• Everyone (only available to members 18 and older)
• Friends only (available to members 13 and older)
• Blocked (available to all members, and automatic for anyone under the age of 13)

This review was originally published on Gaming Horizon, GameBump's predecessor. Its format does not match our own but we support its content. It was written by Aaron Thomas.

Many people feel like the DS’ touch screen is nothing more than a gimmick, and if you judge the system solely on how third-party developers have utilized the touch screen, you’d be right in that assumption. The real test, however, comes down to how Nintendo innovates and makes the most of the system’s strengths. If you were to judge the system on what Nintendo has done, then it’s safe to say that the sky is the limit. Nintendogs not only shows that the DS can handle nice visuals, but that it can also provide engaging gameplay that’s simply not possible anywhere else.

There are three different versions of Nintendogs: Lab & Friends, Chihuahua & Friends, and Dachshund & Friends. Each version actually contains every breed, but there are only certain dogs available from the get go in each specific title; the rest have to be unlocked. For example, Lab & Friends’ initial selection of puppies includes a Lab, Miniature Schnauzer, Toy Poodle, Pembroke Welsh Corgi, Miniature Pinscher, and a Shiba Inu. As you earn more cash, you can purchase additional animals and train them together, or if you want to focus on one animal at a time you can take them to the puppy hotel.

Nintendogs starts off at the kennel, where you select your puppy. If you’re picky it’s even possible to choose its sex, as well as disposition, allowing you to find a dog that will be suited to activities you enjoy, or one that matches your personality. When you get your dog home, you’ll need to teach your puppy its name by speaking into the microphone. The voice recognition is okay, but you will find yourself repeating a command quite often – which is pretty realistic, given that you’re dealing with a puppy. After giving the animal a name (my dog was named Mr. Pooples) you’ll want to teach your dog some tricks. When your dog performs an action that can be learned, like shaking paws, rolling over, sitting, or one of the many other moves, a light bulb appears indicating a learnable trick. By tapping the light bulb and giving the trick a name, your puppy will eventually learn the trick and perform it when told to. Of course it’s up to the dog’s mood whether or not it’ll actually do the move for you, but in theory, it’s learned.

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