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| Source // Moby Games |
So, who had a Tamagotchi? I think I had a chicken. I don't think I ever saw it as a chicken, though. Why would I want to hatch a digital egg and feed a digital chick so that it turned into a gloriously pixellated chicken that required attention? Actual attention. Every waking moment of the day. Ain't nobody got time for that.
Except people do, and if they had a Nintendo DS, you can bet they got hold of Nintendogs, the 21st-century video game Tamagotchi equivalent.
Prepare to go nuts for puppies.
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| Source // Moby Games |
Frustrations
Sadly, I own Nintendogs. Can't remember how it came into my possession, however. There's a good chance it was a stray that was thrown out into the recycling and rescued as soon as I spotted it, but I don't know for sure.
What I do know is that if you are 'gem' with a golden retriever named 'goldie', then it still lives. It's still bouncing around the living room, ignoring me. It's still a fluffy little fella, assuming it's a boy, and I can easily see how a certain group of gamers will flock to this title.
But not me, and apparently not 'gem', either, who played with 'goldie' for 26 minutes before the fun stopped. It was supposedly taught how to sit, lie down, and roll over through speaking into the mic (silly voice optional), but wasn't trained much beyond that.
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| Source // Moby Games |
I was able to take it to two events. The first was the obedience event, but I refuse to speak into a Nintendo DS to tell a video game animal to roll over on principle (no fun allowed here) so I scored nothing. The other event was catching the frisbee, which 'goldie' managed to do eventually, but not with the style needed to score any points. This pup is very much a beginner with potential.
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| Source // Moby Games |
So what is Nintendogs, then? If it's not obvious by now, it really is a Tamagotchi given a ridiculous boost in graphics and gameplay. You don't play Nintendogs so much as you play with Nintendogs, which appears to allow three dogs to waddle around the house and do doggy things.
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| Source // Moby Games |
I've not studied puppy wobble, but Nintendogs to its credit looks to do a damn good job at animating these guys - especially nailing the disinterest with me unless they want something. Shame I don't know how to give them anything.
You're encouraged to play and train and look after your doggo, but I couldn't navigate the menus in any meaningful way to do any of that. I am stupid, remember, so it's probably incredibly easy to start the frisbee training, but I couldn't find it.
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| Source // Moby Games |
The more you interact with your mutt, the better it'll be in the competitions, not that there are many to enter. They're all introduced by two dog show commentators, neither of which are people I want to spend much time with. Thank goodness they don't speak. Shame they don't know when to stop telling awful jokes.
Final Word
'gem' may have managed 26 minutes, but I barely got past 6. I'm just not interested in looking after a digital doggo, no matter how cute and perfect it is designed to look. And don't think it's because I'm a cat person either, because I don't want to play Nintendogs + Cats either. I just don't see the need.
I see the appeal, let's stress that point. I can easily see why someone would want a Nintendo DS and Nintendogs, especially if they're not in a position to get a dog, but there must come a point where it gets old, surely? If you can' teach it anything useful, like bringing you your slippers, what's the point in rubbing its pixelly belly anymore? To try and grab another point in the obedience event?
Clearly, I'm missing the point. There are cases to be made that a title like Nintendogs is the turning point for Nintendo being a video games developer into a digital entertainment company, attracting groups - and generations - into games in a way that hasn't been done before. You can't argue with the impact the DS or the Wii had.
But I like my games to have gameplay. Actually, I probably like my games to have a story more than gameplay, but I can't say that out loud. What I can say is that Nintendogs has neither. Not in the traditional sense.
It's more a toy than a game. While not for me, that doesn't mean it's not for you. You'll know.
Fun Facts
If you thought Pokémon was pushing it with two versions of a game upon release, Nintendogs was set to have 15, each featuring a different breed of dog.
Nintendogs, developed by Nintendo EAD, first released in 2005.
Version played: Nintendo DS, 2005.