Nintendogs: Lab & Friends

 DS
User Score
7.6

Generally favorable reviews- based on 127 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 82 out of 127
  2. Mixed: 27 out of 127
  3. Negative: 18 out of 127
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  1. Mark
    Sep 8, 2005
    10
    Wow, who would have thought?! Great game, fantastic use of interactive features. Give it a try, you might be surprised -- but you're sure to like it.
  2. Diehardnintendofan
    Sep 7, 2005
    2
    I eat drink and think nintendo but this game is only for two types of people those aged between 5 and 8 and the other being teenage girls. the game looks pretty but where is the gameplay and fun. i have to say that this touch screen technoligy on nintendos DS aint going to catch on for future consols and this game is just another tech demo and thats it.
  3. ShawnK.
    May 28, 2007
    9
    Its a really really great game. and i NEVER regreted getting it. the pups are cute!! and they responds to your voice etc. the only prob i have with it is the limited breeds each edition has and it can be kinda frustrating teaching it how to do tricks. other then that, ITS GREAT (: WOOF
  4. ChanningS.
    Oct 15, 2005
    10
    This is the best game ever.
  5. KondeK.
    Oct 3, 2005
    10
    It's just a wonderful game. Don't stress yourself, just enjoy!
  6. DukI.
    Aug 24, 2005
    10
    Great game.
  7. ZapB.
    Aug 26, 2005
    10
    The dogs are cute and fun, but what's really cool is how Nintendo uses the DS hardware to let you interact with the game world. One of the dog toys is a bubble blower, and there is no obvious way to make it blow bubbles, until you realize all you have to do is literally blow on the screen. The mic picks up you blowing, and sends virtual bubbles floating out into the room. I get a The dogs are cute and fun, but what's really cool is how Nintendo uses the DS hardware to let you interact with the game world. One of the dog toys is a bubble blower, and there is no obvious way to make it blow bubbles, until you realize all you have to do is literally blow on the screen. The mic picks up you blowing, and sends virtual bubbles floating out into the room. I get a huge kick out of that, and also how the dog will look at you and run over when you call its name... that's a level of interaction I've never experienced from a video game.… Expand
  8. RexK.
    Aug 5, 2005
    10
    This game is the best of the best for any handheld system.
  9. Alex
    Sep 2, 2005
    0
    Poorly Executed Game. It Appears Nintendo also met ten years ago, as this is very smiliar to "Dogz" for PC. Gimmicky at best, but as nintendo fanboys across the world say, "it's a tech demo."
  10. Samantha
    Sep 27, 2005
    3
    Way over priced for what it is, mind you even my 3 year old little bro thinks its poo poo, and that saying something.
  11. Sue
    Sep 8, 2005
    10
    You can tell who actually has played the game or owns it -- they all love it! It's a fantastic game -- it's amazing how emotionally attached everyone who plays it becomes -- and I'm talking teens to adults. Lowest maintenance pet you'll ever have. :)
  12. WooY.
    May 7, 2006
    10
    this game is my favorite game ever in my whole life and i always wanna play it.
  13. CarolP.
    Jun 6, 2006
    10
    I love it! The puppies are so adorable and cute. I could just play and play all day long. I gave it a 10 because it is really fun and its like you have a real dog only in a nintendo and its entertaining because you feed it ,give them walks , play with them and lots more.
  14. CarolinaR.
    Jun 6, 2006
    10
    iTS really really really really fun.I just love it. I hate the people who say its junk. I mean i loved it and the people who didnt are just stupid because some say that its from 13 below.Oh please its not a baby thing the thing is that you loved it and you think its a baby thing and its not.
  15. PaigeS.
    Jul 11, 2006
    10
    I love this game because i want a dog, but i cant have one so this is the second best to a real dog! But it doesnt take as much work of a real dog. That makes it really cool. Its also cool because you can say their name and they will actually come to you! Its so cute!
  16. AnthonyB.
    Feb 4, 2007
    10
    This game is fantastic its just hard to get money to buy new dogs but really its grate sometime it gets annoying teaching a dog its name but its still good.
  17. GarthD.
    Nov 7, 2005
    2
    This was sposed to be better than everything but its just rubbish. after a little bit of initial novelty it just goes down from there. it needs more to do more, like be fun.
  18. TedH.
    Aug 28, 2005
    10
    Beat this PSP. so real I get a weird feeling turning it off sometimes. *almost* a chick magnet. (drop a $1000 for the real thing instead)
  19. Ben
    Aug 30, 2005
    10
    So much fun! Ds is brilliant!
  20. Peter
    Sep 19, 2005
    3
