The Nintendogs Blog

Nintendogs: An Article On Game Design

2005-06-20T07:03:00.000-07:00

Found a very intresting article on game design and Nintendogs over at Gaming-Age... enjoy!

http://lostgarden.com/2005/06/nintendogs-case-of-non-game-that.html

A Couple E3 Pics...

2005-06-14T17:06:00.000-07:00

I swear I haven't completly ditched the site... no really, I swear. I'm still playing Nintendogs on a semi-regular basis, just have a bit of writer's block right now. So anyway, here's a few pics of the Nintendogs experience I took at E3:

E3 Updates In a Bit...

2005-05-21T09:36:00.000-07:00

So, I'm back from E3 and I'll be updating the site soon with some pics (I already posted my Drinky experience over at the Puppy Times club). One cool tidbit I found out from the shown (and can be seen in this IGN interview) is that Nintendogs was planned as a GameCube game! Wacky indeed! Of course, the game works much better on the DS platform, but it would have been cool to see what the people at Nintendo had in mind for the console version. Alright check back later, more Nintendogs info to come!

Getting Connected...

2005-05-13T22:13:00.000-07:00

I finally got the chance to coax my daughter into letting me mess around with her copy of Nintendogs so I could play around with the game's wireless features. After a few minutes of trail and error (remember, these are the Japanese versions of the games) I figured out the simple process of connecting with other DS Nintendog owners. Here's a pic:

It's really pretty darn simple - you just select the wireless icon, click on the gift you want your dog to present to other players and flip down your DS lid to put the system in sleep mode. After putting both DSs in sleep mode in a pretty long proximity of each other (around 30-50 feet) I slowly started to merge the two together, and what do you know - both the systems started barking at each other!

After flipping the lids back open, my dog Leia and my daughter's dog Mofo made first contact. They both played with each other and both DSs gave the option to share toys from the item menu. Neat. After the play session I went through to the owners menu and was able to pull up my daughters little voice message she put in her game. Again, just plain neat.

So, that's it - once this game hits stateside it will be really interesting to see where other Nintendog owners will show up - but until then the Mears family will continue to experiment with our two copies of the game and report our findings here.

Oh, with E3 coming up, expect lots of cool updates after the show -I have some cool ideas for the blog that will hopefully take bloom down at the show next week... Stay tuned!

The 4000 Point Club

2005-05-03T21:29:00.000-07:00

Just one more small update for the night - thanks to Drinky's awesome performance in a Frisbee competition, I hit the 4000 owner point mark, and... (cue drumroll) I unlocked yet another new breed in the kennel section of the game - a adorable set of Pugs. This brings the avalible number of breeds in my game to 7 - and that's without connecting to anyone so far! Alright, that is all.

I'm Not an Addict... (AKA Denial Isn't Just a River in Egypt)

2005-05-03T21:24:00.000-07:00

I’ve been playing video games since the early 80s and I can only recall a handful of cartridges/disc that really had me addicted. The first Zelda captured my imagination like no other kind of media before it, I can remember sitting in my room drawing out maps on a graph pad and completely being absorbed by Link's first foray. The Sega Saturn game Nights also comes to mind, with it’s analog driven flight control that kept me coming back for more. Most recently Worms absorbed my thoughts and dreams – perhaps the best multiplayer game of all time. Ah, and Animal Crossing… which leads me to my current addiction – Nintendogs.

I’d didn’t really realize I was a full blown addict until Monday afternoon, when because of forgetting to recharge my DS I was left Nintendog-less. For the past week I had been checking in on my dogs every two to three hours – I’m not talking hour long play sessions, but just checking in making sure everything was ok – and here it was, Monday afternoon, with no idea how Leia and Drinky were making it through the day without me.

Again, these are virtual pets! What the heck is wrong with me? I’m a grown man that has a real attachment to these little runts! The most interesting thing is that I really feel that I’ve just scratched the surface of the game – I truly can’t wait to play the English version so I can fully understand all of the miniscule details that these ingenious pups have to offer. What will happen when I get a full grasp of the Nintendog universe? Anticipation…

So, back to the addiction… I happily took my Nintendogs with me today and spent my break time giving Leia and Drinky some play time and their daily walks. Everything is right with the world and I’m ready to admit I’m an addict. Between the direct interaction and attachment to the dogs and the ultra fun collecting aspect of the game, I really don’t see myself slowing down anytime soon.

