Impressions: Nintendogs

**NintendoNut** · 07-27-2005, 09:48 AM

Source: PlanetGamecube

The idea of having a puppy that never grows up and can be owned without the mess and fuss is certainly appealing - indeed, the RSPCA or your country's local equivalent would most likely be thrilled by the idea, as it might even result in less abandoned animals. However, the whole idea would fall flat if the dogs aren't appealing.

Nintendogs, while having a toy-like approach, limits what you can do at the beginning, instead of giving you access to everything at once like a true toy would. You start out with a set amount of money to buy your first puppy, which you take to your virtual home to play with. I selected a Beagle and called him "Guybrush" (or rather, "Gybrush", thanks to the character limit). From here, you can buy food, water, brushes. and toys for your pup at the local shop. You can also discover rarer stuff if you take your dog for a walk -- however, your dog may decide to rifle through garbage occasionally left on the street if you don't pull it away, which can make it sick. More items can be unlocked through the shop by spending time playing with your puppy.

You can personalize how your puppy looks with the items you find or buy -- it's all up to you (and the amount of money you have). Currently, Guybrush is wearing a dominatrix-style spiked collar, while my other puppy, a black Labrador who is naturally called "LeChuck" (incidentally LeChuck seems to bite Guybrush ALL THE TIME) is wearing a red beret. However, there's plenty more, including dark glasses and Mario's hat.

As with a real dog, you can train your virtual puppy to learn voice commands. All that's required is to get it to do what you want it to with a bit of coaxing from the stylus, then press an icon to record your voice command. Language is not an issue here; you just need to speak clearly. Yes, you can teach your puppy to backflip when you insult it, but you will be repeating these commands a LOT, especially the puppy's name, so the joke will probably wear thin quickly. This also brings us to the big problem with Nintendogs -- due to its heavy reliance on vocal commands, it's impossible for this game to be portable. This is simply not the kind of game you should be taking on the train because:

1.) You're going to be getting some really strange looks as you desperately cry out "SIT!" for the seventh time to no avail; and
2.) Your futile attempts to issue vocal commands probably won't register in an environment with loud background noise anyway.

Then of course, there's the issue of dignity -- unless that's not a problem for you, then go right ahead and screech out BACKFLIP in a train. But ideally, this game needs to be played in a quiet room, free from external noise, which severely limits most of the places where you can play it.

The reason you'll need to teach your dogs commands (aside from your own personal entertainment) is for the Trick Competition. Competitions earn you a lot more money than selling stuff you find on the street (you need money to buy more puppies and toys), but they can be more difficult. The Trick Competition in particular requires that you perform the tricks you're asked to (they're also written on a banner in Japanese), and then finish with Free Performance mode, which lets you do as many tricks as you like. There's also a Frisbee Catching Competition and an Obstacle Course Competition where you navigate your puppy around poles, over hurdles, through tubes and so on.

In addition to the problem with all the vocal commands, Nintendogs is very text-heavy, which poses a problem for those who can't read the language. How hungry your dog is, whether it's dirty or not, if it's happy -- all of these details are written as words rather than being represented by graphics or bars. There are also lots and lots of text prompts, especially at the beginning where you're asked to teach your dog its name, then later to teach it to sit. There are no visual indicators here, so you'll need to know Japanese, bluff your way through, or sit in your quiet room with a FAQ up all the time. One other problem is for the often forgotten left-handed players, who will notice that their hand will block the screen in some sections, such as walking the dog and the obstacle course.

Nintendogs is definitely unique, and it certainly fills the "adorable puppy" requirement. But how much entertainment you get out of it depends on how long the novelty of owning an admittedly adorable virtual dog will last. I'd say that my experience was probably less enjoyable due to the fact that I had to wade through all the Japanese text -- if this doesn't faze you, and you absolutely need ADORABLE PUPPY ACTION right now, then grab Shiba and Friends, Dachshund and Friends, or Chihuahua and Friends from Lik-Sang.

