NationMaster - Encyclopedia: Nintendogs

Nintendogs is a real-time pet simulation video game developed and published by Nintendo for the Nintendo DS handheld video game console. It was first released in Japan on April 21, 2005, and was later released in North America and Singapore on August 22, 2005, in Australia on September 29, 2005, in Europe on October 7, 2005, in China on June 29, 2006, and in Korea on May 3, 2007. It was originally re-released in three different versions - Dachshund & Friends, Lab & Friends (Shiba & Friends in Japan), and Chihuahua & Friends. Nintendogs takes advantage of the Nintendo DS' touch screen and microphone, which are used to interact with the dogs. A video game developer is a software developer (a business or an individual) that creates video games. ... Nintendo Entertainment Analysis and Development (or EAD; formerly Research & Development Team 4) is the largest division inside Nintendo of Japan, under the management of Shigeru Miyamoto. ... Nintendo Company, Limited (ä»»å¤©å ‚ or ãƒ‹ãƒ³ãƒ†ãƒ³ãƒ‰ãƒ¼ NintendÅ; NASDAQ: NTDOY, TYO: 7974 usually referred to as simply Nintendo, or Big N ) is a multinational corporation founded on September 23, 1889[1] in Kyoto, Japan by Fusajiro Yamauchi to produce handmade hanafuda cards. ... A game designer is a person who designs games. ... In computing, a platform describes some sort of framework, either in hardware or software, which allows software to run. ... NDS redirects here. ... This article is about the country in East Asia. ... is the 111th day of the year (112th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... North America North America is a continent [1] in the Earths northern hemisphere and (chiefly) western hemisphere. ... is the 234th day of the year (235th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Australasia Australasia is a term variably used to describe a region of Oceania: Australia, New Zealand, and neighbouring islands in the Pacific Ocean. ... is the 272nd day of the year (273rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 280th day of the year (281st in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... North America North America is a continent [1] in the Earths northern hemisphere and (chiefly) western hemisphere. ... is the 297th day of the year (298th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 167th day of the year (168th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... North America North America is a continent [1] in the Earths northern hemisphere and (chiefly) western hemisphere. ... is the 289th day of the year (290th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Video games are categorized into genres based on their gameplay. ... A pet-raising simulation is an online or computer game that focuses on the care, raising, breeding or exhibition of simulated animals. ... In computer games and video games, single-player refers to the variant of a particular game where input from only one player is expected throughout the course of the gaming session. ... Online gaming redirects here. ... A video game content rating system is a system used for the classification of video games into suitability-related groups. ... This article or section is incomplete and may require expansion and/or cleanup. ... The ESRBs logo. ... PEGIs logo Pan European Game Information, or more commonly PEGI, is a European system for rating the content of computer and video games, and other entertainment software. ... The Office of Film and Literature Classification is a statutory censorship and classification body which provides day to day administrative support for the Classification Board which classified films, video games and publications in Australia, and the Classification Review Board which reviews films, computer games and publications when a valid application... The Nintendo DS Game Card (Metroid Prime Hunters Demo on the picture. ... Wikipedia does not have an article with this exact name. ... A pet-raising simulation is an online or computer game that focuses on the care, raising, breeding or exhibition of simulated animals. ... Namcos Pac-Man is one of the most popular video games ever made. ... Nintendo Company, Limited (ä»»å¤©å ‚ or ãƒ‹ãƒ³ãƒ†ãƒ³ãƒ‰ãƒ¼ NintendÅ; NASDAQ: NTDOY, TYO: 7974 usually referred to as simply Nintendo, or Big N ) is a multinational corporation founded on September 23, 1889[1] in Kyoto, Japan by Fusajiro Yamauchi to produce handmade hanafuda cards. ... NDS redirects here. ... Game console redirects here. ... is the 111th day of the year (112th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... North America North America is a continent [1] in the Earths northern hemisphere and (chiefly) western hemisphere. ... is the 234th day of the year (235th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 272nd day of the year (273rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... For other uses, see Europe (disambiguation). ... is the 280th day of the year (281st in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 180th day of the year (181st in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... This article is about the Korean civilization. ... is the 123rd day of the year (124th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era in the 21st century. ... Nintendo DS Touch screen A touch screen is an input/output device that allows the user to interact with the computer by touching the display screen. ... Microphones redirects here. ...

