Petz: Dogz Talent Show
By Chad Sapieha,
Common Sense Media Reviewer
Common Sense Media Reviewers
Basic-but-fun pet sim is best suited for young kids.
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Petz: Dogz Talent Show
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What’s It About?
Yet another entry in Ubisoft’s rapidly expanding line of games under the Petz brand, PETZ: DOGZ TALENT SHOW is a pretty basic pet simulator. Players purchase a pup from the pet store, then take it home where they can play with it, train it, pet it, feed it, and watch it sleep. The dog’s skills slowly grow as players get better at leading it through an obstacle course and playing Frisbee with it. Eventually players will be able to take it to the talent stadium where the dog can show off what it’s learned. All of the activities and objectives are simple enough that children with a first-grade reading level ought to be able to figure things out on their own with minimal assistance.
Is It Any Good?
Petz: Dogz Talent Show’s animals are cute to look at and animate well -- both key elements to any successful pet simulator. What’s more, players can interact with them in fun ways, like throwing balls and Frisbees with the stylus and then watching short movies showing how the animal acrobatically bounds off walls and furniture to catch them. The only game that stands out as disappointing is the skateboarding activity, which requires the DS to be flipped upside down and has players steering by tapping the screen. It’s a bit awkward and not much fun.
Most of the minigames are unlocked in the first hour, which might make it seem as though the game is very short. However, it takes quite a while for the puppies to grow up and make become skilled enough to go to the talent stadium. Plus, players can train up to eight pets at a time, and eventually breed them, providing something to look forward to later in the game. It’s not the deepest or most original pet sim around, but it’s got the basics covered and delivers a good, clean message about responsible pet ownership. Young dog lovers will likely have a great time with it.
Online interaction: This game allows children to upload pictures of their animals to Petz.com, where they can be shared with friends. Kids will neither see nor interact with any other players during this process.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about proper pet care. Have you ever owned a dog? Do you think this game does a good job of emulating the responsibilities involved? What doesn’t the game cover?
Families can also discuss whether this game might help prepare a child for pet ownership. Do you think its activities are authentic enough to make kids think about the amount of time and energy that must be devoted to one’s pets?
Game Details
- Platforms: Nintendo DS, Nintendo DSi
- Available online?: Available online
- Publisher: UbiSoft
- Release date: November 17, 2009
- Genre: Simulation
- ESRB rating: E for Comic Mischief
- Last updated: August 31, 2016
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