Now, some of you may think I'm gay or something but I read a preview in my Nintendo magazine the other day and I suddenly realised that this looks FANTASTIC. I did take quite a harsh attitude to it when I first heard about it but I now realise that I just wasn't paying attention to what this game actually had to offer.

Codiekitty · 07-27-2005, 10:10 AM

Nintendogs is probably going to be like Katamari Damacy; a novelty toy that'll bore anybody who actually knows what a video game is.

The only DS game I have any interest in right now is Nanostray. I'll definitely get it when I get the chance, but I'm not getting a DS until it gets a price drop and some actual games.

Maybe I'll check into Dawn of Sorrow when it comes out, since Aria of Sorrow was pretty decent (especially after Harmony of Dissonance, which on top of sucking reused about 95% of Symphony of the Night's code).

Where are these lemmings going? The Super Nintendo Super Shire! Hop in line and follow them there!

Alucard · 07-27-2005, 11:05 AM

With HoD, they were going for the classic feel of SotN...That is why they did it!

I would get Nintendogs, but there is two problems: One, I don't have a NDS, and two, the game is actually making me recall my dog...the one that was put to sleep...on my seventh birthday...*wipes tear from eye*

***CaptHayfever*** · 07-27-2005, 11:25 AM

They didn't localize the text? Wow.

And remember, "I'm-a Luigi, number one!"

PenguinMan · 07-27-2005, 12:10 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by CodieKitty:
Nintendogs is probably going to be like Katamari Damacy; a novelty toy that'll bore anybody who actually knows what a video game is.

Huh? The only reason people might have gotten bored of Katamari was because it was so short. I know lots of gamers who are looking forward to the sequel, which is supposed to be longer.

Also, I think they were looking at the Japanese version, Capt.

Codiekitty · 07-27-2005, 02:34 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Lycos:
With HoD, they were going for the classic feel of SotN...That is why they did it!

You think I'm gonna excuse the tedious castle exploration, awful bosses*, hideous color schemes (hot pink skeletons, eeeewww), and dialogue that makes Yu-Gi-Oh seem coherent just because they were trying to emulate SotN? Despite the fact the whole SotN emulation thing was part of the reason it was lame? AoS was a at least a somewhat new game even if it did reuse the same concept. HoD is the result of somebody trying to port SotN to the GBA and having to rip out its spine and most of its meat to get it there.

AoS also had more diverse enemies. Half of HoD's enemies are different varieties of skeletons, and another 40% are different varieties of armors.

* The game is chock full of bosses and I only died against two; one of them was an unmoving sphere of corpses that recoiled me into it and kept whapping me around until I died, and the other one was the second to final boss that had such a horrific color scheme going in the background I don't see how you could blame me. For the most part, they felt like common enemies that took forever to kill. Which I guess makes sense, since about two-thirds of them are just giant common enemies. The last third are rehashes of SotN bosses.

Where are these lemmings going? The Super Nintendo Super Shire! Hop in line and follow them there!

***CaptHayfever*** · 07-27-2005, 04:29 PM

^^Then why would they even need to bring it up?

And remember, "I'm-a Luigi, number one!"

The Missing Link · 07-27-2005, 06:46 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by CaptHayfever:
They didn't localize the text? Wow.

My hunch is that this is more of thing that they imported the game directly, since Nintendogs isn't out State-side yet.

"There are some who call me... Link?"

"Carpe Gaium Domesticum!" (Seize the Cucco!)
Zelda: The Grand Adventures | Triforce MUCK
ザ行方不明リンク
悪いユウモアの賢人

Demonicus Prime · 07-27-2005, 06:54 PM

The only appealing games I have seen are Wario Ware, AC

S, Nintendogs, and SM64DS. Free SM64DS, and I am getting AC

S free as a gift. Now for Nintendogs and Wario Ware.......

X-3 · 07-27-2005, 07:12 PM

I'm acually thinking of pre-ordering it- I played a demo in EBgames, and it was better then I thought it would be. Then again, the real game might not be as fun, and I need more $$$...

