N-Philes

Did you know that video games have carved out a market so big, Hollywood suits are envious? Last year the gaming industry pulled in approximately $25 billion, with hit games like Halo 2 seeing first-weekend debuts generating sales that rival even Star Wars. To be certain, this is an ever-growing industry.

Some feel that an expanding industry like this should cater to its base. Nintendo is not one of those companies. In spite of other market trends toward familiar genres and controls, this yesteryear titan has opted for an unbeaten path in the last few years. With GameCube software development slowing down, Nintendo has been throwing its financial muscle behind a new variety of game play, the Nintendo DS.

With its microphone and touch-screen features, the DS has really yet to set it's self apart from its competition, Sony's ominous and over-priced pocket-monolith, the PlayStation Portable. However, with the release of Nintendo's newest addition to the DS library, all of the sudden the little thing is selling millions. In Japan this particular piece of software sparked such a strong selling frenzy that Nintendo recorded numbers higher than PlayStation 2, Xbox, and PlayStation Portable combined. What is this game, you ask?

Nintendogs.

Nintendogs is certainly unique. Similar in concept to the popular virtual pets of the mid-90's, Nintendo's doggie opus succeeds on many levels and makes a strong case for the company's recent attempts to lure an all-new audience that normally would not play games. Take, for instance, my mother - a modest person, to be sure, and very intelligent. However, since games evolved beyond Pong, she has not cared for a single pixel. I recently demoed Nintendogs for her. Within five minutes she was cooing, praising, playing fetch and taking my pup for a walk. Thirty minutes later I had to ask, three times, for her to turn it off. What kind of a game would affect a non-gamer like that?

The brilliance behind this concept is the virtual dog's uncanny intelligence. Players can pick from over 18 different breeds of K9 and, like a real dog, it responds to its owner's voice. You can toss a Frisbee by using the system's stylus like your own hand. From walking through the neighborhood to competing in shows, Nintendogs runs the gamut of the doggie daily. It even keeps track of real-world time, practically forcing players to check in on their digital darlings several times a day, lest the dog become complacent and unresponsive. Keeping food and water stocked, making sure the dog gets a bath every week, and going on walks to meet other dogs and find items to play with are all important to the care and keeping of a Nintendog.

One of the most remarkable features is the game's wireless multiplayer mode. Utilizing the DS' wi-fi communication abilities, Nintendogs allows players to take their pets to a virtual dog park. With the system placed on standby, Nintendog owners who come within 50 feet or so of each other are notified of a neighbor by their dog's bark. Opening the unit reveals a strange dog and owner. The game then allows players to let their dogs play with each other while the owners chat it up using the stylus for notebook-style conversation.

Because of its unique controls that utilize touch and voice, Nintendogs sets its self apart from every game ever made. Without a doubt, this is more than just a proof-of-concept, unlike earlier DS games. Nintendogs requires almost no hand-eye coordination, thereby opening the gaming world to one such as my mother, who has no desire to blast aliens or save a princess. Taking care of a dog is much more simple and pure at its essence. Because of Nintendogs' relative accuracy in recreating the experience of raising a pup, it can be a useful tool to educate a child, and endlessly entertaining for an adult.

Nintendogs will be available August 22 in three unique packages: Dachshund and Friends, Labrador and Friends, and Chihuahua and Friends for $29.99.

Nintendo has a real break-through game on its hands. I cannot imagine where this company will take the interactive medium next. Even if you think games are noisy, pointless and annoying, once you pet your first Nintendog, you will not be able to resist a smile. An added bonus: in preparation for the North American launch of Nintendogs, Nintendo dropped the price of the DS system to $129.99.

You may also read the Japanese import review of the same game. Republished with permission.