Parents' Guide to

Nintendogs

By Jinny Gudmundsen, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 6+

A fabulous virtual puppy simulation.

Game Nintendo DS 2005
Nintendogs Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this game.

Community Reviews

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age 6+

Based on 9 parent reviews

Theo D.
Theo D. Adult
September 25, 2018
age 5+

Somehow better than it should be.

I got my first DS Lite for Christmas when I was 7 and Nintendogs is one of the games i got with it. I would never have chosen this game. I don’t like dogs and from what I could tell, this game looked boring. But since I didn’t really have any other DS games at the time I ended up playing this game and I was very surprised that I actually enjoyed it. In fact, I still occasionally play this game nowadays, more than 10 years since I first got it! There’s not much to this game, you just take care of virtual dogs: feed them, walk them, train them, play with them, groom them, bathe them etc. and somehow it’s not as boring as it sounds. My favorite part of the game is the competitions. I’m a champion at the disc competition! Unfortunately you can’t enter competitions whenever you want and are limited to only 3 competitions a day. I’m very impressed with how well the DS mic works with this game, for example, you can call your dogs names/commands out loud into your DS and your dogs will hear you and obey (if you’ve trained them to obey, of course!) there’s also a bubble toy and in order to blow bubbles with it you have to literally blow into the DS mic and it works pretty realistically. I don’t know of many other DS Lite games that require use of the mic, especially this much, but I’m really impressed with how well it actually works, especially considering the fact that the first DS model came out in 2004. (The DS Lite came out in 2006, but Nintendogs came out in 2005 so it can work with both versions.) Overall this game isn’t one of the best DS games, but it’s not one of the worst either. If you like dogs then playing this game is a no brainer for you. But even if you’re like me and you don’t like dogs, you still might find something charming about it. This game could also be used to teach kids the responsibilities of caring for a pet. 5+

This title has:

Great messages
Easy to play/use
Lucy C.
Lucy C. Parent of 12-year-old
October 30, 2017
age 6+

FUN and FUZZY

Very nice to play with a friend, or to releve stress!

This title has:

Great messages
Great role models
Easy to play/use
See all 9 parent reviews

What’s It About?

NINTENDOGS comes in three versions: Lab & Friends, Chihuahua & Friends, and Dachshund & Friends. Players select a puppy from a group of frolicking dogs at the kennel. The puppies vary in breed, looks, personality, and gender. Once you select a puppy, it goes home with you; and then the real fun begins. You can train your puppy to respond to its name and other voice commands by repeating the commands into the microphone. You bond with your puppy by petting it with your DS stylus and playing games using balls or discs. Ideally, you should feed and water your puppy daily and take it on walks. And if you don't want it to get fleas, you will need to bathe your puppy periodically. All of this, of course, costs money, which you earn by entering your pup in dog competitions.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (9 ):
Kids say (40 ):

In Nintendogs, the puppies you can adopt are nothing short of adorable; they're hard to resist because their mannerisms are so lifelike and their attention is focused on you. If you get hooked on Nintendogs, you can acquire up to eight dogs at a time, although only three can live with you at once (the other five must reside at the doggie hotel and can be "swapped").

Parents, be forewarned that these puppies are so endearing that your children are likely to put pressure on you to get a dog. Peggy Brummond, mother of kid-tester Shane, was impressed that "puppies seem so real and that the game teaches responsibility." For families where real dog ownership isn't desired or possible, Nintendogs is a fun way of experiencing some of the pleasures of owning a dog.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about how realistically this video game portrays the responsibilities of raising a puppy. What is realistic within the game, and what is glossed over?

Game Details

  • Platform: Nintendo DS
  • Available online?: Not available online
  • Publisher: Nintendo
  • Release date: August 23, 2005
  • Genre: Simulation
  • ESRB rating: E
  • Last updated: November 4, 2015

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