Another version of Nintendogs called Nintendogs: Best Friends was released in North America on October 24, 2005 in a bundle which also contained one of two differently colored Nintendo DS consoles. After the initial shipment, Nintendo did not restock the bundle, but it was released later in Singapore on 15 July 2006. Another version called Nintendogs: Dalmatian & Friends was released in Europe on June 16, 2006, and later in North America and Singapore on October 16, 2006. It is currently the best-selling video game for the Nintendo DS. is the 297th day of the year (298th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 196th day of the year (197th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 167th day of the year (168th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 289th day of the year (290th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

Setting

Location

Nintendogs does not specify where it takes place, and the time period appears to be modern, although items such as record players make appearances. The game world focuses on a single town which appears to be coastal, due to the ocean and visible beach which occupies the background when near the edge of the map. Other than this, the location is never given out, and it is not possible to travel to another town or city. Edison cylinder phonograph ca. ...

Story

Like the location, Nintendogs also lacks a concrete plot or story. The player takes on the role of a dog owner, caring and training for various dogs of his or her choice. Similarly to titles such as Animal Crossing, the game runs in real-time, and the player is free to do as he or she wishes, accumulating items and participating in various events. For other uses, see Animal Crossing (disambiguation). ...

Gameplay

Using the touchscreen, the owner can play with, train, pet, walk, and wash their virtual dog. With the microphone that is built into the DS, the player can create voice commands that their puppy will understand and, if properly trained, follow. Dogs can be walked to the park where they can practice their disc catching skills and to the gymnasium to practice agility. Players can also visit the discount shops to buy supplies for a lower price. Dogs may be entered in disc competitions, agility trials, and obedience trials, as there are five different levels in each competition. As the game is played, the player earns "trainer points" for various activities such as walking their dog or winning in contests. As trainer points accumulate, more dogs and backgrounds become available for purchase. Trainer points will decrease if the player does not care for their dog properly or mistreats it.

Care

The dog is fed with three different types of dog food, two different treats, and given water or milk. The player can also wash the dog using the stylus and shampoo. Hunger can be measured from famished to hungry, normal and full, and its thirst can be measured with ratings from parched to thirsty, normal and quenched. The quality of its grooming varies from filthy to dirty, normal, clean and beautiful, though the 'beautiful' rating cannot be attained unless the proper brush or shampoo for the dog's coat is used. As time passes without being cared for, these ratings will drop. If its condition is not amended for a long period of time, eventually the dog may run away, and though it will eventually return, this will also affect the player's trainer points, which drop by the hundreds. In addition to this, dogs that are filthy, parched, or famished are not able to participate in contests until their needs are taken care of.

Walking

The game gives no indication of when a dog needs a walk, though non-player characters will comment that it is beneficial to provide them with at least one per day each, as only one dog may be walked at a time. Players also earn trainer points for walking their dog; the amount of points varies depending on the length of the walk, and activities participated in on the way. A non-player character is a fictional character in a role-playing game whose role is generally created and performed by the gamemaster. ...

Special areas around the map include two parks, a gym, and a discount store. Parks are a location where the player can practice for Disc Competitions, feed or play with their dog, or have it meet with others. The Gym, which contains agility equipment, is used for training dogs for the Agility Trials. Depending on what contest level the dog is currently at, different obstacles will be usable. Dogs may also walk to a discount store where all of the items at the normal supply store are available, in addition to some others. These will not include rare items found only on walks, as certain rare items will allow the player to unlock more dog breeds.