Alright, that’s it for today. Ireland, my daughter is also really digging her copy of Nintendogs and I promise that next update will have some info on the communication aspect of the game. Until next time!

Lazy Sunday Afternoon...

2005-05-01T17:25:00.000-07:00

Nothing to much new on the Leia and Drinky front, I've been mostly helping my daughter raise her Nintendog Mofo over the past few days. Figured I'd update the blog with some real Nintendog game content in form of these super cool wallpapers from Nintendo of Japans' official Nintendogs website:

Click here for some neat wallpapers for your desktop

Cute, no? Enjoy!

Enter the Drinky

2005-04-30T11:21:00.000-07:00

In yesterdays update I professed to wanting a chocolate lab that would fend off the evil Colonel Klink… and this pup is what I ended up with instead:

Enter the Drinky. After being invited to join the Drinky Puppy Club with my peeps over at Puppy Times, I couldn’t think of a better choice – a male Chihuahua with attitude. As you can tell this pooch is too cool for school.

Having a second dog in the house has definitely changed the dynamic of the game - twice the responsibilities, twice the play time and most of all twice the fun. Leia and Drinky are getting along just fine, and it’s entertaining to watch them play with each other. Drinky seems to be enjoying his new abode, although he’s a bit wiry – just like a real Chihuahua should be.

Oh, and just for giggles I decided to confront the infamous Klink with Drinky during a short walk – I’m not sure if it’s the sun glasses or Drinky’s machismo attitude, but the once overly aggressive German terrorist has suddenly changed his ways – bow down!

Alright, time to get back to my two trouble makers. Ireland (my daughter) is also wanting to start her Nintendog adventures so expect some crossover and transmitting info soon.

Never Forget.

2005-04-29T20:16:00.000-07:00

Leia's been doing well, and she just hit the 2000 experience mark (which by the way didn't unlock a Jack Russell - just a not so rare Corgi that usually can only be found in the Shiba version) but I need to vent. I'm not sure what others player’s towns are like, but my Nintendog village is full of flea-giving tramps and big bully mutts. First example: the menacing German Shepard I loving call Colonel Klink.

This beast doesn’t just dislike Leia, it seems like it goes out of its way to completely terrorize my pup. Here’s the two of them in their latest showdown:

Colonel Klink may be in control now – but D-Day is coming - I’m saving my precious Nintendog’s pennies for a new pup, one that I am determined to train to become a real bad mutha... shut yo mouth! What? I’m just talking about Mekia. Yep, I’ve already made a decision on my next Nintendog – a choclate lab name Mekia (another past real dog that will live forever thanks to my DS). Mekia will have the size, power and agility to take down Colonel Klink – veeerrry interesting indeed.

Oh, and while I’m on a rant, I’m sick of fleas. I swear every time Leia interacts with another pup she somehow catches virtual fleas. Sure, it only takes a quick little soap down to get rid of the little vermin, but when it happens after every single walk it’s gets a wee bit stale.

Alright, rant over. Other than an over-aggressive German Shepard and a reoccurring case of the canine herpes, I’m still 100 percent into the game. It’s completely freed me of my brief but still unhealthy World of Warcraft obsession. In fact, I really haven’t had time for any other forms of entertainment since adopting my little Leia.

There she is – celebrating her first place rank in a recent Frisbee competition. I’ve also gathered a few new items over the past few days… one in particular that I’m saving for my next Nintendog – I’ll leave it as a surprise for now. Alright, back to more pooch raising madness.

The Perfect Pet - At Least According to the Japanese Press

2005-04-27T22:00:00.000-07:00

Much like a real puppy - repetition is key to keeping your Nintendog trained. Today I decided to show off Leia to a few friends that are always looking for something new for their DS. Of course, there wasn't one person that could deny the cute and coolness factor of Leia's virtual home, but when I tried to show off the voice recognition part of the game I became embarrassed... my once obedient command follower refused to even listen to the simplest commands.

