Nintendogs: Chihuahua and Friends

"This game is UNBEARABLY CUTE!"

I own a dog. Let me tell you that after playing this game, I like raising a virtual dog better than a real dog. I still like it, so don't sick PETA on me! Out of any of the platforms to try something new like a dog sim, it had to be the DS! This game works incredibly on the DS and makes use of all it's technology to deliver one of the most unique experiences this year. Think Tamagotchi with more tech.

GRAPHICS: 7/10
These dogs look unbearably freaking adorable! Almost makes me want to gag or throw up they're so cute!!! It also makes you happy when you see your adorable little doggy looking even cuter taking his bath or playing with his toy or getting humped by a fellow dog...HEY WAIT A MINUTE! Reality check: people who don't like insane cuteness will want to stay away. The only reason this game didn't get a better score here was because some of the doggie's cute animations look the same, and the backgrounds your cute little doggies play in are pretty similar. Other than that, it's a cute-fest. Oh great. Now I've become completely mushy.

SOUND: 10/10
This game gets this high score because of the way the sound interacts in the game. You can actually use the microphone function in the DS to speak to your dog! How close to real is that! You can use this to teach him tricks, like speak, sit, shake its butt...HEY WAIT ANOTHER MINUTE! The DS also works with a bark function that lets out a small bark when there's another Nintendogs player nearby. Other than that, it's pretty basic stuff. The different types of dogs all sound different and the music is cutesy stuff. The way the DS can incorporate sound into this game is a technological achievement in itself.

STORY: N/A
What story? You just raise a dog. What? WHAT? That's all there is!

PLAY TIME/REPLAYABILITY: 6/10
You can have your dog for a good long while, but once you've raised one dog, you've pretty much raised them all. The dogs don't act much differently among the different breeds. If that were different this game would be even better.

GAMEPLAY: 9/10
This game has a unique experience that is so cute, adorable, and rewarding at the same time! You start off by picking a dog and naming it. You then are left on your own to play with the dog, teach it tricks, feed it, bathe it, clean its poop...HEY WAIT UP AGAIN! BAD DOG! Most of these tasks are done with the stylus, which make even better use of the DS's revolutionary technology at its disposal for a unique game like this. Also, like I said before, you can also interact with nearby users that are playing Nintendogs and have your two dogs have a play-date. As you progress, you get more stuff to have fun with your doggy with. You can get tennis balls, tug ropes, a Mario hat...Yep, saw that coming. You just raise him until he's ready to go bye-bye. This game is just so rewarding in the fact that you feel a sense of accomplishment when you raise your dog right and it looks so darn cute and happy. *BLARF*. Sorry, got too sentimental. You feel compelled to keep raising your dog instead of ignoring it like you did your Tamagotchi. Because this game gives you a moral reward when you play it right. That's truly unique in this age of gaming, and that makes it a weiner dog...I mean winner.

OVERALL:
This game is a truely unique and rewarding experience that no DS owner or dog lover should miss out on.

FINAL SCORE: 9/10
RECAP:
+Adorably cute dogs
+Revolutionary voice technology
+Pretty good use of stylus
+Unique
+Can wirelessly play with other dogs
+Very rewarding experience
-Almost too cute (DUN DUN DUN)
-Not much re-play
-Backgrounds in game are all similar
-Not for the people who can't take cuteness (THIS IS STRESSED!!!)

Reviewer's Score: 9/10, Originally Posted: 06/09/05