DELICIOUS POISON · 07-27-2005, 10:42 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by YoshiFreak:
The only appealing games I have seen are Wario Ware, ACS, Nintendogs, and SM64DS. Free SM64DS, and I am getting ACS free as a gift. Now for Nintendogs and Wario Ware.......

You're not interested in Castlevania, Mario Kart, or Metroid: Hunters?

Those all look like real games. Playable, interesting ones. Multiplayer in Mario Kart will be simply awesome.

***CaptHayfever*** · 07-28-2005, 10:25 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by The Missing Link:
</font><blockquote>quote:</font><hr />Originally posted by CaptHayfever:
They didn't localize the text? Wow.

My hunch is that this is more of thing that they imported the game directly, since Nintendogs isn't out State-side yet. </font>[/quote]

Quote:

Originally posted by CaptHayfever:
^^Then why would they even need to bring it up?

And remember, "I'm-a Luigi, number one!"

Demonicus Prime · 07-28-2005, 09:42 PM

I forgot about Mario Kart and MP2:H. [img]redface.gif[/img] Not sure about Castlevania. Might get it, but haven't played anything but Advance.

Sim Kid · 07-29-2005, 08:41 PM

No thank you. Give me Canvas Curse instead.

Demonicus Prime · 07-29-2005, 10:09 PM

Well tarnation! I done forgot that there Canvas Curse!

Curtis Bonds · 07-29-2005, 10:37 PM

Couple new things I found out:

Nintendogs will see a European release on October 7th, with breeds of dogs popular in Europe.

And also, I've been informed if you trade in 3 old GBA games to EBGames, you'll be able to get Nintendogs for free, except for the tax! Not a bad deal at all. Plus, you get a spiffy Nintendogs DS case bag thingy.

Chronos · 07-29-2005, 10:55 PM

http://www.metacrawler.com/info.meta...stlevania%2BDS

I haven't played a Castlevania since I rented Symphony of the Night, and since my DS library is pretty light, I'm definitely thinking of picking it up once it comes out.