Question mark icons on the map point out areas that may contain neighborhood dogs or presents. When encountering another dog and its trainer, the player's dog may fight or play with the other. Occasionally, the player may stumble upon 'hidden' items, which are not shown on the map. Hidden garbage will appear if the dog is tired or hungry, and presents will appear if it is not. The hidden presents function exactly like the ordinary map-marked ones, containing a random object.

If a dog smells urine on the ground, marked on the upper screen map by large, medium, or small dots, proportionate to how recently it has appeared, it will attempt to urinate there. A dog may urinate or defecate at a random point as well; if the latter is not picked up the player will lose trainer points.

Contests

The contests are the player's main method of earning money. There are three contests: Disc Competition, Agility Trial, and Obedience Trial. In each of them, there are 5 classes: Beginner, Open, Expert, Master, and Champion. If the player's dog places 3rd or higher in whatever class it is in, the dog will proceed to the next difficulty level. Prize money earned differs depending on which contest has been entered, what place is finished, and the class the dog is in. If the player does not place at least 3rd, they will be dropped to the previous difficulty level, unless they were in the Beginner class, at which point they will remain there. Dogs who consistently place higher than 3rd at the Champion class remain at that level. Consecutive placings of 1st while at the Champion class will go towards the 'winning streak', which is broken as soon as the dog places under first place. Logo for the Quadruped, a disc dog organization Disc dog is the more generic name for what is commonly called Frisbee dog. ... Agility field left side: A competition agility field showing (clockwise from lower left) a tunnel, the dogwalk, the judge standing in front of a winged jump, two additional winged jumps, dog executing the teeter-totter with his handler guiding, and the tire jump. ... An obdience trial is a dog sport in which a dog must perfectly execute a predefined set of tasks when directed to do so by his handler. ...

Bark mode

Nintendogs supports a link-up method through the Nintendo DS's built-in wireless networking capabilities. A player can link his or her system with that of another person who owns a copy of Nintendogs to let the players' puppies play together. This is called "Bark Mode". If connected with a player who has a dog currently not in the current player's kennel, that dog will become available. Also, players can use an item called the "White Record" to record a message. This can be used to say something to the other player. Dogs may also carry a present to give away for good to the other player. Wireless networks are telephone or computer networks that use radio as their carrier or physical layer. ...

Available dog breeds

Nintendo released Nintendogs in multiple versions with minor variations from one another. While all versions of the same language are able to link to one another, each release of Nintendogs features a different set of dog breeds that are available at the beginning of each game. Image File history File links Nintendogs_petting. ... Image File history File links Nintendogs_petting. ...

The Japanese editions each start with five breeds, while the North American and European editions each have six. However, players can earn other breeds during the game but may only "donate" one breed of dog with another owner. This does not mean that the player loses the dog, it only means that the other player/owner unlocks that dog and can purchase it from the kennel. If that owner has a dog that a player wants to unlock and goes on to bark mode with him, then they can unlock that dog as well.

A game may only do this once with every version per the player's version, so for example, if the version Player A owns is Dachshund & Friends, and they go into Bark Mode with Player B, who has Lab & Friends, and Player B brings Player A dog they have not unlocked, the kennel will receive donations of that dog. If the players do it with the same Lab & Friends game card again, or a different Lab & Friends game card, they can not unlock the dog that they bring. NDS redirects here. ...

When the player first starts the game, he or she is brought to the kennel to choose a dog. The player then selects one of six available breeds, and is shown three dogs of that breed, varying in gender, personality, and color. Once the player comes to a final decision, the dog is taken home, and the player is allowed to name his or her new pet. The chart below shows all of the breeds, which version they start out on, and the dogs' attributes for the American Version.

