Nintendogs: Labrador and Friends

THE GOOD:
Zooming around in a Mario/Peach/Bowser Kart.
Wide range of puppies when unlocked.
There's alot to do.

THE BAD:
Voice commands aren't great.
Becomes repetitive after a long while.

SUMMARY:
Introduction:
When you first fire up the game, your taken to a dog store. You get to one of the six dogs there, and take him home. Starting dogs vary from the different versions of the game. Once your at your house, you get to play around with your dog for awhile, and get the feel of the game. Then you must give your dog a name, and teach it sit. After the tutorial is over, you then get to choose your own path. There's so much to do. From winning a championship obedience competition, to giving your dog a bath, to skipping with the dogs. You have to take care of all of your dogs, or else they will temporarily run away. If you don't feed and groom your dogs constantly enough, they will not be able to enter the amazing...

THE GOOD:
Lots of toys and accessories to collect
Cute breeds
Amazing graphics
Lots of things to do

THE BAD:
A bit repetitive
Some items are quite rare, and hard to obtain

SUMMARY:
You first start out at the kennel with £1000, and you choose from the six available breeds. You bring it home, and it will be nervous of its surroundings. Pet it a little, then you name it, then your life begins!

The sounds are very realistic, like you're actually there. Much like the graphics, which make the puppies look even cuter. There are lots of accessories to accessorize them with, so for all you fashionistas out there, dress up your doggy to match you! Like what I said, lots of accessories.

If you're more a sporty person, enter disc and agility trials and play football with doggy (yep, you read that right), or if you're a talented person who is really smart or musical then teach your dog tricks for obedience trials...

THE GOOD:
- Graphics
- Concept
- Interactivity Factor

THE BAD:
- Voice commands can be tedious at times.

SUMMARY:
Nintendogs is a breath of fresh air with its beautiful graphics, amazing interactivity, and playful concept. The minute you walk into the kennel to pick which puppy you'd like to adopt, it is guaranteed you will have a tough time deciding. Whichever puppy gives you the most attention and interacts the best with you, is the one you should probably pick.

Once you have picked a puppy to adopt, you arrive home and teach your new pet to sit. Personally, this part was a bit long and tedious; I had to keep repeating "Sumi, sit down," and had to match my exact tone everytime until she remembered the trick. However, after that point, the game once again became fun - fortunately the voice command isn't needed that often. At least not again for a little while.

One of the really cool aspects of this game is that it works...

THE GOOD:
+ The puppies are absolutely adorable.

+ Incredible amount of interactivity.

+ Plenty for you to do with your puppy.

THE BAD:
- The voice command system can be a bit wonky.

- Can be a bit thin at times.

SUMMARY:
From the moment you pick up the stylus and pat one of the puppies on the nose, you'll be unable to hold back the tremendous smile curling about your face. Nintendogs is a rarity in the gaming world in that it's not really a game; it's an interactive experience that offers truly unique gameplay where you actually have to care for something, rather than kill everything in sight.

The game begins with a trip to the kennel, where you can choose which breed you would like to buy first (each version of the game comes with its own set of starter breeds available from the start). Once you choose a puppy to adopt, the real game begins.

As expected, Nintendogs is a...

Have you ever wanted to get a puppy, but you're allergic to them or your parents won't let you? Well now you have a chance. Nintendogs lets you buy, play with, and care for any of 21 popular breeds which include Beagle, Lab, Toy Poodle, and more. You can play with 3 dogs at a time but you can own up to 8 dogs.
Along with playing with the dogs, taking them for a walk, dressing them up in funny hats and glasses, and competing in competitions you also have to pickup after them. For example you have to feed them, give them water, pick up their poop, and also give them baths. Although the dogs stay puppies and can never die, they can get fleas.
There are 3 separate versions of this game with 6 dogs on each version and chances to unlock more. The version I bought was the Dachshund and Friends version. It has the Miniature Dachshund, the Beagle, the Shih Tzu, the Siberian Husky, the Golden Retriever, and my personal favorite, the Pug. Next, on Labrador and Friends you can play with...

THE GOOD:
Nintendogs: Labrador and friends is a life sim. It is evident in it's title that it has something to do with dogs. And it does. This game is great for those who can't have a dog because of allergies or something, because all the main pet-care features are there. You can also do things that you may not be able to do with your real dog, like enter contests every day, and turn it off!!

THE BAD:
This game is more than slightly repetitive. The same basic model happens everyday- Feeding, walking, contests, playing and more walking. The walks are the only really bad thing about this game. You see, the more walks you take your puppy for, the longer it can walk for. When they are fully grown, it takes about 10 minutes to walk it. But when you have three full grown dogs, that's half an hour off your life. Oh yeah- did I mention? It's good to take them for at least 2 walks a day. Goodbye sweet hour. The level of interaction on the walks is low. All...

THE GOOD:
This game has outstanding graphics bearing in mind it is a handheld console we are talking about. It's Sim lifestyle is also very appealing. If you could not have a dog (allergies for example) this provides the best alternative since the "Dogz" series. Also I found that the sounds used were of good quality and were realistic.

THE BAD:
The thing I hate most about this game is the microphone. For a start you can feel a liitle silly talking to your DS in front of people (those who are less familliar with the mechanics of the game in particular) and the "naming ceremony" I really hated because i found it inproperly instructed and repetitive. Another thing I dislike is the only way to get your dog to do tricks is via the microphone, this can make game-play difficult if a) you haven't played in a while b) you have a sore throat and can't speak clearly and c) you have a very distinct voice, thus making it difficult for anyone else to command your dog....

Nintendo announced that they would be creating a series of games that would let the gamer buy, train, look after, wash, and feed numerous puppies. This series evolved into NINTENDOGS. There are three games so far, Labrador and friends, Dachshund and friends, and one other with a name I can not pronounce.
The game has to be one of the most innovative ideas Nintendo has ever had, and is sure to go on to be one of the best simulators for hand held games consoles ever.

The Graphics-
The graphics in this game are like nothing I have ever seen before. Generally, the over all colour scheme is very light. The backgrounds are detailed very finely, and they bring across a sense of tranquility. The puppies themselves are very pleasing to look at, they are 3D, and very soft looking. During the game, you can use the touch screen to scratch and pet your chosen puppy. When you give it a shower, you use the screen to cover the dog in shampoo, and when you soak it off, it all falls to...