Nintendogs + Cats is a pet simulation game for the 3DS and is a sequel to the super successful and super popular Nintendogs DS game. It came in three versions, where the differences are the breeds of the dogs available. This version is the Toy Poodle version, which has a total of 27 breeds including the titular toy poodle, shih tzu, labrador retriever and corgi. There is now also the addition of cats.
You start out by picking which one of the starting breeds of dogs that you want to adopt. It comes back home with you and from then on, you’re kind of just let loose to experiment what you can do. First off, you’ll probably want to pet it, and you’re given some early supplies such as food, water and shampoo. Using the stylus on the bottom screen is how you interact with your dog, such as rubbing it, throwing balls for it to catch and cleaning it.
The touch screen is also used to teach it tricks. By using specific movements, you can teach your puppy how to sit, give you its paws and other tricks. The system uses the microphone to then record your voice command so that the puppy will know what to do when you say it out loud. Similarly, it records you saying its name so that it can run to you when called.
Another big element of the game is taking your dog out for a walk. It sounds more interesting than it is. You pretty much just hold the leash as your dog walks down a street. Along the way, you must keep it out mischief, such as not getting itself dirty and eating what it shouldn’t be. You must clean up after it, and along these walks are opportunities for your dog to grow by interacting with others, finding items and training.
The game has a bunch of in-game shops to buy all the items you’ll ever need for your dogs and cats. These range from food, furniture, toys and clothing. There is even a shop that allows you to give it junk to swap for better things. All these cost money and you’re given a decent amount of starting money, so you can spend away initially without the fear of running out.
The game is designed for you to play a little bit each day, and not in long sessions. Your dogs will get hungry and thirsty, so you will need to feed them multiple times a day. They can only learn up to three tricks a day and can participate in each competition twice a day. The competitions are the main way to earn money, and you compete against two other dogs. You’ll always get some money, even though it isn’t much.
The three competitions are disc throwing, lure, and obedience. Disc throwing has you throwing a disc using the touch screen for your dog to catch. Lure has you reeling a lure on a course as your dog races to the finish line. While obedience has your dog doing the tricks that you’ve trained it. These have multiple difficulty tiers and can be very lucrative if you come first place. You can train your dog in the meantime inside the house or better yet, at parks or gyms while on a walk.
As you progress with raising your puppy, you’ll eventually gain enough money to adopt another pet, which includes kittens. There are only three types of kittens to choose from and you go through a similar process to name them. The things you can do with a kitten are more restrictive, basically you can only play with them and take care of them. You cannot take them out for walks or teach them tricks. However, they are still very cute, and it can be fun watching their interactions with your puppy.
Just like getting a real pet, while interesting in the beginning, it can start to become a chore as you need to feed, train and play with the pets daily. It is a neat feeling when you see your puppy start off not being able to catch your flying disc, but then eventually get better and better to the point of winning the top competition. Money then becomes much easier to come by as you constantly win the higher ranked competitions. However, it is all very repetitive and the types of things that unlock aren’t exactly thrilling, as the core gameplay remains the same the whole way.
Overall, Nintendogs + Cats (3DS) is a nice update to the original game, even though it didn’t really change too much. The biggest addition of kittens isn’t a big change either, as the things you can do with it are limited (basically just feeding and playing with it). The competitions are interesting but you’d wish that there were more minigames to play with your puppy. Decorating and buying accessories for your pets can only really keep your attention for so long.
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