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3DS

Nintendogs + Cats Journal

First Encounter of the Feline Kind

by Danny Bivens - March 10, 2011, 9:36 am EST

Tournaments, walks, pet cafes, plus cats!

My Golden Retriever Hachi and I have been keeping at it with the tournaments lately. With a lot of hard work, we finally managed to proceed to the Pro Cup in the Disc Throwing Contest. She is getting a lot better about returning the disc in a more timely matter as well, which is key when the clock is winding down. She does seem to be getting faster, too. The increase in speed has been extremely helpful in one of the new contests in the game called the Lure Coursing Contest. In the Lure Coursing, your dog along with two others are chasing after a lure that is being pulled by each respective owner. To bring the lure closer to the finish line, the player must turn a crank that is mapped onto the touch screen. Turning the crank in a clockwise direction pulls the lure away from the dog towards the finish line, while turning the crank in counter-clockwise brings the lure closer to your puppy. The crank also has a button on it that squeaks/honks when pressed. This can be used to the get the attention of your pup. The Lure Coursing is a pretty fun addition to the game. Even though my puppy is steadily getting faster, we still found ourselves getting destroyed at the contest recently. Getting through the Junior Cup (tier one) was easy enough, but she is just not fast enough to keep up in the Amateur Cup.

We won the Junior Cup in Lure Coursing. But can't get much further. Congrats on third place, loser!

In an effort to build up speed and stamina for my puppy, Hachi and I go on walks every day. The walking mechanic is set up a little differently in Nintendogs + Cats. The original game featured a map on which the player would draw out a route for the walk. In Nintendogs + Cats, this map is no longer included. At first, you and your dog find yourselves walking through your neighborhood. Later on, you are introduced to other areas, such as the sea, a mountain path, and a city. Initially, you are unable to choose which path you take, but as you spend more time walking, you will notice signs on the side of the road that point to these different paths. If you walk close enough to them, you will have the option of going along that path.

While walking, you still have to keep an eye out for garbage in the road to prevent your dog from having a makeshift meal and clean up any droppings left behind. Similar to what I mentioned above with the various paths, you also have the option to go to parks, gyms, and even a pet cafe (which really do exist in Japan). The pet cafe intrigued me, so Hachi and I went inside to check it out. The menu consists of a beverage for the owner and then some kind of a dessert for your furry companion. After paying for and consuming everything, Hachi had a chance to play with the other animals in the cafe. This actually turned into a momentous occasion as it marked the first time that I came into contact with a cat in the game! The cats definitely act differently than the dogs in the game, doing a pretty good job at mirroring real life. Unfortunately, I did not have any cat toys in my inventory, so there really was not much that I could do with the little fur ball. It was fun to watch Hachi interact with the cat as it pawed and hissed consistently.

At first Hachi doesn't know what to think, but the hissing indicates potential hostilities.

So, I have finally encountered a cat. My next goal - get a cat of my own.

Images

Talkback

RazorkidMarch 05, 2011

I'm not a Nintendogs fan, but that sounds absolutely adorableĀ  ;D .

NWR_pap64Pedro Hernandez, Contributing WriterMarch 05, 2011

I think I may be the only soul in this green Earth of ours that logged in more than hundreds of our in his copy of Nintendogs. I mean I can see why the game would lose its appeal quickly since once you obtained all the trophies, all the rewards and all three puppies the game would become a chore. But still, I grew fondly of my little guys, so much so that I named them after famous dogs and people and even taught them tricks based on their own personas.


And truth to be told, I can't wait to play the 3DS version, despite owning two dogs and many cats myself. I just love the technology and concept behind it.

Honestly, if you really dug the first game, this will kore than likely be right up your alley as well. There does seem to be a bit more to do and the Mii's give the game a bit more personality. And graphically, it looks pretty well to boot.

AVMarch 06, 2011

does changing the apartment really matter? I remember the first game it didn't matter theĀ  dogs still played in a little arena and the apartment didn't have furniture the dogs would bite or anything of that nature

Mr. Vega, I don't think that it really can do too much. I do know that with the cats, it MIGHT play a small role. For example, something in the game said, "Cats like high places," so MAYBE if I bought a tall cabinet or something, the cat would love being up there, and give me higher trainer points? Just a theory.

MorariMarch 11, 2011

Those animals look so ridiculously fluffy. Obviously, that's what the next generation of handhelds is all about. :)

ShyGuyMarch 11, 2011

Rorschach's Journal: Nintendog carcass in alley, tire tread on burst stomach. This handheld platform is afraid of me, I have seen its true hardware specs.

stealing Touresou's schtick

ToruresuMarch 11, 2011

After playing the first game, I feel there is nothing different enough to warrant a purchase of this. I hope I can rent it/demo it somewhere to confirm if I'll buy or not.

NWR_pap64Pedro Hernandez, Contributing WriterMarch 11, 2011

Quote from: Morari

Those animals look so ridiculously fluffy.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z5rX37vsxV4&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RZWwNlKn8xE

XD

WASH THE CAT. YOU CAN WASH THE CAT. SHAMPOO +CAT NOW.

TJ SpykeMarch 18, 2011

Does the cat hiss and try to scratch you when you try to wash it? Otherwise I can see this being called a pet sim.

Nah, it's really unrealistic. You just wash for a while with the sponge, then rinse him off with the shower head and you get the all clean now message. You can however turn the pets now when washing, so you can wash the cats (and dogs) from various angles.

You know, I've ran into some issues when washing my cat. Usually after you rinse off all of the soap, the game automatically ends the whole bath sequence. I've ran into some instances where I rinse the cat off for a good minute straight, but the game doesn't automatically end the sequence. I recall this happening in the original Nintendogs. It's not that big of a deal as you can just back out of the bathroom and your pet is clean. Just a little annoying. AND, my dog and cat tend to get dirtier a heck of a lot easier than what they did in the at first. *shrugs*

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