Nintendogs: Chihuahua and Friends (DS)
Manufacturer: Nintendo Part number: 73643
- More product information:
- Editors' review
- User reviews
- Specifications
- Manufacturer info
- Description:
- Players care for and train their puppy by petting it, walking it and buying it supplies to play with. As a puppy competes in obedience and agility trials, owners can win money to purchase other puppy breeds. Nintendogs features puppies from the most popular dog breeds, like Chihuahuas, Labrador retrievers, beagles and German shepherds. The pups will vary in gender, ... Read more
Where to buy
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| Not yet rated | In stock | as of 12/03/2009 | |
| Not yet rated | In stock | as of 12/03/2009 |
Gamespot editors' review
Nintendogs: Chihuahua and Friends (DS) price range: $22.50 - $28.99
- Reviewed by: Bethany Massimilla
- Reviewed on: 08/19/2005
- Released on: 08/22/2005
You'd have to have a cold heart indeed to not be charmed by the bright eyes and madly wagging tails of the wonderfully lifelike Nintendogs. The game's boisterous and affectionate young canines are impossibly endearing, making the tasks of caring for them, training them, and simply interacting with them a joy. That Nintendogs occasionally limits some of your activities in what is already a streamlined set of options is pretty much the only bad thing you can say about the virtual puppy game. However, the game is at its best in short, satisfying bursts, and is suited to dog lovers of all ages.

Behold the awesome power of your adorable new puppy overlords.
When you start the game, you'll immediately be whisked to the Nintendog Kennel to choose a companion from among six different breeds of scampering cuteness. The breeds you have available to you at the beginning of the game depend on the version you're playing, though all versions can eventually unlock all 18 types. Each individual dog has its own personality, from shy to daring, from willing student to determined truant. Every time you bring up a particular breed listing, the puppies you can choose from will shuffle to a random selection of colors and personalities, so you can hand-pick the type of pooch you want. Pay the adoption fee, and then head home to bond with your new cold-nosed friend.
The bonding comes easily with Nintendogs, due in large part to the high levels of care and detail that went into creating these digital canines. It's not just that the puppies have been given the accurate appearance of their given breeds--though the representation is quite authentic, down to the different coat and color patterns. It's that a great host of doggy mannerisms have all been captured just about perfectly. Every enthusiastic gallop after a tennis ball is just right, the way their eyes close in satisfaction and their tail blurs into motion when they're patted, the way they sometimes flop over each other for a sudden nap, and each tongue-lolling, panting stare filled with happy adulation is pure puppy. So it's easy for you to become rapidly attached to your new virtual pals, and it's hard for you to resist the occasional sad-eyed face and plaintive whine of a Nintendog begging for attention.
Once you get your dog home, you'll be able to name it using the game's voice-recognition software, repeating it a few times until your pooch "learns" his or her name. After an initial adjustment period in which you'll shower your new puppy with attention, you can begin training it. As a puppy performs an action it can learn as a trick, a lightbulb icon appears in the corner of the screen. Quickly tapping this icon lets you record a command to associate with that action--for example, linking the word "sit" to when the dog sits down. Then it's a matter of associating that same word with the same action multiple times, until your puppy learns the trick. A successful training session results in another lightbulb above Rover's head and a happy yip; if your dog is confused, red question marks appear over his head to let you know you need to speak a bit more clearly next time. Blue question marks appear if you're trying to teach a command that sounds like something the puppy already knows, so you don't risk overlapping your tricks.

Some dogs learn faster than others, but they can all be coaxed into obedience.
Once you've taught your puppy a number of commands (the amount of time this takes depends on whether or not you picked one of those daring, headstrong dogs, which seemed like a good idea when you bought it) and raised your trainer level a bit, you can begin preparing your dog for the various contests you can compete in. There are three different types: obedience, which rates your dog on how well it follows verbal commands; disc, which lets you show off your dog's Frisbee-catching prowess; and agility, which is a hectic romp through an obstacle course. How well your puppy does depends on how much you've been practicing a given activity and how strong your bond is. Placing in the top three earns you a sparkling trophy, prize money, and a boost to the next level of competition. If you lose, you're knocked down a level, so you'll have to move your way back to the top.
User reviews
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you take care of so CUTE puppies
by dslover1996 on November 21, 2007
Pros: the puppies make me feel great on the worst of days!
Cons: none this games is the bestof the best!!!!
Summary: i own 8 puppies on this game there so cute!! i bought the system just for nintendogs!!
Summary: i own 8 puppies on this game there so cute!! i bought the system just for nintendogs!!
