Paws & Claws Pampered Pets Resort 3D
By Chad Sapieha,
Common Sense Media Reviewer
Common Sense Media Reviewers
Simple but mostly fun pet-care simulator safe for kids.
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Paws & Claws Pampered Pets Resort 3D
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What’s It About?
PAWS & CLAWS PAMPERED PET RESORT 3D puts kids in control of an island resort for dogs and cats. The game begins with the main character -- a young man or woman, chosen by the player -- purchasing a pet resort once owned by his or her parents. It's the player's job to reopen it, hire a receptionist, start accepting pet guests, and eventually build the resort into a world-class facility. At the start, players will simply feed, clean, and pet the animals they take on as guests before returning them to their owners, making occasional pit stops at stores for supplies. As the game progresses they'll start to play with them using various toys to give them exercise, regularly clean their houses, and even begin expanding and renovating the resort, adding facilities that let them provide beauty and antistress treatments for the animals.
Is It Any Good?
It's tempting to look at Paws & Claws Pampered Pet Resort 3D as a Nintendogs + Cats clone, but it really isn't. Kids get to pet and play with virtual animals, but this game isn't really about establishing bonds with virtual creatures. Rather, it focuses on the responsibilities involved in looking after pets and running a business. Dozens and dozens of pets come through the resort, and most players probably won't spend more than perhaps five or 10 minutes with any given one. There may be lots of cute furry critters, but the main goal here is to build a business in a way that makes sense to and is fun for kids.
The game largely succeeds in this endeavor, but it does eventually begin feeling repetitive. Kids will need to do a lot of cleaning, feeding, and petting before they achieve the objectives necessary to unlock new resort programs, new items for sale in shops, and new structures they can construct on the island. It feels like an artificial means of lengthening the experience and has the effect of eventually turning activities that start out fun into a bit of a slog. Kids who love animals will still have fun, but don't be surprised if even they lose interest now and then.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about pets. What sorts of animals do you think make good pets? If you could choose any animal to have as a pet, what would it be?
Families also can discuss responsible money management. Do you make plans for your money or simply spend it as you get it? Have you considered saving some for a rainy day or putting aside a small amount for charitable causes?
Game Details
- Platform: Nintendo 3DS
- Subjects: Hobbies: pets, Language & Reading: reading
- Skills: Responsibility & Ethics: fiscal responsibility
- Available online?: Not available online
- Publisher: TREVA Entertainment
- Release date: September 26, 2013
- Genre: Simulation
- Topics: Cats, Dogs, and Mice
- ESRB rating: E for No Descriptors
- Last updated: August 26, 2016
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