Nintendogs: Dachshund & Friends (Nintendo DS, 2005)

This is a cute game and is easy to get sucked into, but it's not super exciting or fun and I was expecting a lot more from it when I purchased it.

I like the walks, finding the surprises on the way, the park, training & competitions. Giving them baths, brushing, & taking care of them is fun. Trying on all the different accessories that you find is fun. (especially love the mariokart & the helicopter special finds... they're so funny to play with).

I don't like that you can only have 6 dogs total. I wanted to be able to have at least have one of every breed, but after 6 you have to give up a dog to make room for a new one. After all the training, advancement & care taking of the dogs you get a little attached & it's not cool that you have to erase them. So when you "unlock" a new breed, it's bittersweet...yay, I can get a new breed, but boo... if I want it I have to erase one of the dogs I have.

I don't like that they can only wear one accessory at a time, that you can't skip the commentary before the competitions, or that when dogs meet on walks there's no progression in their relationship. Example - if my dog runs into the dog Logan and they become friends during that meeting, the next time they meet they start over as if they've never met. & the other dogs owners always say the same exact things. It's more annoying than fun when they run into another dog out walking.

And voice recognition - well, it works for me (most of the time), but for my 6 year old who also loves playing with & taking care of the dogs the voice thing isn't so easy. He can't train them or name them because it doesn't pick up his voice so well & you have to say it the same exact way each time which is hard to get a child to do.

I love this game because, 1) you get to adopt a cute furry friend, 2) you get to play, walk, feed, bathe and much more with your puppy, 3) It stays a puppy forever! 4) If you have a friend with a nintendo ds and any nintendogs game (doesn't have to be dashund and friends) you can do bark mode and play with your friend's puppy!!!
A disappointment is that your dog can't grow up and have puppies. You can buy a game called Dogz 5 or Catz 5 for your computer and you can have dogs that will have puppies.
Special Features
Each version of Nintendogs comes with six breeds to choose from, and you can unlock additional breeds by playing with other owners through wireless gameplay; collect and play with a huge array of items such as tennis balls, flying discs and even clothing accessories; compete in obedience and agility trials to earn cash to buy even more dogs; interact wirelessly with friends' Nintendogs using the innovative Bark Mode.

Warnings
Comic Mischief

Details
Players: 1 Player
Controller: Gamepad
Memory Card: No

Reccommend to anyone with a Nintendo Ds or a Nintendo Ds!
Jlrmt
Look at my other reviews!!!!

This game is pretty realistic. First of all, you can touch the ball or whatever and drag it so it gets thrown, and sometimes the dog hesitates and other times the dog(s) just run to get it. Then you can tap twice for the dog to return the ball to you. [Same with the frisbee and whatnot].

It has many exciting features including the walk feature; where you can take your dog to the discount store so you can buy food and other essential things at a slightly lower price. Another interestering place is the park center where you can train your dog for the agility competitions.

The competitions play a big part in making money to purchase other items, and perhaps items like wallpaper and other expensive ones. It starts at a fairly easy level, where not many points are required to advance. Then it gets harder from that, making it a challenging, yet fun experience. The downfall is only 3 challenges per day, I think.

So, yes, it is relatively realistic and does help you learn what it is like to have a dog. It's a pretty good virtual-pet styled game, but not for hours of fun because of competition limits. Its more of a game where you play and advance over time, just like in real life if you had a dog you wouldn't be able to keep playing and playing and doing things with it, it would need rest.

The fact that you can bathe your dog is neat too, where you scrub him with the shampoo and then spray with clean with the water.

There are many features in this game and I do highly recommend it.

My mom and 10 year old son spend countless hours on this game! She'll even sit and play it without him. They are constantly "finding" objects on their walks and selling them.

My son loves the interaction with the dogs and the fact that they respond to what he says. He still gets excited to win the compititions.

What do I like about the game? Well, I think it prepares a child for some of the responsibilities of being a pet owner. I also love that there is no violence. My son likes those fighting games a bit too much, so I love that we found a game he goes back to again and again without the fighting.

I also like that it teaches, to some extend, the value of a dollar. Players must "save" money to purchase items for their pets or even to purchase new dogs. So there is some value to the game.

In my opinion this is a great game for gamers of all ages. Now mind you, if you like to sit and play intricate role playing games for hours, this isn't for you. You may get some entertainment out of it for a bit or perhaps just some good old quality time with the kids, but it's not one you'll pick up just for the sheer thrill!

.. smell or poopoo to deal with!!!

I bought this game before my pre-order of DS Lite actually arrived. I had heard it's a good game, but I had no idea it was this cute. I love dogs, but I don't own one because they're smelly.. And I can tell you this, that this is the closest thing you can get to having a dog without actually having a dog. The graphics are beautiful, the dogs are cute, the interface is straight forward, the voice recognition is great, and there are a bunch of fun thing to do. You can comepete in obedience contests, Frisbee test or agility test. You can change your room, you can buy food, or stuff to decorate your dog with. You can feed him, pet him, teach him tricks, play with him, brush him, and wash him. Anyways this game is one of the funnest, most addictive, and innovative games I have seen to date.. If you are a DS owner, you need to buy this.