Puppy Love

My son first started talking about Nintendogs: Labrador and Friends long before Christmas. Long before he even owned a Nintendo DS. Did he know he was getting a Nintendo DS for Christmas? No, I don’t think he did. But he hoped. Hard.

He almost didn’t get Nintendogs: Labrador and Friends--he was already getting the Nintendo DS plus four other games. We were done buying games. Luckily, his Aunt and cousins were looking for the perfect Christmas gift for him, and this was it.

Nintendogs: Labrador and Friends appealed to my son for the obvious reasons—adorable puppies frolicking about. Never mind that he has two gigantic dogs of his own. These are puppies. I’m not complaining—these are puppies that don’t chew, bite, or poop on the carpet. I’ll take it.

Play begins with the choosing of a dog breed and the purchase of a puppy. Nintendogs: Labrador and Friends offers six breeds to start: Labrador Retriever, Shiba Inu (a smallish Japanese dog that resembles a miniature Akita), Miniature Schnauzer, Miniature Pinscher, Pembroke Welsh Corgi, and Toy Poodle. Different breeds have different personalities and traits, and breed traits can present challenges when it comes to training. You can own up to eight dogs, though only three can be played with at one time (the others hang out in the doggy hotel).

Once the breed and puppy are chosen, it’s time to start training! Early on, I listed to hours of my son repeating his puppy’s name into the built-in Nintendo DS microphone. Over and over, until the puppy “learned” her name and would come when called. Once she mastered that, all he had to do was turn on the DS and call her name—she would run right up to the screen to greet him. After that, we moved into “sit,” “lay down,” and even “sneeze.” Much like training real dogs, a lot is dependent upon rewarding your puppy when you catch her engaging in the desired behavior.

Speaking of rewards, Nintendogs: Labrador and Friends starts you out with “cash” to purchase accessories, treats, and puppy-care necessities. Of course, a good chunk of that cash goes toward the initial purchase of your puppy. Also included in the “start up package” is a virtual “book” that includes tips on training, puppy care, and game activities.

I want to take a moment to comment on the quality of graphics—they’re really quite impressive. The movements, expressions, and sounds are very realistic and incredibly endearing. Beware, though—it really does awaken the puppy hunger in some. Like me. Dang it.

To interact with and reward your puppy, the Nintendo DS stylus is moved over the puppy to “pet,” and the stylus is also used to lead the puppy or throw toys. Puppies should be walked (watch for hidden treats and other dogs!), fed, watered, groomed, and can even frolic about trying to pop bubbles their owner “blows” on the screen. While Nintendo puppies aren’t horribly high maintenance, they do require some regular care and upkeep, and have been known to “run away” if neglected (they do come back). In this, they remind me of seriously high-tech Tamagachis.

Nintendogs: Labrador and Friends keeps track of your activities and, when restarting the game, you’re exactly where you were, progress-wise.

After the basic training and getting acquainted period, there are other activities to keep Nintendogs: Labrador and Friends interesting. There are “cash” prizes available for competing in a variety of events with your puppy. Remember, only well-cared for dogs can compete! These events include the disc (Frisbee) competition, the agility trials, and the obedience trials. Training for these trials can take place in a number of places, including one of two parks and a gymnasium. Sometimes the parks make training difficult because there are other puppies present, and your puppy might rather play than train. Each trial in which your puppy places at least 3rd place leads to a more difficult trial. If your puppy fails to make the top three, the difficulty drops back down to the previous level. Each win brings different prize amounts, and prize money can be used to purchase additional (and increasingly fancy) toys and supplies for your puppy at the discount store or one of the "normal" shops. Shopping can also be done via the “go menu” button, allowing for shopping without walking your puppy. Shopping can involve purchasing or selling—sometimes a piece of equipment or a treat doesn’t work for or please your puppy, and selling the item back to the shop is called for.

The HUGE hit with my son is Bark Mode. When engaged, this enables him to interact with another Nintendogs player. If connected with another player who has a dog not in the Labrador kennel, that dog breed “unlocks” or becomes available. My son is very eager to do Bark Mode with his cousin (who has Dachshund and Friends), which will allow each of them to access a new breed of puppy. Bark Mode also allows for the giving of gifts (the puppy carries the toy or treat to the other player’s DS and gives it), and the recording function of the DS can be used to relay messages to the other player. Distance for Bark Mode is very limited, according to my son. He says that approximately sixty-five feet is the maximum range.

Nintendogs: Labrador and Friends really can be a time-intensive game—the more time put into it, the more items, toys, and treats become available. However, there are limits—only three competitions may be entered per day, and the puppies cannot be worked with and played with all day, as they wear down, get tired, and need rest (though additional training does increase the puppy's stamina). This may frustrate the kids, but it keeps my son from doing this all day long (no, I wouldn’t allow that, but I thought it was nice of Nintendo to limit things for me).

In all, Nintendogs: Labrador and Friends has been a gigantic hit with my son (his cousin loves her Dachshund version, too). It doesn’t eat up so much time that it becomes a classic “babysitter” game, isn’t violent, and doesn’t have questionable language or unsavory story elements. It has terrific graphics, isn’t too loud, and can be played with the headphones on. I’m not going to say that there are any great life lessons hidden in this gem, just that it’s clean, happy entertainment that gives my boy a little while of fun each day. And that’s what a game should be, right?