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THE BEST GAME EVERRRRR!
by yayitsamberx0x0 on July 25, 2007
Pros: cutest dogs in the world, lifelike, big selection, rarely boring, awesome accessories!
Cons: sometimes microphone is blurry, but thats more of a systematic problem, can only go on walks every 25 min, but i use a cheat for that, only 3 competitions in 1 day and limited training each day.
Summary: despite the cons, i have to say that out of every single game i have ever tried, this is the best. i got it a couple of days ago and ...
Summary: despite the cons, i have to say that out of every single game i have ever tried, this is the best. i got it a couple of days ago and i cannot put it down! i know take my ds lite every where i go!! its always in my purse. the puppies are so cute and sooo realistic! its just the best i never get tired of it and the hats are just adorable! today i found a lion's mane. picture that on a chihuahua!
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You CANNOT resist!!!!
by kthome7 on October 23, 2006
Pros: Aswome graphice,sounds,and well everything!
Cons: They could let you have more than 3 dogs at a time at your house.But other than that NONE!!
Summary: I have had this game about 2 months after it can out I simple cannot put it down.The only time I don't have it is at school or ...
Summary: I have had this game about 2 months after it can out I simple cannot put it down.The only time I don't have it is at school or when I'm sleeping.I had to buy another becuase I couldn't keep anymore dogs! Trust me when you pick this game up you almost cannot put it down! Especially when it comes to contests! Mine is a total champ. 12 time in a row on agality! And it's a chihuahua! Ohh they are so cute! Like I said you pick it up,you will not want to put it down! 9.9 from me!
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Fantastic; a great buy.
by WD90 on July 27, 2005
Pros: Lifelike, makes you feel like part of the game...Good use of touch screen
Cons: Game does come off as a little bit kiddy.
Summary: I recently returned from Japan and brought with me a copy of the chihuahua version of nintendogs. Since DS games are non-region specific, it worked perfectly in my DS.
I'...Summary: I recently returned from Japan and brought with me a copy of the chihuahua version of nintendogs. Since DS games are non-region specific, it worked perfectly in my DS.
I'll get straight to the point-this game is fantastic. The game uses the touch screen for everything, (I have only used the D-Pad once with the game; I haven't touched the buttons) and it is amazing to use. The game is responsive and the dogs give lifelike reactions and have very realistic motions. When you pet the dogs head, the head moves down with the motion of the stylus. When you pet the dog's foot, he raises it up and shakes it up and down. The game also uses the microphone a lot, which can be fun.
The graphics are good with the DS. Unlike many N64 games, none of the character models are blocky at all. They are smooth and look very good. Toys and other things bounce realistically and keep their original smooth shape while moving, opposed to a blocky look. Overall, good graphics.
While everything is good, I believe with the marketing and such this game does come off as a little childish. But I am sure anyone of any age could enjoy this game. Overall, I think it's great.
Specifications
- Manufacturer: Nintendo
- Part number: 73643
- Description: Players care for and train their puppy by petting it, walking it and buying it supplies to play with. As a puppy competes in obedience and agility trials, owners can win money to purchase other puppy breeds. Nintendogs features puppies from the most popular dog breeds, like Chihuahuas, Labrador retrievers, beagles and German shepherds. The pups will vary in gender, coloration and personality. Players purchase one of several breeds available at the beginning, then start spending time with their pup. They throw flying discs and balls to improve the pup's agility, bathe it when it gets dirty and use their own personal voice commands to train the dog to do tricks. If players train it well enough, they will excel in obedience and agility trials and disc competitions, which will earn money that they can use to buy other supplies and puppy breeds. When players earn enough cash, they can buy even more puppies to live with their original pup. Players can socialize their pups by walking them around the town, where they will meet neighborhood dogs, and maybe even find new toys. Trips to the park and gym offer valuable training time to prepare for agility trials and disc competitions. Over time, the pup's stamina will increase so players can explore farther and farther. Players also can interact wirelessly with their friends' Nintendogs - they can set their DS to bark whenever another puppy is within wireless range.
Product Basic Spec
- Platform DS
- ESRB rating Everyone - Comic Mischief
- Genre Strategy
- Number of players 1 Player
- Connectivity Wi-Fi
- Difficulty Easy
- Learning curve About a half hour
Game
- Developer Nintendo
- ESRB Everyone
- ESRB descriptors Comic Mischief
Manufacturer info
- Nintendo
- Manufacturer profile
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- Website: http://www.nintendo.com/
- Address:
P.O. Box 957, Redmond, WA 98073 - Phone: 1-800/255-3700
- Email: nintendo@nintendo.com








