Games for Kids About Dogs
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Many games try to simulate the experience of playing with dogs.
dog image by cathy stancil from Fotolia.com
Many kids love dogs and want them as pets. As such, there are numerous video games for a wide range of platforms that involve dogs. Some of these allow players to take care of virtual pets, potentially making for a good learning experience for children unaware of the responsibilities of pet ownership. Other games, however, don't involve extensive pet maintenance but rather feature fun virtual life simulations involving pets or even the opportunity to play as a dog.
Nintendogs
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Originally released by Nintendo in 2005, the Nintendo DS game Nintendogs allows players to choose from various breeds of dog for a virtual pet. Players maintain their pets using the Nintendo DS touch screen and microphone to feed, play with and even bathe their dogs. By competing in virtual dog shows and other contests, players earn money to buy more dogs as well as toys and treats for the dogs. Critics on the review-aggregating site Metacritic praise Nintendogs for its realistic attention to detail but warn that maintaining a virtual dog may prove too tedious for some players.
Dogz
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The Nintendo DS game Dogz, released by Ubisoft in 2006, is similar to Nintendogs in the way players must raise a virtual pet by feeding, grooming, and training the dog to do tricks. Additionally, players can take their dogs through the game's virtual world that includes a house and a neighborhood to interact with other characters. However, Metacritic reviews are average and claim that Dogz is sparse and does not make very use of the Nintendo DS's touch screen capabilities, suggesting that interested gamers play Nintendogs instead.
Petz: Dogz 2
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The sequel to Dogz, Petz: Dogz 2 came out in 2007 for a variety of systems including the Sony PlayStation 2, Nintendo Wii, Nintendo DS, Mac OS X and Windows PC. The game, unlike its predecessor, is more concerned with playing minigames based on jigsaw puzzles and card games as well as customizing your virtual home. However, like its predecessor you are allowed to choose what dog you get from 11 different breed options.
Petz: Dogz Family
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Players with a Sony PlayStation Portable (PSP) may turn to another Petz game, 2009's Petz: Dogz Family, wherein players take care of an entire family of dogs. Dogs can be bred to create mixed breeds and, like other Dogz games, can be dressed up and customized. Furthermore, as the dogs grow up, they adopt different personalities and can be bred to create additional generations of dogs.
Dog's Life
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Released for the Sony PlayStation 2 in 2004, Dog's Life allows players to assume the role of a dog and taking part in acts such as chasing animals and playing fetch. However, Dog's Life is not simply a simulation game but rather an adventure game that takes the player on a journey across the country. The game, which can be found in used video game stores, has mixed reviews on Metacritic. Some critics praise the unconventional premise and fun, family-friendly game play of Dog's Life while others find the game play tedious and its visuals poor.
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- Photo Credit dog image by cathy stancil from Fotolia.com