As the player gets more trainer points in the game, more dogs may be purchased from the kennel. However, only three dogs may be kept at the player's in-game dwelling, and five dogs may be stored (but not interacted with) at the "Dog Hotel" for free; the hotel will care for the dogs. The dogs may also be swapped, dropped off, and picked up at any time, though the game does not allow the player to have all of his or her dogs in the Dog Hotel at one time. After having 8 dogs, picking up and dropping off is disabled; only swapping may be utilized. The player may not have any more than eight dogs at a time, but dogs may be "donated" to free up space for more pets. Donating a dog permanently removes it from the player's profile. The dachshund is a short-legged, elongated dog breed of the hound family. ... This article is about a dog breed. ... This article is about the dog breed. ... The Golden Retriever is a breed of dog, historically developed as a gundog in the 1800s to retrieve shot waterfowl and upland game during hunting. ... The Shih Tzu (traditional Chinese: ; simplified Chinese: ; pinyin: ; Wade-Giles: Shih-tzu Kou; literally Lion Dog), in English pronounced shee tsoo), is a dog breed which originated in China. ... The Siberian Husky is a medium-size, dense-coat working dog breed that originated in eastern Siberia, belonging to the Spitz genetic family. ... The Labrador Retriever (also Labrador or Lab for short), is one of several kinds of retriever, a type of gun dog. ... The Shiba Inu ) is the smallest of the six original and distinct breeds of dog from Japan. ... The Miniature Schnauzer is a breed of small dog of the Schnauzer type that originated in Germany in the mid-to-late 19th century. ... The Miniature Pinscher, also known as the Min Pin by fanciers, is a toy breed of dog. ... The Pembroke Welsh Corgi (IPA: ) is one of two dog breeds known as Welsh Corgis that originated in Pembrokeshire, Wales. ... For the political insult see poodle (insult). ... This article is about the breed of dog. ... The Yorkshire Terrier, (often called simply the Yorkie), is a breed of small dog in the toy category. ... Country of origin Germany Classification Breed standards (external links) FCI, AKC, ANKC, CKC KC(UK), NZKC, UKC The German Shepherd Dog (known also as the Alsatian or Schäfer(hund)) is an intelligent breed of dog. ... Originally from Germany, The Boxer is a breed of stocky, medium-sized, short-haired dog, decended from the now extinct Bullenbeisser. ... The Shetland Sheepdog (or Sheltie) is a breed of dog, bred to be small sheep dogs ideally suited for the terrain of the Shetland Islands in Scotland. ... CKCS redirects here. ... The Jack Russell Terrier is a type or landrace of small, principally white-bodied, smooth or rough-coated terrier that has its origins in fox hunting. ... This article needs additional references or sources for verification. ...

Development

Versions

Originally, three different versions of Nintendogs existed. In Japan, their subtitles were Chihuahua & Friends, Dachshund & Friends and Shiba & Friends. In North America, Singapore and Europe, the game's subtitles are maintained, but Shiba & Friends was changed to Lab & Friends, a more recognizable breed in those countries, though the Shiba Inu is still present in the game. Another version of Nintendogs, titled Nintendogs: Best Friends, has been bundled with teal and pink (in the U.S., the pink version was only available at Target and Toys "R" Us) Nintendo DS models. Nintendogs: Best Friends was released in Singapore on 15 July 2006 after new location of GameScore at Funan opened. Europe had slightly different bundles: a pink DS bundle with the Dachshund version of the game, and a blue DS bundle with the Lab version. Nintendogs: Dalmatian & Friends was released on June 16, 2006 in Europe^[1] on North America and Singapore on October 16, 2006. This version includes the most popular breeds from the other versions, as well as the Dalmatian available for purchase from the beginning of the game, without the player needing to locate the Fireman's Hat. This article is about the United States retail company. ... Toys R Us (currently typeset as Toys Ð¯ Us in the logo) is a toy store chain based in the United States, Canada, Australia, the Netherlands, South Africa, Hong Kong and the United Kingdom. ... is the 196th day of the year (197th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 167th day of the year (168th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 289th day of the year (290th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

All the versions contain all the breeds and are essentially all the same game. The difference between versions is the selection of the six breeds which the player starts with, but the other 14 breeds can be unlocked as the player progresses through the game. Unlocking occurs when the player achieves certain goals, for example gaining a certain number of trainer points or finding a particular object. The other difference is that each version has different exclusive items one can obtain whilst going out for a walk. However, it is possible for one version of the game to receive all of another version's exclusive items when two people connect via Bark Mode.

