

Nintendogstm

Genre: Virtual Pet/RPG

Rating:5* (five platinum stars)

Review:
Nintendogstm is a truly exceptional game. It defies conventions. When this was first announced, there was a debate as to whether it was going to be any good. The offspring of games like Pokémon, Project Cabbage and Hey You Pikachu, it demonstrates that voice recognition does have a role in gaming. Training virtual dogs and winning prizes while whupping someone at wii tennis all while timing how long the pasta has to be in the oven has got to be a tip top schizophrenic experience. I love this game so much that we've bought it twice.

Visuals:10
Quite simply, this game looks better than Oblivion. Ok, maybe that's a bit of an overstatement, but the fact of the matter is is that these dogs actually resemble real canines. They move like real dogs, they yawn a bit like real dogs, and yet for some reason, motion capture technology was not used in this game, unlike Resi 4, another winner of the Golden Pencil Award. Perhaps strapping motion sensors to real puppies would have been cruel. Nevertheless, These dogs look astounding. The boxers and Chihuahuas are especially cute. Amazingly, this is a handheld game as well. Who knows what magic Miyamoto is capable of. Perhaps he is a White Mage.

Aural:10

The jazziest tunes ever to feature on a handheld accompany barking, whining, yawning growling and howling so convincing that it confuses real dogs and frightens a real cat in my vicinity, Possibly the best feature, though, is the keyboard. This allows you to play real tunes and teach the dogs how to bark. Eliza, whom I donated to the Dog Hotel, was proficient in this respect. Pete Tong, understandably, was so good at learning music that he often persuades other Nintendogstm to mimic his songs. Well, he was chosen by my ex-housemate who is into dance music. Look out for other musical items in the game, such as the scratchable LP's and the music boxes.

Mastery: 10

I was thinking of giving this game an 11 for mastery. It defines the DS; it has sold millions, and will enter the multi million sales figures soon (assuming it has not done so already). I have bought some Nintendogs tm trading cards and they are so cute. Some people think the game is rubbish: quite simply, this is because they have little patience. Blow bubbles, inflate balloons, jog, stroke, indulge in a session of tummy rubbing, all in one game. Mastery is definitely the name of Nintendogs tm

Longevity: 10

This game offers plenty in terms of its scope for gamers and curious bystanders alike.
Nintendogs tm is a highly addictive game, and has near-universal appeal. Because of this, I give it a 10 for its lifespan. These dogs seriously mean business. They almost killed me. Parting with them is a costly experience. Nevertheless, for people willing to give up a bit of their lives, they will receive a unique and rewarding companionship. Making a commitment is seldom easy, but with Nintendogs tm you receive an excellent package. There are many items to collect, more than 20 different breeds to play with, including Dalmatians and Jack Russell Terriers, and if you're feeling a bit crazy, try aiming for the Spaceport Interior design, or training a dog that gets Gold at Championship level in all three contests, or becoming The Master like me. (I have more than 50,000 trainer points). I work with the likes of the maverick Pete Tong, the demon-possessed husky hybrid Pazuzuu and the demonic Junior (two Alsatians and a Siberian dog). Who will you adopt? Colin the German? Ada the mysterious? Or will you be inspired by bubbles? Pick up this game and find out.

This game is great.You look after your dog like a real one!
The dogs you start off with are:CHIHUAHUA,boxer,cavalier kc spaniel,shetland shheepdog,yorkshire terrier and german sheperd!

After I killed my tamagotchi all those years ago I was sceptical about investing in another pet simulation game. However, unlike tamagotchi, a) you're pet can't die (yay), and b) the game is far more interactive and therefore more rewarding than earlier games in the genre.

By far the best feature of Nintendogs is the ability to talk to and train your dog through use of the DS' built-in microphone. If ever you see someone randomly yelling 'sit' or 'lie down' on the train, you will know why. I have had my copy of the game for a day now and have been playing on it virtually non-stop. My Nintendog is a cute little German Shepherd called Joni, and I have already taught her how to sit, roll over, lie down, shake hands and wiggle her bum. Call me sad, but it's incredibly cute, and this game will melt even the hardest of hearts.

Aside from teaching your dog new tricks (the list of which is incredibly extensive), you can play with them, take them for a walk, groom them and even enter them into contests. Through the latter, you can earn money (a nice touch is that the 'money' of the game is displayed in local currency), which will allow you to buy supplies, new dogs, or even a new decor for your home. That is really all there is to the game. However, it is so involving and rewarding, it is definitely worth buying. The incredibly realsitic visuals and animations, coupled with the voice recognition technology, perhaps makes this the most lifelike pet sim released. A game like Nintendogs could not be pulled off on any other system. This is the DS' killer app, and can be enjoyed by absolutely everyone.