Geekscape Games Reviews Nintendogs + Cats
Let’s be honest, as cute as a new puppy can be, not everyone can put up with the responsibility. The feeding, the walking, the poop digging… it all can be too much. Wouldn’t it be great for these people if there was a way to have some of the joys of a pet without actually having to do much? That’s where Nintendogs + Cats for the 3DS comes in.
Following the huge success of the original Nintendogs a few years ago, did anyone doubt the chances for a sequel? The name of the game explains the premise pretty well. As a virtual trainer, you’re tasked with raising a puppy. This pooch can learn tricks through voice commands, build up its athleticisim and requires top of the line nutrition before it can become a contender in the daily competitions, much like the first game. Actually, much of the game feels like the previous one… but hey! Now there are cats! And they behave much like real cats, for better or worse.
Nintendogs garnered a reputation for having realistic behavior in the dogs, and the same can be said for the cats. With the addition of kittens, you can pet, feed, bathe, accessorize and play with your kitty in between sleeping and hissing at the dog. Unlike the dog, it can’t enter competitions, learn tricks, go for walks… actually, the cat doesn’t do much. Most of the time, I boot up the game with my dog greeting me and my cat sleeping. It doesn’t really add much to the game since the cat feels like more of a novelty than a game play addition. But at the very least, it can learn its name… and there’s no litter box so it never pees!
Speaking of peeing, walking the dog has been greatly improved over the last game. There’s no longer a daily limit to walking for starters. If you never walk them, the dogs will fill with waste for the rest of eternity, but there’s plenty of reason to avoid neglecting them. Instead of the side scrolling format with the pee chart map that showed everywhere in the city where your dogs relieved themselves like last time, the view is a behind the back first person view with the touch screen used for control. So those who remember the unavoidable trash where you had to choke your dog to keep him from eating it, the controls make it a thing of the past if you steer right.
In addition to the control improvements, branching paths that lead to different locals make the world feel connected and give you a sense of exploration during walks. And if this wasn’t enough, presents can be found to encourage you to walk often. Unlike the first game however, rather than rare items, synthesis items are found in the boxes. These can be used to trade for a larger assortment of rare goodies, and when you throw in special shops and training grounds to improve the pup’s performance, walks are an important part of improving.
Of course, all of this training is leading up to the competitions, which is the biggest aspect of the game. To feed your dog, you need money and to make big money, you need to win! The disc and obedience competition return from the previous game, and while disc is still just a frisbee fetch game, (without the product placement this time,) obedience has been changed quite a bit for the 3DS, but I’ll get to that in a bit. Replacing the obsticle course is the lure coursing competition, where players reel in a lure that the dog chases until it reaches the finish line. The game pits the dogs head to head this time, so in the race and disc games, the competition is at your side so you know they’re not cheating. Plus, losing no longer demotes you, so it’s easier to get through, even though you can still only compete twice a day with each contest. Still, doing well unlocks new breeds, items and house designs so you can shake things up, so money isn’t the only motivation.
Reading this would make a Nintendogs vet, (veteran, not pet doctor,) think that nothing much has changed. While it’s true on the surface, it seems like this new pet sim is being used to showcase many of the 3DS’s features. The most important one is the use of the AR cards. Obedience competitions use the cards to make the dog appear in the real world while it accepts your voice commands, (or I should say if. The dog still doesn’t understand you half of the time.) It’s really annoying that the AR cards are required for contests though, because if the lighting isn’t right, the camera loses the dog really easily, and the competition doesn’t pause when your dog magically vanishes.
At the house, the cards can be used to take photos where the dog wears themed hats depending on the card you use. The street pass feature helps trainers show off their dogs and cats to each other while trading messages and items. And lastly, if you’re into the free stuff involved with walking but not the dog crap, the game uses the 3DS pedometer to walk your dog while you walk for real. The more steps you take, the better the gift, so if you want the cool swag, Nintendo is hell bent on getting you in shape to do it.
At first glance, Nintendogs + Cats doesn’t look like much. Fans of the original would think it’s just a rehash with felines tacked in while those who never played it would think it’s not the cool thing to play. While the core of the game remains largely unchanged, there’s plenty to make this version the best in show. Everything from the competitions to the walking and obtaining items has been refined while adding in a ton of new features. If anything, it’s the new stuff that needs work. The cats are kind of just there and the mandatory use of AR cards during obedience trials makes me want to find who came up with the crappy idea and rub their nose in it. I was disappointed that the people in the town were replaced with Miis and the voice recognition is still iffy, but the game still ends up being a lot of fun. Virtual pets may not be the cool thing anymore, but Nintendogs + Cats is a great showcase of the 3DS’s capabilities that aren’t 3D and is a great game to dedicate 30 minutes a day to when you need to relax. If you need to see what your 3DS can do, I think it’s time you give this dog a home.