    After reading the reviews for this game i thought i would go out and pick it up. gawd what a dire game, ive played for about 4 hours hoping to get somthing out of it and i have come to the conclusion that this type of game can be freely downloaded from the internet for any pc, funny how nintendo just repackaged a old game and gave it a stick to play with, AVOID at all costs. on the other After reading the reviews for this game i thought i would go out and pick it up. gawd what a dire game, ive played for about 4 hours hoping to get somthing out of it and i have come to the conclusion that this type of game can be freely downloaded from the internet for any pc, funny how nintendo just repackaged a old game and gave it a stick to play with, AVOID at all costs. on the other hand if you are below the age of 13 then your going to think this game rocks and is the best thing since sliced bread.… Expand
  21. DrewF.
    Sep 25, 2005
    4
    You either really get it, or you really don't. Count me among the latter. It's interesting for the first 10 minutes, as it REALLY is a fantastic demo of the DS' capabilities, but you can literally see pretty much everything the game has to offer in those 10 minutes. I lived thru the tamogotchi craze 10 years ago, and all this is is a spruced up take on that. Yawn. People You either really get it, or you really don't. Count me among the latter. It's interesting for the first 10 minutes, as it REALLY is a fantastic demo of the DS' capabilities, but you can literally see pretty much everything the game has to offer in those 10 minutes. I lived thru the tamogotchi craze 10 years ago, and all this is is a spruced up take on that. Yawn. People who talk about how 'attached' they become to their 'dogs' scare me a little...… Expand
  22. MarkM.
    Jan 2, 2006
    6
    This game is fun at the beginning when you get to select your pup, but after they teach you everything you need to know, it gets boring because you can only take your dog for a walk every 30 minutes, 3 contests a day, (Contests and walks are the only way to get money) your puppy gets overloaded when you teach it 3 or 4 commands a day so therefore you can't do an obiedence trial the This game is fun at the beginning when you get to select your pup, but after they teach you everything you need to know, it gets boring because you can only take your dog for a walk every 30 minutes, 3 contests a day, (Contests and walks are the only way to get money) your puppy gets overloaded when you teach it 3 or 4 commands a day so therefore you can't do an obiedence trial the first day you get your dog. The games is exciting at the beginning, but later you go, "Welll, what do I do now." Also frustrating is the Trainer Points. It takes a while to get a whopping 50,000 pts for a dog. To me, this games is a bit fun.… Expand
  23. BenH.
    May 25, 2006
    7
    i give it a 7 because you can do more than 3 contests a day its 3 with each dog and if that still doesnt please you heres a trickk do do as many as you want : turn on your ds withoun nintendogs game in it change the time to 23:59 and put the date 2 days back save the settings and turn off the ds put nintendogs in and start when the clock goes past mid night youl get 3 more contests with i give it a 7 because you can do more than 3 contests a day its 3 with each dog and if that still doesnt please you heres a trickk do do as many as you want : turn on your ds withoun nintendogs game in it change the time to 23:59 and put the date 2 days back save the settings and turn off the ds put nintendogs in and start when the clock goes past mid night youl get 3 more contests with each dog but ull have to wait another 30 minutes after you've done this to take your dog for a walk again. a solid game worth its money.… Expand
  24. ConnorF.
    Jun 15, 2006
    8
    it was relly good but at the end it was boring!
  25. LisaB.
    Jul 7, 2006
    8
    I really like this game, the reason for not giving it a 10 is because at times it can be boring. All you really do is take it for waks and enter it in contests. I also can't be bothered to train my dogs for Obediences trials as it takes to long. But on the other hand I thought that the graphics were really good, particularly the way that the dogs behave. I dn't think that it is I really like this game, the reason for not giving it a 10 is because at times it can be boring. All you really do is take it for waks and enter it in contests. I also can't be bothered to train my dogs for Obediences trials as it takes to long. But on the other hand I thought that the graphics were really good, particularly the way that the dogs behave. I dn't think that it is a "baby" game as you really have t care for your dog, otherwise it will run away. It teaches people how to take care of puppys.… Expand
  26. AlexV.
    Sep 4, 2006
    7
    A really good game but when you get bored of one dog in your family but not the rest you have to donate them or clear the game. Dontating them makes you feel so mean!
  27. ChelsyM.
    Jan 1, 2007
    9
    I love this game it is one of the best games I had ever played it is very realistic and the dogs are very cute. lol I don't like it because you can only adopt 7 dogs and if you want more you have to donate one it is sad but true. I have to teach them lots of tricks like shake your but wanna play wave sit role over beg sneeze and spin.
  28. Lindsey
    Dec 9, 2007
    10
