Some games get old quite quickly, but Nintendo's Nintendogs game is so well done that it has withstood the test of time. It was my favorite when it came out in 2005, and three years later it is still my favorite.....and now it is also loved by my entire family.  I have purchased Nintendo DS game devices for all of the grandchildren, and even the two-year-old loves to play Nintendogs.

Nintendogs is a game where you adopt a virtual dog . You use the touch screen and use the built-in microphone  on the handheld Nintendo DS (dual screen) gaming device to interact with your new pet.

From the moment the doors to the puppy adoption agency open you can sense that this game is realistic. When you see the puppies romping around you know that Nintendogs has captured doggy movements and antics perfectly.

My Nintendogs game came just before I left for the airport, so I grabbed the tiny game cartridge and my DS device on my way out the door. Once settled on the plane I decided to adopt a King Charles spaniel. I quickly got engrossed in the game and  found myself talking to my dog and repeating her name over and over. Then teaching her to sit, by of course, repeating the word every time she sat down. After a few minutes, my seat mate leaned over and said, "I can't stand it anymore. Just what are you doing?" I introduced her to my dog, Kate, and we spent the rest of the flight feeding, training, and bathing Kate. I simply moved the stylus across Kate's body to pet her. An intuitive motion of the stylus threw the ball so we could play catch. To play with the bottle of bubbles, I just blew at the microphone and Kate romped across the screen trying to follow the bubbles.  It was one of the most enjoyable flights I've ever taken.

With Nintendogs you progress at your own speed. The interface is easy to learn. You can simply have fun playing with your dog and taking him or her for walks, but the game gets really interesting once you start training your pet for agility trials and doggie competitions. At these events you can earn money to buy your pet toys and equipment. Even just walking your dog is interesting. You can take him to the park to practice fetching, to a gymnasium to train him, or to a second-hand store to trade doggy toys.

Nintendogs is sold in three versions, each has six different breeds for your initial selection. The version I played was called Chihuahua and Friends. The breeds for me to choose from were Chihauhua,  German shepherd, boxer, Cavalier King Charles spaniel, Yorkshire terrier and Shetland sheepdog. You can own up to eight dogs at a time. You get to play with three while the others are in a pet motel.

As you get further and further into the game you find more and more functionality. You can even meet up with other Nintendo owners trade items and unlock new breeds. That's how I now play with the grandchildren. I bought each a different Nintendog game, so between us, we have all the different breeds possible. You can not only play with visiting dogs, but you can give presents to the puppies who visit. It's unbelievably cute to see the dons wearing fire hats, yellow bows, and colored collars.

Like a real pet, your Nintendog does require some care. You will want to feed, pet, and exercise him. If you don't you may return after a few days to find that your pet has run away (he will come back). But the game even makes basic care easy. If you don't want to take care of him for awhile you can just check him into the doggie motel.

If you try Nintendogs you are sure to fall in love with the game as I did. My Katie sniffs around, pants, barks, and runs and jumps just like a real dog, but I don't have to get out of bed on a rainy morning to take her outside. Finally, the perfect pet!

Date of Review: Updated 4-9-2008  

Colors: Available in several colors including pink, white, black, and crimson & black 

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