I know it's blasphemous, but...I didn't like Nintendogs. I tried, OK! Both of my kids had their own puppies, and I really wanted to interact with them. But I have kids! Why do I want to raise a virtual puppy, too? Don't get me wrong, I think the game is of exceptional design; it's just not for me.
Disney got me. They gave me Stitch for my pet. I built San Francisco for him, and he rampaged through it! HAHAHAHA! He stole a sandwich from me! This is a virtual pet I can get into ...
You start in training, not with a real pet. You learn the basics by trying to work with the basic needs of a Squeak Toy from "Toy Story." And yes, torturing him with the Claw is cruel ... but oh so fun. Once you get the hang of verbal and stylus commands, you can move on to the real thing: Winnie the Pooh, Simba, Dorie (you know, the goofy fish from "Finding Nemo") or Stitch.
To be honest, I'm rather curious about Dorie. My current fish don't need all that much care. But then, they don't speak whale either. Whaaaat coouulld sheee neeeeeddd?
You have to make friends with them first — they're all a little shy — before they'll let you care for them. Once you do, you'll attend to their individual needs: honey for Pooh, belly rubs for Simba, I don't know what for Dorie and your complete, unending and undivided attention for Stitch.
So you've made your friends; what now? What I especially like is I'm not in "raise the kid/puppy/lizard-that-my-son-brought-home" mode. The more affectionate your "pet," the more games available to play. Mini-games with Stitch! Weeee! You'll get items for your characters and pins — like rewards. You can trade your items and pins with other players. In my house? There will be Stitch, Pooh and Dorie — lots of pins and items to trade.
A unique feature for this pet-simulation game that I really like is the internal calendar/clock. The game keeps track of what time of day it is and what day of the year (I'm assuming this is localized by country). It knows when breakfast should be served, when a walk is in order and when it's time for bed! It will wish you happy birthday or be ready for Halloween — I wonder if Pooh will search for the Heffalump? Does Dorie celebrate Christmas or Hanukkah? This should be fun!
I have to buy three games. Evil. Good marketing, but oh so evil. And yet, I'm going to do it. *grins*
I'm a mother of two boys, ages 11 and 13 and live in the chaos that ensues. I've a permanent disability that keeps me homebound, so books, kids, games and books are my constant companions. Oh, and books, too. *grins*
My children both play games so I often play them first, getting to know exactly how something may effect my sensitive and easily stimulated older child vs. my stoic and imperturbable younger.
I like games for games; for the pure enjoyment of them and believe that no game is wholly bad, though some are real stinkers.
I also have the dexterity of a camel in mittens so find playing FPSs difficult (and I also don't like the gore) and RTSs at times can stump me. I just can't seem to move quickly enough to keep up with them. Some of my favorite games are arcade games and I'll spend 3-5 years on the same 5-6 levels because I just never get any better. But, I have fun.