    Wow. this game is great, but people overaged that play this game always complain about it and the people who only play it for 4 hours wouldnt like because they dont havent unlocked music, clocks, toys, sports objects, and more dogs. and believe me, theres a lot of things to unlock. and no, you cant do everything at once like entering contests and taking them for long walks because...YOU Wow. this game is great, but people overaged that play this game always complain about it and the people who only play it for 4 hours wouldnt like because they dont havent unlocked music, clocks, toys, sports objects, and more dogs. and believe me, theres a lot of things to unlock. and no, you cant do everything at once like entering contests and taking them for long walks because...YOU HAVE TO TRAIN THEM. thats the point. its a great game and i recomend it. and if you dont like it, DONT FREAKING PLAY IT, GENIUS.… Expand
  29. SamanthaE.
    Jan 30, 2007
    10
    I love the game it is really fun! I am pretty in love with my little dogs, and they sure know how to too! I have all champion winners, and the know all tricks they could possibly know and I am almost done unlocking all the dogs! It's so cool!
  30. BethS.
    Feb 15, 2007
    10
    Its such a good game. Its much more fun though when you can take it on walks and feed it and its even better when you have 2 dogs. The only bit I can't figure out is when your on a walk and you come across another dog the owner talks to you but how do you respond to the other owner or does the Nintendo automaticly do it?
  31. RightousDude
    Feb 24, 2007
    6
    Although Nintendogs is a fantastic idea and great fun at first, your doggy may began a little boring and perhaps not like the real thing. When you first get it it's brilliant, and I admit, the graphics are amazing! but, realistically there isn't much to do. But even so, if you can blow 20 quid, I say get it, it'll be interesting to see what it's like and you might love Although Nintendogs is a fantastic idea and great fun at first, your doggy may began a little boring and perhaps not like the real thing. When you first get it it's brilliant, and I admit, the graphics are amazing! but, realistically there isn't much to do. But even so, if you can blow 20 quid, I say get it, it'll be interesting to see what it's like and you might love it, after all, it all comes down to opinion!… Expand
  32. MadisonW.
    Jan 7, 2008
    10
    Its a graet game, but i want dog points! Unlock Jack Russel Terrier While on a walk, your dog may come across an Item called the Jack Russel Book. If you visit the kennel, you can now buy the single Jack Russel Terrier Unlock Welsh Corgi Collect 2000 Owner Points Unlock Pug Collect 4000 Owner Points Unlock Shetland Sheepdog Collect 8000 Owner Points Unlock Schnauzer Collect 10000 Owner Its a graet game, but i want dog points! Unlock Jack Russel Terrier While on a walk, your dog may come across an Item called the Jack Russel Book. If you visit the kennel, you can now buy the single Jack Russel Terrier Unlock Welsh Corgi Collect 2000 Owner Points Unlock Pug Collect 4000 Owner Points Unlock Shetland Sheepdog Collect 8000 Owner Points Unlock Schnauzer Collect 10000 Owner Points Unlock Pinscher Collect 14000 Owner Points Unlock German Shepherd Collect 17000 Owner Points Unlock Japanese Style House (from Shiba Pack) 20000 Owner Points Unlock Toy Poodle 25000 Owner Points Balloon: Get 300 owner points. Jump Rope: Get 300 owner points. Windup Toy: Get 10,000 owner points. Natural Dog Food Bag: Get 10,000 owner points. Pull Rope: Get 300 owner points. Reset data: Hold L + R + A + B + X + Y at the Nintendo logo to delete your saved data. Miniature Schnauzer: Get 14,000 owner points. Pinscher: Get 2,000 owner points. Get 14,000 owner points in the Japanese version of the game. Pembroke Welsh Corgi: Get 20,000 owner points. Get 2,000 owner points in the Japanese version of the game. Pug: Get 35,000 owner points. Get 4,000 owner points in the Japanese version of the game. Schnauzer: Get 14,000 owner points. Get 10,000 owner points in the Japanese version of the game. Shetland Sheepdog: Get 8,000 owner points in the Japanese version of the game. Siberian Husky: Get 4,000 owner points. Walk without waiting 30 minutes! To do this trick, make sure you have an Asscessory on you. Select which dog you want to walk with. While planning the route for the dog, go through as many[?] blocks as possible. Once you have done that, make your way to the park, then back to your house. When your dog starts the walk, when it gets to the park change the accessory it's wearing into something else. After the game finishes saving, turn off your Nintendo DS. When you reboot you will notice that you have obtained all the items you did in the walk, and you can walk again with the same dog without the wait. Do this for present abuse! Dog or present? When walking your dog, if he/she comes upon a ? mark, he/she will bark once, or twice. Most of the time, one bark means a present, two barks means another dog. Easy way to find hidden presents When going on a walk, watch the top screen. When the dog icon stops moving, there is a hidden present coming up shortly. Be cautious, however, as this is also true when garbage is coming