Friday 25 February 2011

3DS NEWS: More Nintendogs than Cats, it seems...


Nintendo have finally released details of the Nintendogs + Cats breeds that will be included in the new 3DS game, and unfortunately, the news has left us feeling more than a little disappointed.

Nintendogs + Cats is one of the 3DS launch games which will be available to buy from the 25th of March 2011 (Europe) and 27th of March (America)  along with the new 3DS console.



The game comes in three versions -  Golden Retriever, Toy Poodle and French Bulldog but although each game will differ in the initial type of breeds that will be available at the start of the game, the remaining dog and cats breeds can all be unlocked later.

The three game versions with their nine initial playable dog breeds are listed below:

Toy Poodle and Friends

Toy Poodle
Pembroke Welsh Corgi
Mini Schnauzer
Boxer
Bull Terrier
Labrador Retriever
Shih Tzu
Jack Russell
Pomeranian



French Bulldog and Friends

French Bulldog
Shetland Sheepdog
Cavalier King Charles Spaniel
Chihuahua
Dalmatian
Yorkshire Terrier
German Shepherd
Husky
Basset Hound


Golden Retriever and Friends (AKA Shiba Inu & Friends in Japan)

Shiba Inu
Golden Retriever
Beagle
Mini Pinscher
Dachshund
Maltese
Great Dane
Pug
Cocker Spaniel


However, this is where our disappointment began, because even though the all three versions of Nintendogs+Cats will feature over twenty-seven different breeds of dog, they will only feature three breeds of cat: American Shorthair (Tabby), Siamese or Persian.  This came as a big surprise to us here at Mini Gamers, as we had expected at least eight breeds of cat to appear alongside their canine counterparts.



Furthermore, there is some suggestion that the cat breeds will not even be playable at the start of the game, but will have to be unlocked first, making them sound very much like an afterthought.


 The new features of  Nintendogs + Cats mean that there is now greater customisation between breeds. That means that players can choose different fur patterns, leg lengths and fur lengths for each of their dogs or cats. So even if you had three American Shorthairs within the game, they would all look different and have different personalities.



Furthermore, Cats within the game will act exactly like real-life kittens - they will sleep on windowsills, climb on bookshelves and other surfaces, claw at scratching posts and furniture, chase toy mice and generally do their own thing. They will also be able to recognise their owners via the new Facial Recognition Software.It sounds impressive, but we can't help thinking that the game would be even better if there were more cat breeds to choose from.

Japan has recently released this video trailer of Nintendogs + Cats:


Mini Gamers will be examining more 3DS launch games next month in the lead up to the 3DS release date. Keep checking in with the Mini Gamers blogsite for more news on this subject as it develops.


HAVE YOUR SAY...

What do you think about the fact that there are only 3 cat breeds in the new game? Will this affect the overall enjoyment of the game?

Why not leave us a comment?

Mini Gamers would love to hear your thoughts on this subject.

6 comments:

  1. That's rubbish! It's not like there aren't more breeds of cat in the world. What about a black and white shorthair, or Scottish Fold or Maine Coone? Poor show, Nintendo. 3 Cats? That's a rip-off!

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  2. Why only three cats but twenty-seven dogs?! I thought this game was meant to appeal to cat-lovers, but instead it seems that Nintendo are only interested in making a new version of Nintendogs rather than a game which shows the pets equally. I was hoping for a Russian Blue cat as they are very cute.

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  3. Who cares about cats? At least you can train dogs in the game, but the cats just play around in the bacground. Where's the fun in that?

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  4. Yes, three cats is a big disappointment. However, the fact that there will be multiple fur patterns to choose from might mean that other cats can be 'created' as the patterns are unlocked throughout the game, however this is merely speculation at this stage. Thanks to everyone who commented so far!

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  5. Will you be able to conect withyour old nintendogs to this one thats what I would like to know

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  6. Mini Gamers has done some research into your question, but unfortunately it looks as though there is no compatible function for connecting your old Nintendogs game to the new Nintendogs + Cats game...We agree with you, however, that being able to import your old dogs from the original game would be an excellent feature.

    Nintendo has just launched the official UK version of Nintendogs + Cats website, which gives detailed information on all the new features and specifications in the game.

    Please visit: http://www.nintendo.co.uk/NOE/en_GB/games/nintendo_3ds/nintendogs__cats_golden_retriever_amp_new_friends_31239.html for further details. Thanks for your comment.

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