Nintendogs for the Nintendo DS is not in the strictest sense of the word a game. However it does fall squarely into the realm of interactive entertainment. A small cartridge with big play value, Nintendogs is one of those pieces of software that is best thought of as an investment of time over weeks rather than an intense weekend diversion. And while it is clearly geared for a younger crowd, it nonetheless shows off well the DS experience – something that no other system currently has a prayer of duplicating.

Anyone shopping for Nintendogs faces a choice before they can even head for the cash register. The game comes in three varieties: Chihuahua & Friends, Dachshund & Friends and Lab & Friends. Each has six puppies available for purchase from the beginning. The good news is that each version has all 18 breeds, the other 12 becoming available as unlockable content. This review is based on the Dachshund & Friends cartridge, which begins with a choice of a Miniature Dachshund, Golden Retriever, Beagle, Pug, Siberian Husky and Shih Tzu.

When the cartridge is first inserted into the DS, you’ll find yourself at the Nintendogs kennel. Here you’ll meet the pups and make a purchase. Once you get the little fellow home you will need to name him. Having an intense dislike of those small rat dogs that are dogs only by the greatest stretch of the imagination, I decided on a Siberian Huskey, which I named Nanook. Your Nintendog actually learns the sound of his own name, thanks to the built-in microphone in the DS. It took me three tries to get through this process, which requires the player to repeat the name and interact with the pup until it learns. For some reason he’d come a few times to my call and then the program would say he did not recognize his hame and I’d have to start all over again. Well, third time was a charm and Nanook now consistently comes when I call.

Once you have your pooch coming to you, it is time to start training. This is accomplished by using the stylus to instruct the critter what to do and then associating a voice command with it. As a matter of fact, all interaction with the puppy will be via the stylus on the touch screen or through spoken commands. This is one thing that makes the experience so natural and unique. This is also why it works so well on the DS. The interface is so natural that at times it is a little too easy to forget you are just dealing with a program that is taking in input and then spitting output back at you. The puppies are way too cute and suffer from an abundance of personality.

In addition to just living with your Nintendog around your virtual home, you can also take the little guy out places. He needs walks. You can enter him in competitions to earn money. Money can be used for all the things your little Nintendog needs, like food, water, toys, etc. at the local stores. As your skills as a dog owner improve and your money increases, you can add more dogs to your pack. The maximum limit is three.

But like a real puppy, your Nintendog does suffer from some limitations. After you get the pup following a nice variety of commands, the fun factor goes down a bit. There is also a limit of what you can do with a puppy in a day. They get bored and won’t pay attention. It also does not take long to see most of what the program has to offer. If you had the discipline to take care of a Tamagotchi, you will probably enjoy this improved version, but I believe most adults will tire of it rather quickly.

The "Bark Mode" that allows your Nintendog to interact with other Nintendogs may help a bit, but I never found anyone in my area wandering around with their DS in Bark Mode looking for a puppy play date, so I have no idea how much life this feature will add to the game.

Once you have established the basics for your puppy, the game very much becomes a two-or-three-times-a-day activity to care for and play with your puppy. Each session lasts about half an hour. Anyone who raised a Seaman back in the days of the Dreamcast is familiar with this routine.

As a virtual pet simulator, Nintendogs does offer a fair amount of fun for a while. Kids will probably get a bigger kick out of it than adults. Personally speaking, I think anyone who wants to make a pet simulator for older gamers should take a lesson from Sega’s Seaman. That ill-tempered, abusive little half-man-half-amphibian thing kept me entertained for weeks with his weirdness. Nintendogs is cute and shows off the abilities of the Nintendo DS well, but it gets old a bit too quickly. Not the top of the class, but a respectable grade-B showing.