Nintendogs: Chihuahua and Friends

"Absolutely phenomenal - a must-buy for any DS owner."

For DS owners, the end of the summer signals the release of possibly the most-hyped game on the handheld to date – Nintendogs, a game that advertises neither epic quests nor elaborate stories. Instead, Nintendogs allows you the benefit of partaking in a small way in one of life's pleasures – caring for and raising a puppy. Of course, the puppy never grows up…but that's one of the perks of a digital dog over a real one, isn't it?

For dog lovers, this game is an easy sell. You name your dog, you train it, you feed it, you play with it, and you live with it. With eighteen very different breeds to choose from in three different versions, one would be hard-pressed to not be able to find a dog that doesn't suit one's fancy. Of course, every breed lends itself to further variety through coat colourations, gender, and temperament, allowing for many dozens of choices right from the start. It's obvious that a lot of work went into creating the models for the dogs – sure, they're cute, but they also look fantastic and act very convincingly. “Temperament” doesn't sound like a variable that would allow itself to be very noticeable, but it really works – less outgoing dogs really are less outgoing, meaner dogs will bully smaller ones, while more obedient dogs will learn commands quickly and without putting up too much of a fight. Any dog owner will undoubtedly find amusing the little quirks the puppies display when they play both with the player and with other dogs (and perhaps a little embarrassment when one discovers that the puppy's competition standards aren't quite up to what one hoped they would be).

Those who have always wanted a dog but have never had the opportunity to have one, however, are going to be much more interested in gameplay than watching the puppy fall over while catching a tennis ball, and naturally, Nintendogs delivers in that department admirably as well. Taking care of the more mundane aspects of keeping a puppy is an enjoyable time-waster all by itself, but Nintendo was, as always, sure to include goals and objectives to keep the player interested, too. A surprising portion of the game deals with the human aspect of keeping a puppy – money for the dog's necessities isn't going to fall from sky. Train the puppy well, win competitions, and unlock a huge number of open-ended possibilities, ranging from buying more dogs to upgrading one's apartment.

Thus, being open-ended is one of Nintendogs' biggest strengths. Much like Animal Crossing or SimCity 4, it's completely up to the player to decide what to do. Is raising disciplined, show-standard dogs your idea of accomplishment, or perhaps you prefer to goof around with your canine buddy and just have fun? Nintendogs neither rewards nor punishes the route one decides to go with regards to how one decides to keep the puppies.

Of course, the possibilities and choices are just part of what Nintendogs has to offer. Nintendo innovation calls for more than just rubbing a dog's belly. The DS microphone finally plays an integral role in a game, and the much-touted voice recognition system is really very easy to use. Whether or not the puppy wants to listen is a different story, but as far as the microphone integration goes, it works perfectly, almost disturbingly so. Just don't be alarmed if people on the street give you a few odd stares (especially if you're the kind of person who would give the puppy a less-than-family friendly name). Nintendo's quirky humour is also present in many forms throughout the game.

If you're a dog lover, a DS owner, or both, there is absolutely no reason to not get this game. Nintendogs represents beautifully what the ideal handheld game should be like – simple gameplay, deep game mechanics, and the ability to be played in short spurts while on the fly or while sitting at home.

Reviewer's Score: 10/10, Originally Posted: 08/22/05