Lord of the Dogs!
User Rating: 8.5 | Nintendogs: Lab & Friends DS
Wow, I wish for £30, I could buy a REAL dog, teach it cool tricks, enter it into competitions, and walk it without the grueling experience of turning an old supermarket plastic bag inside out and picking up the stuff-you-should'nt-bring-up-in-a-conversation-at-the-dinner-table. Oh, well, at least we can play Nintendogs! The Nintendogs series is an all new level to simulation games. It's a perfect for puppy lovers, little kids, and actually, just about anyone! It's hard to play Nintendogs with murderous intentions blurting off in your mind. The game features great graphics, for the ds, although expectedly, it will have minor graphical flaws, for example, your dogs 'beak' going through the water bowl as it slurps down the see-through goodness. I don't know what these dogs see in water, it's a bit, yuck, to me. Anyway... throughout the game you'll be listening along to the corny yet suitable background music, with the dog's barking of course. It's games like this which make you thank the lord that dog's can be loud. Now, for a gameplay analysis. Caring for your dog can be fun yet boring, and the game also has frustrating moments, like when the microphone thinks your telling your dog to do one command, when your asking it to do the other, and also the fact that you can only enter 3 contests per day. Some parts of the gameplay are repetitive, as contests, playing, teaching/commanding and walking are just about the only things you can do with your dog. However, there is a saviour... All hail bark mode! Wireless multiplayer lets you meet your friends dogs, trade items, and more! And with that there too, you can't sit there and say "this game sucks!" while throwing your DS or DS Lite to the floor, stomping on it and cursing, and while your dog thinks your telling it to sit, when your actually screaming the word 'sh*t'. So, with that in mind, yes, I recommend this title as a good choice for DS Gamers of all ages.
Graphics: 8 - Not bad at all, for a handheld console
Sounds: 7 - The music sucks, but dog barking varies between breeds
Gameplay: 8 - Quite a lot of things to explore within
Value 9 - In all honesty, this is a great alternative if you can't afford a real dog 