up, or your pup simply stops by itself. Get unlockable breeds easier. Do Bark Mode with a dog in a breed that you don't have.Example: Do Bark Mode with a Shih Tzu and after you do Bark Mode with that dog, you will be able to buy the Shih Tzu breed at the kennel.NOTE: This only works the first time with each different version of the game. So you can do this trick one time with Labrador & Friends, Dachshund & Friends, and any other version of Nintendogs. Linking: When linking copies of Nintendogs to unlock new breeds, keep in mind two things. You can only link with another Nintendo DS system once (and unlock a new breed). The breed unlocked corresponds with your partner's current pet, and it must be a breed that you do not have in order for it to be unlocked. RC helicopter: Go on a walk and you may find an RC helicopter as one of the question marks. Hold A to take off, the D-Pad to maneuver, and L to change the camera view. Note: They can be sold for $200. Agility training: Go to the gymnasium and train your dog on the agility course. It changes with each contest you win. Disc contest: Get a Boxer if you want speed. Get a German Shepherd if you want it to jump high. Blue circles on the map: While on walks, blue circles represent places to go to the bathroom. Longer walks: Mark out the path on your map, ending it at the house. If your last few steps ends at the house, wait 25 minutes, then your dog can go slighter further on the next walk. Note: Make sure to water your dog after each walk. Different colored Dogs: While at the pound, pick a breed. You will have three choices for the dog's coloring *light, medium, and dark). If you do not see the color you like, tap "Back", then tap on the breed again until the color and/or gender that you want with the dog appears. It may take some time to actually get what you want. Hand stand: Teach your dog to lie down and beg. While lying down, tell it to beg and your dog should do a handstand. Flip from back: Teach your dog roll over and jump. Tell it to roll over then quickly have it jump. It should flip forward onto its legs, with something that resembles a Kung Fu-style move. Getting money: Go on a lot of walks, getting as many question marks as you can along the way. Then, go to the second hand store and sell all the items you do not want or your dog(s) do not like. Some items are less then a dollar, but the amount adds up if you keep doing this. Losing contests: In certain classes of contests, if you get below a certain score you will drop a class. Walking your dog: When walking your dog and it seems edgy, give the leash a little tug towards the way it is walking. The dog will start running. Also, if you want you can give it a tug while running upwards, it will do a jump. Free Gifts and Toys While you can purchase new toys for your pup to play with, you can actually get some goodies for free if you know where to look. When you take your Nintendog on a walk, outline a path that goes by the blue "?" boxes marked on the map. Your puppy is likely to run off screen at those points and come back with a present for you! Your puppy will also randomly run to get presents for you if you leave the game on the "Home" screen for long. If left unattended, your Nintendog will leave the apartment and stay off screen. Simply tap on the center button (the circular one) to whistle and call back your pup who should be carrying a new present. Unlockable Rooms These appear for sale at the Interior Decorator once you've aquired the specified amount of points. Desktop - Get 6000 Trainer Points Beach House - 12,000 Trainer Points Eating bone and lightbulb When training your dog occasionally an outline of a bone will appear on the screen, you can feed this to your dog by dragging it to its mouth, you can do the same with the light bulbs that appear above your dogs head when your teaching them new tricks. Easy Trainer Points Go to the screen where you can brush your dog. Take the brush and put it on him. Leave it there for a few hours. As long as the brush is on him, you get trainer points for every 1 minute. Leave on overnight and you will have a ton of Trainer Points and most likely a new dog at the kennel!… Expand
  33. SeanT.
    Dec 20, 2005
    7
    I like this game. No, I am not 3 years old. Not even close. The game is quite good, the thing is, people keep getting so hung up on "unlocking objects" and "getting money" and all that. The people who gave this game a low score, most likely did so because they were thinking of it as a game: something solid, with levels, that they can beat. But in fact there aren't levels, you just I like this game. No, I am not 3 years old. Not even close. The game is quite good, the thing is, people keep getting so hung up on "unlocking objects" and "getting money" and all that. The people who gave this game a low score, most likely did so because they were thinking of it as a game: something solid, with levels, that they can beat. But in fact there aren't levels, you just play with your pup. As you do so, you'll get trainer points and thus, unlock new items which you can use to play with your pup. There's pretty much one real downside to the game: The mike. The mike has three settings: "Huh?", "What did you say?!" and "Deaf". Needless to say, this isn't good for gameplay. Okay, it's not really that bad, but it gets annoying sometimes.… Expand