07-27-2005, 09:48 AM	#1
NintendoNut NinNut Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: Hold on, I know this..... Gender: Posts: 8,298 Thanks: 84 Thanked 41 Times in 31 Posts Points: 49,409.76 Bank: 0.00 Total Points: 49,409.76 Donate	Source: PlanetGamecube The idea of having a puppy that never grows up and can be owned without the mess and fuss is certainly appealing - indeed, the RSPCA or your country's local equivalent would most likely be thrilled by the idea, as it might even result in less abandoned animals. However, the whole idea would fall flat if the dogs aren't appealing. Nintendogs, while having a toy-like approach, limits what you can do at the beginning, instead of giving you access to everything at once like a true toy would. You start out with a set amount of money to buy your first puppy, which you take to your virtual home to play with. I selected a Beagle and called him "Guybrush" (or rather, "Gybrush", thanks to the character limit). From here, you can buy food, water, brushes. and toys for your pup at the local shop. You can also discover rarer stuff if you take your dog for a walk -- however, your dog may decide to rifle through garbage occasionally left on the street if you don't pull it away, which can make it sick. More items can be unlocked through the shop by spending time playing with your puppy. You can personalize how your puppy looks with the items you find or buy -- it's all up to you (and the amount of money you have). Currently, Guybrush is wearing a dominatrix-style spiked collar, while my other puppy, a black Labrador who is naturally called "LeChuck" (incidentally LeChuck seems to bite Guybrush ALL THE TIME) is wearing a red beret. However, there's plenty more, including dark glasses and Mario's hat. As with a real dog, you can train your virtual puppy to learn voice commands. All that's required is to get it to do what you want it to with a bit of coaxing from the stylus, then press an icon to record your voice command. Language is not an issue here; you just need to speak clearly. Yes, you can teach your puppy to backflip when you insult it, but you will be repeating these commands a LOT, especially the puppy's name, so the joke will probably wear thin quickly. This also brings us to the big problem with Nintendogs -- due to its heavy reliance on vocal commands, it's impossible for this game to be portable. This is simply not the kind of game you should be taking on the train because: 1.) You're going to be getting some really strange looks as you desperately cry out "SIT!" for the seventh time to no avail; and 2.) Your futile attempts to issue vocal commands probably won't register in an environment with loud background noise anyway. Then of course, there's the issue of dignity -- unless that's not a problem for you, then go right ahead and screech out BACKFLIP in a train. But ideally, this game needs to be played in a quiet room, free from external noise, which severely limits most of the places where you can play it. The reason you'll need to teach your dogs commands (aside from your own personal entertainment) is for the Trick Competition. Competitions earn you a lot more money than selling stuff you find on the street (you need money to buy more puppies and toys), but they can be more difficult. The Trick Competition in particular requires that you perform the tricks you're asked to (they're also written on a banner in Japanese), and then finish with Free Performance mode, which lets you do as many tricks as you like. There's also a Frisbee Catching Competition and an Obstacle Course Competition where you navigate your puppy around poles, over hurdles, through tubes and so on. In addition to the problem with all the vocal commands, Nintendogs is very text-heavy, which poses a problem for those who can't read the language. How hungry your dog is, whether it's dirty or not, if it's happy -- all of these details are written as words rather than being represented by graphics or bars. There are also lots and lots of text prompts, especially at the beginning where you're asked to teach your dog its name, then later to teach it to sit. There are no visual indicators here, so you'll need to know Japanese, bluff your way through, or sit in your quiet room with a FAQ up all the time. One other problem is for the often forgotten left-handed players, who will notice that their hand will block the screen in some sections, such as walking the dog and the obstacle course. Nintendogs is definitely unique, and it certainly fills the "adorable puppy" requirement. But how much entertainment you get out of it depends on how long the novelty of owning an admittedly adorable virtual dog will last. I'd say that my experience was probably less enjoyable due to the fact that I had to wade through all the Japanese text -- if this doesn't faze you, and you absolutely need ADORABLE PUPPY ACTION right now, then grab Shiba and Friends, Dachshund and Friends, or Chihuahua and Friends from Lik-Sang. Now, some of you may think I'm gay or something but I read a preview in my Nintendo magazine the other day and I suddenly realised that this looks FANTASTIC. I did take quite a harsh attitude to it when I first heard about it but I now realise that I just wasn't paying attention to what this game actually had to offer.

07-27-2005, 10:10 AM	#2
Codiekitty Just Another Face in Red Jumpsuit Join Date: May 2001 Location: Lemmingland Gender: Posts: 19,143 Thanks: 121 Thanked 174 Times in 120 Posts Points: 51,221.72 Bank: 3,021,450.74 Total Points: 3,072,672.46 Donate	Nintendogs is probably going to be like Katamari Damacy; a novelty toy that'll bore anybody who actually knows what a video game is. The only DS game I have any interest in right now is Nanostray. I'll definitely get it when I get the chance, but I'm not getting a DS until it gets a price drop and some actual games. Maybe I'll check into Dawn of Sorrow when it comes out, since Aria of Sorrow was pretty decent (especially after Harmony of Dissonance, which on top of sucking reused about 95% of Symphony of the Night's code). Where are these lemmings going? The Super Nintendo Super Shire! Hop in line and follow them there!

07-27-2005, 11:05 AM	#3
Alucard Senior Member Join Date: Oct 2001 Location: Hatsurah Gender: Posts: 4,620 Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts Points: 5,082.67 Bank: 8,588.03 Total Points: 13,670.70 Donate	With HoD, they were going for the classic feel of SotN...That is why they did it! I would get Nintendogs, but there is two problems: One, I don't have a NDS, and two, the game is actually making me recall my dog...the one that was put to sleep...on my seventh birthday...wipes tear from eye

07-27-2005, 11:25 AM	#4
*CaptHayfever* Smash Supermod Join Date: Jul 2002 Location: (n) - the place where I am Gender: Posts: 20,026 Thanks: 313 Thanked 1,014 Times in 615 Posts Points: 123,505.76 Bank: 2,638.67 Total Points: 126,144.43 Donate	They didn't localize the text? Wow. And remember, "I'm-a Luigi, number one!"