Reception

The game has been well received by critics. In the May 2005 edition of the Famitsu, a popular Japanese gaming magazine, Nintendogs received a perfect 40/40 score. Only six other games have attained this score: The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, Soul Calibur, Vagrant Story, The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker, Final Fantasy XII and Super Smash Bros. Brawl.^[2] It also received an 8.5 out of 10 in Nintendo Power. Game Informer gave Nintendogs an 8 out of 10, reflecting on the game's lack of an ending.^[3] Cover art for Issue 1 of FamitsÅ« magazine, June 1986, then known as Famicom TsÅ«shin FamitsÅ« abbreviated ãƒ•ã‚¡ãƒŸ Fami) is a Japanese video game magazine published by Enterbrain, Inc. ... The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time was a video game released in 1998, and the first Zelda game for the Nintendo 64. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... Vagrant Story ) is a console role-playing game developed and published by Square Co. ... The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker (or Zeruda no Densetsu: Kaze no Takuto in Japan) is the ninth game in the well-known The Legend of Zelda series of video games. ... Final Fantasy XII ) is a console role-playing game developed and published by Square Enix for the Sony PlayStation 2 video game console, and the twelfth installment in the Final Fantasy video game series. ... Super Smash Bros. ... Nintendo Power magazine is a monthly news and strategy magazine formerly published in-house by Nintendo. ... Game Informer (often abbreviated to GI) is an American-based monthly magazine featuring articles, news, strategy and reviews of popular video games and associated consoles. ...

Awards

EÂ³ logo The Electronic Entertainment Expo, commonly known as EÂ³, was an annual trade show for the computer and video games industry presented by the Entertainment Software Association. ... The Game Critics Awards are a set of annual awards held after the Electronic Entertainment Expo (EÂ³) since 1998 to current. ... The Associated Press, or AP, is an American news agency, the worlds largest such organization. ... The Japan Media Arts Festival is an annual festival held by Japans Agency for Cultural Affairs since 1997. ... PC World is a global computer magazine published monthly by IDG. It offers advice on various aspects of PCs and related items, the Internet, and other personal-technology products and services. ... People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals logo People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) is an animal rights organization based in the United States. ... IGN - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia /**/ @import /skins-1. ... GameSpot is a video gaming website that provides news, reviews, previews, downloads, and other information. ...

Recognitions

BusinessWeek is a business magazine published by McGraw-Hill. ... Entertainment Weekly (sometimes abbreviated EW) is a magazine published by Time Inc. ... Chicago Sun-Times The Chicago Sun-Times is an American newspaper publishing out of Chicago, Illinois. ...

Sales information

In the first week of its release in Japan (April 18, 2005 to April 24, 2005), its sales totaled over 168,000 units (Nintendogs: Shiba & Friends — 75,000 units, Nintendogs: Miniature Dachshund & Friends — 49,000 units and Nintendogs: Chihuahua & Friends — 44,000 units). This title game also boosted the Nintendo DS system sales by over 4.2 times the previous week to 95,000 units, up from 22,000.^[9] Nintendogs also had very successful launches in North America and Europe, with first week sales of over 250,000^[10] and 160,000^[11] respectively. is the 108th day of the year (109th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 114th day of the year (115th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ...

On March 23, 2006 at GDC 2006, Nintendo's president Satoru Iwata announced that international sales of Nintendogs sales had reached 6 million,^[12] and as of December 31, 2007, all versions of Nintendogs combined have sold 17.79 million copies worldwide.^[13] is the 82nd day of the year (83rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... The Game Developers Conference (GDC) is the largest annual gathering of professional video game developers, focusing on learning, inspiration, and networking. ... Satoru Iwata , born December 6, 1959) is the fourth president and CEO of Nintendo succeeding the long-standing previous president of the company, Hiroshi Yamauchi in 2002. ... is the 365th day of the year (366th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era in the 21st century. ...

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