  34. ThierryP.
    Sep 12, 2005
    9
    Great "game". Not getting 10 as a few things can be improved. One of these is supporting real wifi (not just between DS) would be great to connect to more dogs owners.
  35. SabrinaB.
    Jul 22, 2006
    10
    This is the best game but I think it is sad when you have to donate a dog to get another ones I just wonder what happens to them and if they get good homes after that!
  36. NatalieP.
    Sep 27, 2006
    10
    This is an addictive game with many things in it that make its realistic. Thumbs UP!
  37. LizaS.
    Jul 18, 2007
    9
    It is a very good game. it does get boring sometimes. but then you wait 10 mins, and you just are addicted to getting on again! This is my 2nd favorite game besides mario kart.
  38. Emilie
    Jan 16, 2008
    8
    This game is so much fun. It is almost like owning a real dog. Sometimes its too much like owning a real dog and it gets annoying. Over all the game is really fun and even though it may get annoying u get over that and keep playing.
  39. StaciaM.
    Feb 23, 2009
    9
    The game is so much fun!However you have to wait 30 minutes until get to go for a walk. You only get to do 3 competions a day. data die: push a,b,y,x ,up,down,left,right,r,and l at the same time.Keep on pushing for a little and a pop up pops up and then you know what to do.Read and push. Swim at beach: Push all button when you go for a walk pst the beach.You have to have 100000 trainer The game is so much fun!However you have to wait 30 minutes until get to go for a walk. You only get to do 3 competions a day. data die: push a,b,y,x ,up,down,left,right,r,and l at the same time.Keep on pushing for a little and a pop up pops up and then you know what to do.Read and push. Swim at beach: Push all button when you go for a walk pst the beach.You have to have 100000 trainer points though. So don't delete that dat unless your not far in the game and you don't want to this cheat.… Expand
  40. MadisonW.
    Dec 27, 2005
    9
    Its a graet game, but i want dog points! Unlock Jack Russel Terrier While on a walk, your dog may come across an Item called the Jack Russel Book. If you visit the kennel, you can now buy the single Jack Russel Terrier Unlock Welsh Corgi Collect 2000 Owner Points Unlock Pug Collect 4000 Owner Points Unlock Shetland Sheepdog Collect 8000 Owner Points Unlock Schnauzer Collect 10000 Owner Its a graet game, but i want dog points! Unlock Jack Russel Terrier While on a walk, your dog may come across an Item called the Jack Russel Book. If you visit the kennel, you can now buy the single Jack Russel Terrier Unlock Welsh Corgi Collect 2000 Owner Points Unlock Pug Collect 4000 Owner Points Unlock Shetland Sheepdog Collect 8000 Owner Points Unlock Schnauzer Collect 10000 Owner Points Unlock Pinscher Collect 14000 Owner Points Unlock German Shepherd Collect 17000 Owner Points Unlock Japanese Style House (from Shiba Pack) 20000 Owner Points Unlock Toy Poodle 25000 Owner Points Balloon: Get 300 owner points. Jump Rope: Get 300 owner points. Windup Toy: Get 10,000 owner points. Natural Dog Food Bag: Get 10,000 owner points. Pull Rope: Get 300 owner points. Reset data: Hold L + R + A + B + X + Y at the Nintendo logo to delete your saved data. Miniature Schnauzer: Get 14,000 owner points. Pinscher: Get 2,000 owner points. Get 14,000 owner points in the Japanese version of the game. Pembroke Welsh Corgi: Get 20,000 owner points. Get 2,000 owner points in the Japanese version of the game. Pug: Get 35,000 owner points. Get 4,000 owner points in the Japanese version of the game. Schnauzer: Get 14,000 owner points. Get 10,000 owner points in the Japanese version of the game. Shetland Sheepdog: Get 8,000 owner points in the Japanese version of the game. Siberian Husky: Get 4,000 owner points. Walk without waiting 30 minutes! To do this trick, make sure you have an Asscessory on you. Select which dog you want to walk with. While planning the route for the dog, go through as many[?] blocks as possible. Once you have done that, make your way to the park, then back to your house. When your dog starts the walk, when it gets to the park change the accessory it's wearing into something else. After the game finishes saving, turn off your Nintendo DS. When you reboot you will notice that you have obtained all the items you did in the walk, and you can walk again with the same dog without the wait. Do this for present abuse! Dog or present? When walking your dog, if he/she comes upon a ? mark, he/she will bark once, or twice. Most of the time, one bark means a present, two barks means another dog. Easy way to find hidden presents When going on a walk, watch the top screen. When the dog icon stops moving, there is a hidden present coming up shortly. Be cautious, however, as this is also true when garbage is coming up, or your pup simply stops by itself. Get unlockable breeds easier. Do Bark Mode with a dog in a breed that you don't have.Example: Do Bark Mode with a Shih Tzu and after you do Bark Mode with that dog, you will be