Author Topic: Nintendogs + Cats Journal  (Read 6131 times)

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Offline the_dan_x

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Nintendogs + Cats Journal
« on: March 05, 2011, 03:32:31 PM »

Follow Danny's musings in his Nintendogs + Cats Journal!

http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/feature/25612

Let me first start off by giving a little bit of background about my experience with the Nintendogs franchise. On the original Nintendo DS, I was one of the people who picked up Nintendogs on launch day. Being a university student at the time, I received a slight bit of ridicule from my friends, however, this did not keep me from talking to my Labrador, Jedi, in public. Nor did it shame me to bring home the large, barking, Nintendogs display from Gamestop that would have been on its way to the dumpster had my younger brother and I not saved it from a smelly end. While the original Nintendogs may have been a short lived experience for many, it made very interesting use of the DS technology and was one of the reasons why non-gamers have come back to gaming over the past few years.

On the day of the 3DS launch, I picked up Nintendogs + Cats: Shiba Inu and New Friends (which is going to be localized in the West as Golden Retriever and New Friends). The newest iteration in the Nintendogs series looks quite a bit better than it''s predecessor and also offers a few things that were not available in the original version, with the most obvious being the addition of cats. The touch screen mechanics remain identical to what was found in previous Nintendo DS versions of Nintendogs, so fans from the original will feel right at home. One other feature that is coming back in the latest iteration of Nintendogs is the ability to reform your living space. With this, the player can completely change the style of their house, for example, by requesting a change for the room, you can go from an American country style room to a Japanese style room without much hassle. Additionally in the 3DS version, you are also able to purchase a variety of furniture such as sofas, book cases, and even a refrigerator.

Left: Country Style room. Right: Japanese Style room.

I originally intended to sit down with the game for hour and hours on end, changing the system date and time to enable myself to participate in tons of events and to get as many trainer points as possible. While trying this out, I ran into a bit of a hitch when the system  would not allow me to do this. A message was displayed telling me that even though I changed the date in the system settings, the system still knew how many times I participated in events and would have to wait until the next day (in real time) before I could try them again. That certainly came as a disappointment.

Even though the Shiba Inu is the dog featured in this version of the game, I could not resist the cuteness of the Golden Retreiver puppy. After shelling out a large sum of money in the game, I was able to bring the pup to my barren home in hopes of giving her a better life than the one she had at the pet store. I have spent a few days with my puppy, Hachi, and so far she has learned how to sit, shake, and roll over. At this point, we have also practiced extensively for the disc throwing competition which has paid off. In the junior disc throwing competition, we managed to get a first place score after a few tries. The Amateur level, though, has been a bit of a struggle. Hachi can catch the discs from a short distance, but usually just sits and watches the longer ones sail over her head. To make matters even worse, when she retrieves the disc, she''ll sit on the ground playing with the darn thing while the event clock is ticking away and the other dogs are racking up points.

Left: First place! Right: On a walk.

Similarly to the previous version of Nintendogs, you can also take your dog on walks. During these walks, you can come across other dogs being walked by their owners. This time the owner of the dog, represented by a Mii, greets you and has a few short things to tell you. It is an interesting touch and gives a bit more personality to the game. Up until now, I have only had the chance to play the game for a handful of hours and unfortunately have not been able to obtain a cat. However, I imagine that if I continually work on building my relationship with my puppy, I will get there soon enough.

Danny Bivens
Japan Correspondent
Nintendo World Report

Offline Razorkid

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Re: Nintendogs + Cats Journal
« Reply #1 on: March 05, 2011, 06:08:58 PM »
I'm not a Nintendogs fan, but that sounds absolutely adorable  ;D .
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Offline NWR_pap64

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Re: Nintendogs + Cats Journal
« Reply #2 on: March 05, 2011, 09:22:12 PM »
I think I may be the only soul in this green Earth of ours that logged in more than hundreds of our in his copy of Nintendogs. I mean I can see why the game would lose its appeal quickly since once you obtained all the trophies, all the rewards and all three puppies the game would become a chore. But still, I grew fondly of my little guys, so much so that I named them after famous dogs and people and even taught them tricks based on their own personas.


And truth to be told, I can't wait to play the 3DS version, despite owning two dogs and many cats myself. I just love the technology and concept behind it.
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Offline the_dan_x

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Re: Nintendogs + Cats Journal
« Reply #3 on: March 05, 2011, 09:52:57 PM »
Honestly, if you really dug the first game, this will kore than likely be right up your alley as well. There does seem to be a bit more to do and the Mii's give the game a bit more personality. And graphically, it looks pretty well to boot.
Danny Bivens
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Nintendo World Report

Offline AV

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Re: Nintendogs + Cats Journal
« Reply #4 on: March 06, 2011, 09:15:06 PM »
does changing the apartment really matter? I remember the first game it didn't matter the  dogs still played in a little arena and the apartment didn't have furniture the dogs would bite or anything of that nature

Offline the_dan_x

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Re: Nintendogs + Cats Journal
« Reply #5 on: March 08, 2011, 08:37:13 AM »
Mr. Vega, I don't think that it really can do too much. I do know that with the cats, it MIGHT play a small role. For example, something in the game said, "Cats like high places," so MAYBE if I bought a tall cabinet or something, the cat would love being up there, and give me higher trainer points? Just a theory.
Danny Bivens
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Nintendo World Report

Offline Morari

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Re: Nintendogs + Cats Journal
« Reply #6 on: March 11, 2011, 11:20:56 AM »
Those animals look so ridiculously fluffy. Obviously, that's what the next generation of handhelds is all about. :)
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Offline ShyGuy

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Re: Nintendogs + Cats Journal
« Reply #7 on: March 11, 2011, 04:48:39 PM »
Rorschach's Journal: Nintendog carcass in alley, tire tread on burst stomach. This handheld platform is afraid of me, I have seen its true hardware specs.

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Offline Toruresu

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Re: Nintendogs + Cats Journal
« Reply #8 on: March 11, 2011, 06:08:43 PM »
After playing the first game, I feel there is nothing different enough to warrant a purchase of this. I hope I can rent it/demo it somewhere to confirm if I'll buy or not.
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Offline NWR_pap64

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Offline NWR_Karlie

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Re: Nintendogs + Cats Journal
« Reply #10 on: March 18, 2011, 10:43:46 AM »
WASH THE CAT. YOU CAN WASH THE CAT. SHAMPOO +CAT NOW.

Offline TJ Spyke

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Re: Nintendogs + Cats Journal
« Reply #11 on: March 18, 2011, 01:59:16 PM »
Does the cat hiss and try to scratch you when you try to wash it? Otherwise I can see this being called a pet sim.
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Offline NWR_Karlie

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Re: Nintendogs + Cats Journal
« Reply #12 on: March 18, 2011, 08:48:45 PM »
Nah, it's really unrealistic. You just wash for a while with the sponge, then rinse him off with the shower head and you get the all clean now message. You can however turn the pets now when washing, so you can wash the cats (and dogs) from various angles.

Offline the_dan_x

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Re: Nintendogs + Cats Journal
« Reply #13 on: March 20, 2011, 01:38:43 AM »
You know, I've ran into some issues when washing my cat. Usually after you rinse off all of the soap, the game automatically ends the whole bath sequence. I've ran into some instances where I rinse the cat off for a good minute straight, but the game doesn't automatically end the sequence. I recall this happening in the original Nintendogs. It's not that big of a deal as you can just back out of the bathroom and your pet is clean. Just a little annoying. AND, my dog and cat tend to get dirtier a heck of a lot easier than what they did in the at first. *shrugs*
Danny Bivens
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Nintendo World Report