I was lucky enough to get an free, advanced copy of Nintendogs: Lab & Friends. Over the past couple days, I have purchased a puppy, taught it a few tricks, and entered it in competitions. When I finished playing this game, my friend Emilio came over to give it a shot. To be honest, when I first heard of Nintendogs, I thought it would be no different then the once-popular Tamagotchi, and I had no intension of picking up Nintendogs when it launches on August 22^nd. In this review, you will find two opinions on each point from Nintendo of America.

Point 1: Graphics

Raymond: (+) Though the graphics are not as great has I had intended, they still measure up to the DS capabilities. I do, however, believe the backgrounds could have had much more detail then they currently do. The puppies, for the most part, look pretty real, except for a few areas on the puppy that look like total crap. For example, the Miniature Schnauzer breed, in my opinion, has too much hair around the nose, and it makes them look kind of weird. They should have put scissors in this game so we can cut the dogs hair to our liking.

Emilio: (+) The graphics are much better then I had expected them to be. Like Raymond said, the backgrounds really could have been a lot more detailed. Overall, I feel the graphics for Nintendogs is at its best.

Point 2: Gameplay/Controls

Raymond: (-) Sorry to say, but I for one could not have been more aggravated by the different gameplay options. The touch screen is not all that bad, and you can actually control your pet with it. However, the voice control is another story. Not only does it take forever to teach your pet a voice controlled trick, but it will also take forever for him to actually do the trick. For example, teaching your dog to sit takes approximately 5 minutes, though it should not take more than a minute. The reason it takes so long is because the puppy cannot always hear or understand what you are saying. This is mainly because the microphone is not the best. When your puppy finally learns the trick, you practically have to yell at your DS for your puppy to hear you. And the worst part is that people around you will look and think you’re just a bit crazy. Other than that, playing games with your dog, such as Frisbee or Ball is pretty simple, and taking your dog for a walk is not a difficult task. Nintendogs uses absolutely no buttons, and everything is controlled either by the touch screen or by sound.

Emilio: (+) Overall, I think the gameplay is good. Touch controls are not that bad, but the sound controls could have been better. It is pretty simple to teach your dog tricks, but getting the dog to do the trick is another story. You basically have to yell at your DS to get the dog to do what you want them to do. When it is time to play with your dog, you can throw a tennis ball around, take him for walks, bathe your dog, comb his hair, you can even put a bow or collar on him.

Point 3: Storyline

Raymond: (-) Storyline? I’m pretty sure there isn’t one…

Emilio: (+) There really isn’t a storyline other then you walking up to the pet store and purchasing a dog at the beginning of the game. From there on out, you are with your dog, experiencing life with your new pup. I guess you can consider that somewhat of a storyline.

Point 4: Sound

Raymond: (+) Sound quality for this title can be summed up in 1 word; Outstanding. The dogs barks sound so incredibly real, it is unbelievable. My real living dog starting barking because he thought there was another dog in the house. Aside from barks, the background music is also perfect. All the music flow nicely with the locations, and it feels soothing. They even have great sounds for when you scoop up your dogs poop and throw it in a brown paper bag.

Emilio: (+) In Nintendogs, the attention to detail to sound is great. The dogs barks sound real, you can even hear him panting, taking footsteps and whining. When you play with him you can hear the ball bounce and you can hear the Frisbee flying through the air. During walks, you can other dogs barking in the background.

Point 5: Lifespan

Raymond: (+) Like Animal Crossing for the Nintendo Gamecube, Nintendogs should last for a couple months. There is just so much to do, like unlocking more breeds and meeting other people through bark mode*. But after you do everything there is to be done, chances are you will start playing the game less and less.

Emilio: (+) This game has a lot of replayability. Once you have trained your dog, you can win competitions and earn money. With enough money, you can buy new toys or upgrade your house. I have also heard about being able to unlock new breeds of dogs and new types of toys.

*Bark Mode – Nintendogs multiplayer mode.