Nintendogs: Labrador & Friends

About

Take care of virtual dogs in this simulation game for Nintendo DS. Use the touchscreen to feed, groom, and play with your pup while the microphone lets you bark commands or teach tricks. Each dog grows and changes over time based on the system clock making hunger and mood real-time concerns. You can stroll through parks trade items and even compete in mini-games with friends via wireless play. The lab version focuses on larger dogs but other breeds were available in separate releases. Nintendogs sold over 23 million copies worldwide becoming one of the best-selling DS titles ever. Critics praised its intuitive controls and addictive long-term gameplay earning an 85% aggregate score. It won awards for innovation and handheld excellence in 2006. The game’s success led to physical toys trading cards and a 3DS sequel adding cats. Its simple mechanics and responsive design made it a standout in early portable gaming.