Game Details
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  • $29.99
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Dora Puppy (Nintendo DS, Nintendo DSi)

common sense media says

The perfect virtual pet game for preschoolers.


parents & educators say

What parents need to know

Parents need to know that any child who longs for a virtual pet game, but is not old enough to handle a title like Nintendogs or one of the Petz series, can find exactly what they're looking for in this preschool-friendly animal sim. The game is utterly wholesome, requires no reading, and has a beloved character to guide kids through every step of the pet-care and competition process.

Educational value: Aside from all the great pet-care lessons, many of the dog-training games incorporate preschool curriculum lessons, like shape and color recognition. Plus, Dora introduces Spanish vocabulary throughout.
Positive messages: The game reinforces being a responsible pet owner, being aware of an animal's needs, giving positive reinforcement, budgeting one's earnings,and emphasizes the value of practice and the importance of cleanliness.
Positive role models: Dora is a perfect role model as a pet owner. She's caring, nurturing, responsible, and still remembers the value of fun and play.
Ease of play: The game is absolutely perfect for preschoolers to handle. Dora literally leads the player through every action. Older kids might feel reined in without the level of freedom that other virtual pet games offer, but for preschoolers, this is the right way to go.
Violence & scariness: Not applicable.
Language: The dog must be let outside to "tinkle."
Consumerism: This game is, of course, part of the ever-growing line of Dora the Explorer products. The instruction booklet has ads for other Nick Jr video games on the back cover.

More on Dora Puppy

What to talk about

Talk to your kids
  • Families can talk about caring for real-world pets. How is it different from a virtual pet? What do we need to do for a real pet that we don't need to do in the game for Dora's puppy?

  • In the game, you can buy toys and clothes for the puppy with the tokens you earn during play. Ask kids if they like to spend their tokens as soon as they earn them, or do they like to save up and by an item with a higher price tag?

What's the story?

What's the story?

In the bluntly titled, DORA PUPPY, kids help Nick Jr cartoon star, Dora the Explorer, take care of her puppy, Perrito, and help train him for doggie competitions. Care involves washing and brushing, providing food and water, letting the dog outside to do its business, cleaning up pawprints, and playing several different games with the puppy. Kids earn tokens for each task, which they can use to buy new toys or clothes for Perrito, or to enter him into the Big Puppy Competition. The competition involves helping Perrito run an obstacle course and having him strike poses. All the actions are performed by either tracing certain shapes with the stylus or calling out commands into the DS's microphone.

Is it any good?

Is it any good?
 

Virtual pet games can be very appealing to young kids, but many of them require a ton of reading and the memorization of long lists of rules and commands. Not so Dora Puppy, which was designed very astutely with preschool-age players in mind (It's unclear why the ESRB did not give the game an EC, Early Childhood, rating). If your kid can trace shapes and make noises, they can play it. After some initial tutorials, there's a element of freedom -- kids can mostly choose whichever activity they want, whenever they want to -- but Dora is always along for the ride, reminding the player what to do each time. Her constant presence -- and constant reiteration of controls -- is the kind of thing that would drive older kids crazy, but the intended audience will find it helpful and reassuring. Preschooler should love to nuzzle up to Dora Puppy.

Game themes & details

Game Details
Available on: Nintendo DS, Nintendo DSi
Not available online
Genre: Preschool
Developer: 2K Play
Released on: November 17, 2009
Price: 29.99
ESRB Rating: E for (No Descriptors)
Screenshots

This review was written by Christopher Healy
 
 

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What parents & educators say

5

Most useful reviews by all members

super movie ...
teen, 15 years old
 
bad
i have not yet played this game but i know it's bad!

getloud
parent of 8 year old
 
perfect for learners of 4 and above
What a major surprise to see this being so good and man dora is good.

agentalex
kid, 10 years old
 
dumb
dumb game

SerinitySerind ...
kid, 12 years old
 
HORRIBLE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! HORRIBLE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! HORRIBLE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!HORRIBLE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!HORRIBLE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!HORRIBLE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!HORRIBLE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

abarsu
kid, 12 years old
 
kiss your hand 3 times post this on 3 other games look under your you will find a pink iphone this really works

twinangel
parent of 6 year old
 
Great for Pre-readers!!
My daughter LOVES dogs and has seen the Dora Puppy DVD so many times she can quote dialog. This game is wonderful for pre-readers who are just learning to play video games that require reaching goals (i.e. earning tokens to buy the puppy stuff from the store). I like that that my daughter is learning to save token for items that she wants to buy, caring for a pet and addition/subtraction of tokens. There are parts of the game that my daughter participate in by blowing or talking into the mic (optional, but I haven't told her that) which has been helpful for articulation exercises. Overall, a great first game.

lovekind
parent of 6 year old
 
perfect for 5+
Now this is a great game to play I mean I really love it.

juiceman0000
kid, 12 years old
 

haneef
parent of 9 year old
 
dora the explorer
i love the game

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About our rating system
ON: Content is appropriate for kids this age.
PAUSE: Know your child, some content may not be right for some kids
OFF: Not age appropriate for kids this age