Could it be the way I was tugging her along on our last walk? Maybe she was being disobedient to show her disgust of the torture of the toy helicopter I've been playing with. Well, after hitting the web tonight I found out a cool but challenging little tidbit about the game - you have to keep up on the dogs vocal commands or it will start to forget. At first I was a bit miffed about this, but then it got me thinking - there's no puppy in the world that picks up tricks in just a few commands - repetition is a reality, and Nintendogs is after all a virtual pet simulator at it's core.

Also while searching the web tonight I found out a couple other neat factoids about the game. First is that the game just received a 40/40 from Famitsu Magazine. That's right, four tens! Very few games have received such a incredible score.. in fact only the 2 Zeldas (OoT and WW) Soul Calibur and Vagrant Story come to mind. I've said it once, and I'll say it again - this may very well be the Nintendo DSs killer app if given the proper exposure and while not a 'gamers game' it has mass market appeal like no other title before it.

And last but not least, secret dogs. There's a few pictures floating around the net of a previously unknown breed - the Jack Russell Terrier. What other breed could be locked away in the depths of the Nintendogs universe? Supposably you unlock the Russell in your kennel when your pup hits a experience rating of 2000... I'm only about 200 points away, so I'm super curious to see if this mystery breed will pop up in my version or if some other type of canine arrives.

More pics tomorrow, I promise. Oh, and my daughters copy of Nintendogs is coming in the mail so I'll be in full experimentation mode with the game's wifi features... stay tuned!

More Cool Items Get!

2005-04-27T07:11:00.000-07:00

After yesterday's piano find, I thought I'd hit the pinnacle of neat Nintendogs items. I was wrong. Ladies and Gents, the Nintendogs R/C Helicopter:

What you see there is yet another super cool item I found on a walk with Leia today. Most of the toys I've found so far have some kind of touch screen interface, but not the R/C copter - this baby has full D-pad control. Instantly intrigued - I took the heli for a spin in my newly upgraded house - boy did Leia freak out! I'll have to take a stroll to one of the local parks tonight to give this new obsession a real try...

And while I'm on the subject on Nintendogs items - here's the above mentioned gem from yesterday's update, the Nintendog Electric Piano:

Sure, it may not be a full fledge baby grand, but it is super fun to play around with. Leia enjoys it too - in fact, she sings along quite well! I'm not sure if it's just my Nintendog that's completely into the music scene but little Lei-Lei loves everything aural. I also found a LP on a different trip around the hood today and it was definitely entertaining to watch Leia's reactions to the almost classical music track. Again, I haven't been full on addicted to a game like this since Animal Crossing - in fact, right now I'm itching to get back to the game and see what else Leia might discover.

Why Nintendogs May Possibly Be the Coolest Game Ever

2005-04-27T07:09:00.000-07:00

Ok, so I've only been playing with Leia for a little over 3 days but already I am in absolute awe of what may very well be the coolest piece of software ever. Not settled with just creating a virtual pet, Nintendo included a almost Animal Crossing like collection quest... here, just take a peek of one of my most recent finds:

Damn cool. I've seen a few other screenshots floating around the net with a freaking awesome Mario Kart toy along with a wearable Luigi cap... and like my search for a golden Mario in Animal Crossing I will not put this game down until I have it all! You can find the above mentioned items randomly by taking your pooch out for a little exercise run around the block - and again, much like Animal Crossing your virtual town is completely independent to your copy of Nintendogs. Using the DS touch screen, the basic procedure of 'walking the dog' is as follows: draw your path along the winding alleys of Nintendogsville. That's it! Sounds simple, right? Well, if you want to find 'the goods' you'll have to strategically drawn to as many Question Blocks as possible.

Ah, yes - the Question Block. The litter your map when you plan your short jog - it's up to you (and your dogs stamina) on how many you want to explore at any given time. Sometimes these mysterious blocks can wield rare treasures, but other times the Block could represent an other Nintendog on a walk.

