Nintendogs + cats (3DS Review) by Leroy S.

Nintendogs + cats
Publisher: Nintendo
Developer: Nintendo
System: Nintendo 3DS
Release: March 27, 2011

April 10, 2011, by Leroy S. - Nintendogs + Cats is the sequel to the immensely popular Nintendogs on the original Nintendo DS. Released on the Nintendo 3DS North American launch day, Nintendogs + Cats sets out to recover that long lost feel of the original while tossing in new things to play around with, including the addition of cats and also polished graphics and of course, stereoscopic 3D visuals without the need for glasses.

From the beginning, Nintendogs + Cats makes itself known as a crowd-pleaser. This is strictly for the casual people who are usually not enticed by the more in-depth games like Pilotwings or Street Fighter. It's more of a pick up and play attitude, like the original. The game begins with you choosing from the available breeds depending on which version you got at launch: Golden Retriever, French Bulldog or Toy Poodle. Combined, they have a staggering 27 breeds of dogs (nine different breeds for each version) and 3 breeds of cats (in all versions).

2D image of Nintendo 3DS game.
At the kennel, you'll be given the option to pet and play around with these pets until you find that special one you wish to take home with you. The interface is strikingly differenet from the first, as Nintendo is really selling on the 3D effect, so you'll be petting the silhouette of your pooch while staring at the 3D screen. There's also a camera icon for you to take in-game screenshots in 2D or 3D, which is saved to the SD Card for further use in the 3DS Camera application. After you've made a choice for your breed, you'll be whisked away to your home and will be expected to calm down your new puppy before naming it and doing other things to it. Once your puppy learns its name, you'll be able to dig around your collection of supplies. Food, clothing, toys and furniture are the categories that it's broken into. Taking care of your Nintendog is much like you would do for any pup: wash it, feed it, play with it, walk it and just love it.


2D image of Nintendo 3DS game.
The game gives you a journal to jot down any special notes you have of your day with your dog and saving it for future use. It takes note of your day-to-day progress with your pup and also records trainer points, which influences the items you get later as you traverse through the game as well as your dog's connection to you. StreetPass is also an integral part of Nintendogs + Cats as you'll be able to walk by others and encounter their Mii avatars and pets in-game. The journal will keep a note of those occurrences as well. There's also the option for going out with your Nintendog, and it's broken into 4 modes: Walk, Shopping, Competitions and Pedometer.

The competitions have slightly changed for this game with the removal of the agility trials, now replaced by lure coursing. The disc competition has returned, as well as the obedience trials. The obedience trials make use of the AR cards included with the 3DS system by projecting your puppy on a card so he can perform tricks under the limelight, giving it the illusion of a dog show. Like the original, you can only participate in each one twice a day. Lure coursing is pretty much a glorified racing mini-game, but is very fast-paced and strategic. However, my gripe with these competitions are mainly about the difficulty level. In the original game, if you lost in a higher cup, you would be relegated to the lower leagues but in this game, one win and you're done in that league but one loss and it'll keep you in that cup. It may be good for the new players but for previous Nintendog owners like myself, it feels as if Nintendo may have gave them the short end of the stick.

There's also an option for shopping at 6 different locations: BARC (the pet supply store), Colleta (pet accessories), Modo Home (interior design), Mr. R (secondhand shop) as well as the kennel and the pet hotel. Each of these areas will definitely be visited once in a while, especially BARC and Modo Home. There are also places that you can visit when you take your dog on a walk like Cafe Petrov, where you can buy a treat for yourself and your dog and use the open space to play with them and also a special BARC outlet for discounted deals on special items.


2D image of Nintendo 3DS game.
The walking is very much different from the original in many ways. You don't draw your paths anymore and you're given a new perspective to walk from. Viewing this in 3D is absolutely incredible. It's like peering into a window, and being able to judge distance is amazing. The pedometer mode is exactly like the walk mode but instead, you close your 3DS and walk around with it while the game registers the amount of steps you take. Depending on the number of steps you take, when you open your system again, your pup will give you a present. It's really engaging and StreetPass is tied into this as well, so it's encouraged a lot by the game.

So what about the cats? Do they play as big of a role as the dogs? Sadly, this is where the game falls flat. Cat lovers will definitely feel snubbed as cats tend to serve as nothing more but playmates to the Nintendogs. They do have interesting personalities and dog-cat interactions are fun to watch but I believe that Nintendo would've done more than slap on the cats like an afterthought. Cats rarely do much as they're seen as independent creatures, caring only for their well-being. Surprisingly enough, you're able to wash them and their reactions to being scrubbed are priceless.

Nintendogs + Cats, while being every bit as great as a sequel should be, feels as if a few screws are loose in its complete package. If don't have intentions to pick this game up, pick it up at a lower price because it really won't let you down in terms of having a great time with your virtual pets.

The Verdict

Sound
10/15 - The music in the game is good enough to hum to, and is rather lively and cheery.

Graphics
18/20 - The Nintendogs' graphical look gets a complete overhaul in added fluff, the way they act as well as the 3D effect on them. I dare you to stare in their eyes and not go "awww!"

Appeal
20/25 - The game lives for the crowd pleasing and cuteness factor. It's essentially a pick up and play game, with no clear objectives other than having fun and loving your virtual pet.

Gameplay
35/40 - There are many things expected of you to do for your Nintendog: feed them, play with, train them, teach them tricks, walk them, clean them, give them a good scratching and also win at competitions.

Overall
83/100 - Nintendogs + Cats is a good sequel. While it may not live up to its predecessor's legacy, it sure makes a mark in how creative Nintendo is in a genre overrun by cheap franchises and long forgotten items of yesteryear, like Tamagotchis. Nintendogs still has that crowd pleaser attitude that Nintendo hopes to capitalize on with future 3DS titles. It is one of the better games that manages to use almost all of what the 3DS has to offer: AR gaming, StreetPass and 3D visuals, among other features. Pick it up when you can.