able to buy the Shih Tzu breed at the kennel.NOTE: This only works the first time with each different version of the game. So you can do this trick one time with Labrador & Friends, Dachshund & Friends, and any other version of Nintendogs. Linking: When linking copies of Nintendogs to unlock new breeds, keep in mind two things. You can only link with another Nintendo DS system once (and unlock a new breed). The breed unlocked corresponds with your partner's current pet, and it must be a breed that you do not have in order for it to be unlocked. RC helicopter: Go on a walk and you may find an RC helicopter as one of the question marks. Hold A to take off, the D-Pad to maneuver, and L to change the camera view. Note: They can be sold for $200. Agility training: Go to the gymnasium and train your dog on the agility course. It changes with each contest you win. Disc contest: Get a Boxer if you want speed. Get a German Shepherd if you want it to jump high. Blue circles on the map: While on walks, blue circles represent places to go to the bathroom. Longer walks: Mark out the path on your map, ending it at the house. If your last few steps ends at the house, wait 25 minutes, then your dog can go slighter further on the next walk. Note: Make sure to water your dog after each walk. Different colored Dogs: While at the pound, pick a breed. You will have three choices for the dog's coloring *light, medium, and dark). If you do not see the color you like, tap "Back", then tap on the breed again until the color and/or gender that you want with the dog appears. It may take some time to actually get what you want. Hand stand: Teach your dog to lie down and beg. While lying down, tell it to beg and your dog should do a handstand. Flip from back: Teach your dog roll over and jump. Tell it to roll over then quickly have it jump. It should flip forward onto its legs, with something that resembles a Kung Fu-style move. Getting money: Go on a lot of walks, getting as many question marks as you can along the way. Then, go to the second hand store and sell all the items you do not want or your dog(s) do not like. Some items are less then a dollar, but the amount adds up if you keep doing this. Losing contests: In certain classes of contests, if you get below a certain score you will drop a class. Walking your dog: When walking your dog and it seems edgy, give the leash a little tug towards the way it is walking. The dog will start running. Also, if you want you can give it a tug while running upwards, it will do a jump. Free Gifts and Toys While you can purchase new toys for your pup to play with, you can actually get some goodies for free if you know where to look. When you take your Nintendog on a walk, outline a path that goes by the blue "?" boxes marked on the map. Your puppy is likely to run off screen at those points and come back with a present for you! Your puppy will also randomly run to get presents for you if you leave the game on the "Home" screen for long. If left unattended, your Nintendog will leave the apartment and stay off screen. Simply tap on the center button (the circular one) to whistle and call back your pup who should be carrying a new present. Unlockable Rooms These appear for sale at the Interior Decorator once you've aquired the specified amount of points. Desktop - Get 6000 Trainer Points Beach House - 12,000 Trainer Points Eating bone and lightbulb When training your dog occasionally an outline of a bone will appear on the screen, you can feed this to your dog by dragging it to its mouth, you can do the same with the light bulbs that appear above your dogs head when your teaching them new tricks. Easy Trainer Points Go to the screen where you can brush your dog. Take the brush and put it on him. Leave it there for a few hours. As long as the brush is on him, you get trainer points for every 1 minute. Leave on overnight and you will have a ton of Trainer Points and most likely a new dog at the kennel!… Expand
  41. BlogDog123
    May 25, 2011
    7
    The game that gave birth to the pet sim gaming industry, this game is FUN. Caring for a virtual dog might sound boring, but Nintendo makes it into something that is downright enjoyable. However, the same formula gets repetitive VERY quickly.
  42. PeppersReviews
    Apr 27, 2012
    7
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. A simple and fun dog sim. in this game you look after a virtual puppy (that never grows up). you can feed it,walk it,dress it up, bath and groom it,buy food,clothes,etc,. You can only keep three dogs at a time and if you want more you have to drop off/donate/swap a dog at the Dog Hotel. To earn money you enter your dog in three different types of competitions(disc,agility and obedience) that get more harder depending on the class (beginner is easiest, championship is hardest). You can also walk your dog and teach it tricks (at home). No matter what version of the game you get (Labrador,chihuahua,dalmation and daschund) the game is the same and you can get all the breeds (you unlock them by trainer points you earn by caring for your dog) and items. The game is fun and very cute and is recomended if you love dogs and is looking for a cute game.

