Nintendogs: Chihuahua and Friends

"An incomplete product of an interesting idea."

Ever since its launch in November, 2004, the DS have suffered quiet a game drought. Condition finally improved with the back to back release of such games as Meteos, Wario Ware: Touch!, and Kirby Canvas Curse. Nintendog, which became a wild sensation in Japan, was expected to join these games and continue the pattern. However, Nintendog fails to meet expectations and will go down as one of the biggest disappointment for the Nintendo DS.

At the start of the game, the player is given $1000 and can pick from 5 different puppies. The Chihuahua version contains Chihuahua, German Shepherd, Boxer, Cavalier King Charles Spaniel, Yorkshire Terrier, and Shetland Sheepdog. These are just starter dogs; all breeds are unlockable regardless of versions. The only differences between the three versions are the starter breeds and some minor, exclusive items. Each puppy starts with a unique, random personality. However, through a certain method, a puppy with the desired personality can easily be obtained from the beginning. The player can train and raise the puppy however he/she pleases. If “however he/she pleases” means very limited choices, then the above statement is indeed correct.

First, the puppy must be given a name, it will actually respond to whatever audio was inputted as its name. Tricks can be taught using the stylus to guide the actions of the puppy, record the audio for that trick, and repeat until the puppy learns the trick. The microphone function surprisingly well in Nintendogs. Most of the time, the puppy will respond to the tricks, and will do it longer if it was given a treat. Puppies will likely slowly respond to a command if the player has not used it in a long time!

Graphically, Nintendogs looks very good for a DS games. Each puppy looks very realistic, and the animations are great. There are dozens of collectable items in the games, each with its own physics. Throw the tennis ball, and, it'll bounce like a tennis ball! Best of all, each of these items can be displayed in-game for the puppy to interact with! There are also incredible amount accessories for the puppies. Sadly, this is where all the positives end.

The most glaring flaws of Nintendogs are the rush jobs on gameplay contents. There aren't any physical changes to the puppies, even if it was overfed or left famished for about a week. Throughout the review, I called the dogs puppies, because they are always are and will be puppies. The puppies always behave predictably, except when they decide not to listen during the higher obedience competition.

Speaking of competitions, there are only three: Frisbee catching, agility, and obedience. Puppies train for the obedience competition by repetitions of tricks commands and treats. The other two competitions can be trained for by taking the puppies on walks to the gym and park. On the way walking, it will meet other dogs and pick up items. The way each puppy interacts with each other is very predictable and repetitive. If two puppies like each other, it rub its face and lie with each other, if they don't get along, the puppies will chase each other and attack (very poorly). Given 5 days with small amounts of training, a puppy will master all competition categories. This leaves very little to do but buy new puppies and repeat the training process. The world of Nintendogs isn't very interactive, the player will often feels as though he/she is meant to be the only being capable of thought in that world. When the player interacts with NCPs, their faces aren't shown. They usually have repetitive advices and comments, nothing more than unnecessary one-liners. I've yet too encounter over 10 different lines from all the ncp. The comments from the announcers are also the same almost every time. The dog animations are great, but all dogs animates the exact same way.

The overall “goal” of Nintendogs is to earn Trainer points and unlock new houses and puppies. Trainer points can be earned when the puppies are walked won competitions, etc. Trainer points can be lost when the puppy is unranked in a competitions, eat trash, fights, etc. This system is interesting, but trainer points can be too easily earned and can hardly be lost

Overall, Nintendogs feels like a rush product to disrupt the game drought of the DS. Many hardcore gamers already dismissed Nintendogs as a “non-game”, but as of right now, it is not even a complete "non-game."

Reviewer's Score: 5/10, Originally Posted: 09/14/05