" Nintendogs: Dachshund & Friends - A Review By Symbolic Gamer"

Nintendogs: Dachshund & Friends

Let me start off by saying I look for games both challenging and fun. Virtual pets are exactly the opposite. But, I like Nintendogs... Why? It could be the disc competition or the items I find on walks but for the most part it's how well this game plays out using voice recognition and the stylus. It's actually enjoyable and like nothing I've ever played before.

The voice recognition can be troublesome at times, as dogs will often get commands for tricks mixed up, but serves it's purpose as long as you keep the same tone in your voice and speak clearly. It feels like you have to recharge your DS more often when playing Nintendogs compared to other games too, which I think is due to the microphone being used constantly.

Another thing I'd like to mention is there's all these dog accessories you can find but each puppy can only wear one at a time. I wanted one of my pups to wear a spiked collar and a green Luigi hat but couldn't because of the game's limitations. I don't see why. It's not like I tried to equip two collars or two hats. That I could understand, but not when the accessories are worn on different parts of the body.

My biggest complaint is there's not a whole lot of stuff for you to do. What you can accomplish is done extremely well, but I just wish there was more to it than teaching your puppies to do tricks, making sure they're fed and groomed, playing fetch, going for walks and competing in only three different events.

The graphics, interaction with the stylus and voice recognition really make Nintendogs what it is and while I don't doubt that I will someday lose interest, especially with more captivating titles being released soon, I will keep coming back to visit.

Overall, I think it's worth my money. Despite being a repetitive game, Nintendogs is fun and the puppies are endearing. A great addition to my DS library.

Presentation 8.0
Sure beats playing Pocket Pikachu.

Graphics 8.5
I was surprised to see the DS capable of handling such detail. The puppies truly look amazing. The environment however appears bland. Depending on your view, this could be a flaw but in my opinion it just makes detail in the dogs stand out even more. It works if you ask me.

Sound 7.5
Each bark sounds realistic and fits the breed of the dog quite well. It delivers what you'd expect from a game like this. There's also some neat soundtracks to listen to as well.

Gameplay 7.5
Limited, but fun. I haven't gotten my hands on many virtual pet simulators because I'm not a huge fan of the genre, but this is by far the best one I've played. If a game from a genre I don't like can keep me entertained, that's gotta mean something.

Lasting Appeal 7.0
There's only so much you can do in Nintendogs but if you're a completion junkie the amount of items for you to find, dogs and houses to unlock ensures that Nintendogs will have a long and happy life before it's time to finally put 'em down.

Overall Rating 8.0

--- Symbolic Gamer (a.k.a. Smackdowner1)

Reviewer's Score: 8/10, Originally Posted: 08/30/05