Anyway, back to Leia. Today she placed first in the Frisbee throwing competition! I'm so proud! We've been training pretty diligently, so it was nice to see our hard work pay off - and boy did it pay! After receiving a large cash reward, it was a really hard decision whether to but Leia a friend or upgrade our humble abode - after deep thought, I went for the house upgrade; I still feel Leia and I have so much more to learn from each other. After purchasing the upgrade I decided to take Leia on a stroll to the local Discount Store and see what else I could spend my virtual cash on...

And low and behold I found to gems towards the bottom of the menu system. A electric keyboard and a jump rope... now I'm wishing I did buy a pooch friend for Lei-Lei... maybe I'll take her on a walk tomorrow and see if any of the local dogs at the park will want to join in some jump roping.

Alright, Leia's had a long day - and so have I. More adventures to come.

Teaching a New Dog Old Tricks

2005-04-27T07:06:00.000-07:00

Talking to a video game. Yes, it's as uncomfortable and weird as it sounds. In fact yelling and blowing on my DS was one of my major turn offs to Sega's launch game Feel the Magic, yet when playing Nintendogs I have no problem chatting away. Case in point: teaching Leia her first set of commands.

After initially getting acquainted with Leia I was prompted to teach her a simple trick: sit. Slowly moving my stylus down the brow of her cute fuzzy head she sat - and a little light bulb appeared. By clicking the light a microphone popped up over her head - prompting me again to teach her a verbal command. Now the cool thing about Nintendogs is you don't have to know Japanese to teach your dog tricks - basically you assign a word to each action your dog can perform, so while I decided to stick with the traditional 'Sit' vocal command, I could have very well made up my own word for the action.

Later on in the day I decided to get ambitious and teach Leia to high five. After calling her name I gently grabbed her paw, and again the little light went off. What a smart dog! In fact so smart I started to praising the pup out loud... "Good puppy!" This is where things got weird and uncomfortable. You see, Leia is just a virtual pet, and can't comprehend "Good puppy" or "Good girl", but still I felt the urge to vocally reward this silicon canine.

I've spent about 48 hours with Leia so far and I still find myself checking in on the pup every 15 minutes or so. I even woke up extra early just to give her a solid breakfast of milk and dog food to start her day off right. Oh, and for those keeping tabs, she has 5 tricks under her belt: Sit, Lay, Roll Over, High Five and Heel.

First Contact

2005-04-27T06:54:00.000-07:00

I wasn't quite sure what to expect of Nintendogs when I decided to place an order from my current favorite online import shop (Play-Asia.com, and yes that is a plug) - but after just one day with my video fido I'm sold - hook, line and sinker - this is one fantastic piece of software that could very well be the DSs killer app. But less business talk and more dog sharing - here she is:

My virtual mutt, Leia. Isn't she a cutie? What I first thought was going to be just another game in my somewhat overstuffed collection has already become a welcome addition to the Mears family. That's right, never in a million years did I think I'd ever grow attached to a polygon pooch - but here it is, in the year 2005, I've fallen for this little gal.

So from here on out this little corner of my site will be a dedicated blog to Leia, my first Nintendog. I'll post pictures, details and other fun stuff - at least until my interest begins to lessen. You can have up to three pooches at a time in the game, so eventually Leia may be joined by some friends, but until then this will be a one dog show.

That my friends is the first screen you're presented with when you boot up Nintendogs. With just a few knocks with the stylus you then enter the world of Nintendogs - a virtual kennel. I picked up the "blue" version of the game that comes with the choice of 5 breeds: a wiry Chihuahua, a lovable but clumsy Lab, a alert Beagle, a Spaniel of some sorts, and a adorable little Shih Tzu. It wasn't a tough decision - we had to give our real Shih Tzus away due to our daughter allergies so there was really only one choice. After I picked what breed I wanted, I was given the pick of a small three dog litter. And again, this little pooch was my number one pick:

Soon thereafter the game takes you back to a title screen and your dog is placed smack dab in the middle of you virtual one bedroom studio - no menu system, no real objectives other than just to get to know your dog. After scratching behind my pups ears for a bit a screen popped up with tons of Japanese text - luckily other Nintendogs adopters have translated the text and what it amounted to was asking for me to name my dog. Again, in loving memory of one of mine and Michele's dogs, Leia was the only choice for me. After confirming the name a few times, my pup had its name and even more of the world of Nintendogs was open to explore...