Editor’s Note: This review was done only playing the Dogs part of the game. Frankly I hate cats. What I hear is that the cats part is pretty much the same. Also all pictures are from my game and my dog ‘Awesome’.

What makes a good video game? Is it an intense fighting game where the graphics make your eyes bleed? Is it a game that covers you up with its story where you never want to leave? Or is it a game that pulls at your heartstrings and makes you fall in love? When playing Nintendogs & Cats the last scenario comes into play for me.

On the surface Nintendogs & Cats doesn’t seem like your typical video game but at its core it’s just like any other game. Nintendogs has something for everyone. For those competitive gamers, three intense competitions are available; Disc Competition, Lure Coursing, and an Obedience Trial. All three of these competitions give the player a sense of accomplishment knowing that the dog that was raised by you kicked the butt of all the other dogs.

For those of you who like to build and customize different aspects of a game, Nintendogs has that for you as well. By winning competitions, or by your dog finding items that you can sell at one of the many stores, money can be raised that can be used to purchase many different things like supplies, accessories and even furniture for your house.   You can dress up your dog and make it look cute with a bow and glasses, or make it look tough with a fierce collar.

For those gamers who like more interaction between you and your games, Nintendogs has all of that for sure.   You can teach your Dog a wide variety of tricks from sit, shake, turn-around, stand, etc. After your dog has learned the trick a voice command can be used to convey that command to your Dog. I.E saying sit-down will make your Dog, well sit. Your virtual dog will need to be fed, walked and bathed. Meters under your dog’s name tells you if it’s hungry, thirsty, dirty, or physically fit. Walking your dog can be interesting. You can physically sit and stare at a screen while you hold your dog’s leash and he/she walks down the street or you can use the 3DS pedometer to walk your dog while you walk to work, class or enjoy a stroll down the street with your significant other. Do not forget that your dog may be thirsty when you get done.

While you are enjoying interacting with your new found partner, pretty much anytime throughout your interaction you will be able to take pictures of your pet. These pictures are saved straight to the SD card to be shared with anyone on Facebook, Myspace, Twitter, or whatever social network is used still. Pictures can also be taken right inside your house by using the 3DS’s augmented reality feature. By placing one of the augmented reality cards anywhere in your living space, you can see your Dog jumping barking right next to your mom or actual real life pet.

When Nintendogs first came out on the Nintendo DS, I hated the idea and thought it was kind of dumb. Yes, I played those Giga Pet things back in the 90’s. So what would a 23 year old manly man with an awesome beard do with a virtual pet?…find himself checking on it multiple times a day making sure it is fed, played with and loved.