    Final Score: B    … Expand
  43. ivDid
    Mar 14, 2017
    9
    A short an simple review for a now "classic" Nintendo IP.

    Nintendogs made its debut in the Nintendo DS back in 2005. At the time, the "Pet Simulation" genre was in full swing, with the last success of inovator sites such as Neopets, and the soon coming advent of "kid RPG" sites like Club Penguin. Gameplay: 9/10 Nintendogs by no stretch is a realistic pet simulator. At the same    A short an simple review for a now "classic" Nintendo IP.

    Nintendogs made its debut in the Nintendo DS back in 2005. At the time, the "Pet Simulation" genre was in full swing, with the last success of inovator sites such as Neopets, and the soon coming advent of "kid RPG" sites like Club Penguin.

    Gameplay: 9/10

    Nintendogs by no stretch is a realistic pet simulator. At the same time, it's just good enough,

    You can take you can choose from a variety of breeds: this has little to do with anything other than visuals. Upon gaining a pet, you're *forced* to use the (lacking) microphone feature in order to get the pet to respond to and remember your voice. It's annoying, but you only have to do it once.

    You can then interact with your dog in a variety of ways you would real pets: walks, feeding, disc training; and some ways not-so realistic, such as dressing is elaborate hats and glasses, dancing, and again, walks (wile a normal activity, the way it's executed is odd: you draw a small route on a grid-city using the touchscreen feature, choosing to bring your pet to a variety of locations such as shops, parks, and training areas)

    You can also pet your dog, toss toys, etc, all via touchscreen. You can compete in "shows" such as racing, "talent shows" (performing tricks), and "disc catching." to earn money, badges, and other rewards for your dog.

