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I think Nintendo’s finally found a killer app for their new portable, Nintendo DS. Personally I have no attraction to this console. Despite the fact that the dual screens and stylus touch feature are cool, I just can’t see myself playing old games like Super Mario from the 64 days. The Sony PSP just has edgier content, like Burnout, Midnight Club, and the upcoming GTA game.
However, if there was anything that might make want to buy a DS, it’s Nintendogs, which comes out August 22. It’s a cross between virtual pets and The Sims. You raise the dog from a puppy, train it, teach it voice commands like “sit”. You need to play with it everyday, because if you leave the DS turned off for a week or so, the doggy might run away (they eventually come back with a gift to make you feel guilty). You can play games like catch, fetch, jump rope, etc. I can see kids really getting into this—especially if their parents won’t let them have dogs in the house.
Flash demo of Nintendogs at play.
Mercury News article on Nintendogs launch.
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