07-27-2005, 04:29 PM	#7
*CaptHayfever* Smash Supermod Join Date: Jul 2002 Location: (n) - the place where I am Gender: Posts: 20,026 Thanks: 313 Thanked 1,014 Times in 615 Posts Points: 123,505.76 Bank: 2,638.67 Total Points: 126,144.43 Donate	^^Then why would they even need to bring it up? And remember, "I'm-a Luigi, number one!"

07-27-2005, 06:54 PM	#9
Demonicus Prime Senior Member Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: I Pity The Fool Who Confuses Me With Someone Other Than YoshiFreak. Gender: Posts: 2,991 Thanks: 597 Thanked 112 Times in 76 Posts Points: 19,856.63 Bank: 0.00 Total Points: 19,856.63 Donate	The only appealing games I have seen are Wario Ware, ACS, Nintendogs, and SM64DS. Free SM64DS, and I am getting ACS free as a gift. Now for Nintendogs and Wario Ware.......

07-27-2005, 07:12 PM	#10
X-3 Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: Inside the dark soul of mankind. Gender: Posts: 9,984 Thanks: 358 Thanked 435 Times in 316 Posts Blog Entries: 5 Points: 17,263.43 Bank: 0.00 Total Points: 17,263.43 Donate	I'm acually thinking of pre-ordering it- I played a demo in EBgames, and it was better then I thought it would be. Then again, the real game might not be as fun, and I need more $$$...

07-28-2005, 09:42 PM	#13
Demonicus Prime Senior Member Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: I Pity The Fool Who Confuses Me With Someone Other Than YoshiFreak. Gender: Posts: 2,991 Thanks: 597 Thanked 112 Times in 76 Posts Points: 19,856.63 Bank: 0.00 Total Points: 19,856.63 Donate	I forgot about Mario Kart and MP2:H. [img]redface.gif[/img] Not sure about Castlevania. Might get it, but haven't played anything but Advance.

07-29-2005, 08:41 PM	#14
Sim Kid Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2001 Location: The state of Denial Gender: Posts: 6,931 Thanks: 17 Thanked 72 Times in 37 Posts Points: 42,135.24 Bank: 597.55 Total Points: 42,732.79 Donate	No thank you. Give me Canvas Curse instead.

07-29-2005, 10:09 PM	#15
Demonicus Prime Senior Member Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: I Pity The Fool Who Confuses Me With Someone Other Than YoshiFreak. Gender: Posts: 2,991 Thanks: 597 Thanked 112 Times in 76 Posts Points: 19,856.63 Bank: 0.00 Total Points: 19,856.63 Donate	Well tarnation! I done forgot that there Canvas Curse!

07-29-2005, 10:37 PM	#16
Curtis Bonds Banned Join Date: Dec 1969 Posts: 0 Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts Points: 17,264.00 Bank: 500.00 Total Points: 17,764.00 Donate	Couple new things I found out: Nintendogs will see a European release on October 7th, with breeds of dogs popular in Europe. And also, I've been informed if you trade in 3 old GBA games to EBGames, you'll be able to get Nintendogs for free, except for the tax! Not a bad deal at all. Plus, you get a spiffy Nintendogs DS case bag thingy.

07-29-2005, 10:55 PM	#17
Chronos Junior Member Join Date: Jan 2003 Gender: Posts: 288 Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts Points: 4,031.62 Bank: 1,792.64 Total Points: 5,824.26 Donate	http://www.metacrawler.com/info.meta...stlevania%2BDS I haven't played a Castlevania since I rented Symphony of the Night, and since my DS library is pretty light, I'm definitely thinking of picking it up once it comes out.