I originally bought Nintendogs for the DS, at first I was amused by the games premise and enjoyed playing a few times but gradually I saw little purpose in carrying on, it just dragged and went so slowly, my dog would sit when I'd ask it to lie and the fact it was in real time really made this off-putting for me. I traded it in and saw Dogz before xmas and having played most the past Petz series thought I'd give it a go.
The first thing you'll notice when you switch on this game is the amount of effort and originality it has. It leads more as a story, which makes the task of bringing up your pup and training it very appealing. The fun thing about this game is that you are not always tied to your dog and you can venutre around the map. There is plenty of interacting with both dog and parents. You actually feel like you're there playing the role as trainer.
I persume my criticism would lie in the visual of this game seeing as it's a 'back to basics' compared to Nintendogs, but in some ways I prefer the 2D third person view, it is softer and therefore more appealing to the eye.. nothing is too crowded. The sound is Okay but the looped songs can get slightly tedious after a while but when you have so much to do in the game this will soon be set aside!
There are loads of areas to venture out into in this game.. The house alone has a good selection of rooms. You can even decorate and move things around in your room to your own taste including the objects you are given as rewards, a nice personal print on the game. In game I've been playing for just over two weeks and havn't got bored. This is a game that you'll pick up and get lost in. It takes advantage of the microphone and touch screen a lot which is a nice incentive. It doesn't feel like a rushed game.
I would say this game would be a great buy for kids, but due to it's sustainability and general addictiveness it could be a game for all ages. A bit of fun. If you are a fan of pet simulation or just like a game that is cute, fun and involving then this is for you.