    Bathing your dog is a different story. There's something to brushing away "dirt," buying expensive shampoo, and using a low-poly showerhead to cleanse your dog until it sparkles, prompting it to strut around its room proudly. It's cute and addictive - you can almost smell its clean fur and sense its happiness, having been bathed.

    Earning money is a tad difficult - sort of a gameplay thing, but I believe it to be a flaw that persists beyond that, which may frustrate the player that they can't do X or Y because it costs 9000 in-game currency, and you can only earn 1000 in-game currency once a day IF you win the highest tier in any competition (which often requires expensive gear to train with and use)

    It's good enough in that features provide enough of an interface to interact with your pet in a fun and manageable way; it's lacking in just that - you're limited to the confines of your small home.

    Visuals: 9/10

    COnsider the era. It was a handheld; the advent of smart phones and sophisticated mobile gaming had not yet reached it potential. It was nearly the world's first step in 3D-mobile gaming - so, again, it was good enough.

    Graphics are fuzzy - generally comparable with Nintendo 64 and Playstation1 era graphics, but sharper, and more colorful in tone.

    The fur graphics are surprisingly well done considering the systems capabilities.

    In all, it's visually great for a 3D title of the -era-, and I'd argue still holds today for its cartoonish charm, simplistic style, and clever tricks for making a more "realistic" look than would be done without a knowledgeable insight into 3D programming and design.

    Other 8/10

    Interface can be a bit confusing at first.

    It also has a house decorating feature - which is expensive in game. It only allows you to (basically) change the wallpaper, however. It some ambiance sometimes too - like if you choose the Mario Bros. house (Super Mario Bros. theme), space ship ("space sounds"), or beach house (crashing waves, seagull, sea ambiance)

    It's a small cartridge, so naturally it's easy to lose. If lost, you have no way to recover your hours of work you put into your pets, their accommodations, etc. And you'll be sad because your puppies are basically dead :(

    ---

    In conclusion: decent simulation - you'll spend hours getting to know and getting attached to your virtual pets.

    Sadly, they cannot exist beyond the confines of the cartridge. You cannot transfer to new iterations of the title (as for now), and the only supported platforms are the Nintendo DS family of systems, which are destined to die out someday.

    ---

    My recommendation: it's good, but don't play it. Newer titles in the series, such as for 3DS, includes more features, improvements, etc, and offers the ability to buy CATS. So that's good.

    It is, however, a cheaper option. So if for some reason you cannot gain access to a 3DS or 2DS, and you still have your Bulky DS handy... it's worth a try.

    8.75/10    … Expand
  44. aditya1101
    Oct 6, 2017
    4
    Perhaps I'm the wrong audience for this kind of game, but to me I felt like every part of this game was a pretty poor imitation of what I imagine real dog ownership is like. Everything feels pretty artificial, and while that's not incredibly abnormal for a video game, nintendogs has few other redeeming qualities.
  45. robertredford
    Dec 19, 2020
    5
    This is a game for elderly people and young children, and at that it succeeds in spades. But for a core Nintendo fan, you either adore it or it bores you. I side with the latter. A solid game, but nothing that a hardcore gamer would freak out over.

Awards & Rankings

10
#10 Best DS Game of 2005
9
#9 Most Discussed DS Game of 2005
29
#29 Most Shared DS Game of 2005

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
83

Generally favorable reviews - based on 54 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 45 out of 54
  2. Mixed: 9 out of 54
  3. Negative: 0 out of 54
  1. Edge Magazine
    70
    There’s more to be got out of this new kind of play than Nintendo has found this time around, and some of it could be better implemented. But, for now, it offers an experience that can’t be matched. [July 2005, p.89]
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  2. Weekly Famitsu
    100
    10 / 10 / 10 / 10 - 40 platinum [April 2005]
  3. Game Informer
    80
    There's no denying how adorable the puppies are, how amazing the technology that runs them is, or how much stuff there is to find, but I can't help thinking that bending the rules of reality would have made for a better game, in the traditional sense. [Sept 2005, p.114]
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