Nintendogs + Cats for 3DS: (Part 1 of 3) Comparison and Review

Nintendogs + Cats was released in North America on March 27th, 2011.
There are three versions:
~ Toy Poodle & New Friends
~ French Bulldog & New Friends
~ Golden Retriever & New Friends*
(*In Japan this was Shiba Inu & New Friends)

All those years ago, when I got a DS, I picked up Nintendogs; Dachshund & Friends. And I loved it for quite a while. So I was delighted to receive the newest version of this game for my 3DS from my boyfriend.

This time around I got French Bulldog & Friends. For comparison purposes, I pulled my DS out, (that I haven't played in probably about six years) which of course, still had Nintendogs in the slot. It was almost a nostalgic experience to turn that DS on and see the pups I was once so attached to. Another odd feeling was immediately recognizing one of the dogs on the screen was chosen and named by an ex boyfriend, only to glance at the 3DS and see a pup that was chosen and named by my current boyfriend. I guess that's a thing with me. *shrug*

Took a picture with the Nintendogs + Cats next to Nintendogs for DS

These games are obviously quite similar - the 3DS just has some updates, although not all for the better.



First, obviously, this new game is for the 3DS and so it has a 3D option. I think the 3D looks fab, though I have to turn it off most of the time because I get headaches otherwise.

The graphics are quite improved. I vividly remember bathing my spaniel, Princess Pencil, and thinking, "when you look at these dogs, they actually look a little creepy... but I can't place what's wrong..."

I've been playing this 3DS version for a couple of weeks now, and have not had that thought once. The dogs look and behave much more realistically, a definite plus.


First thing I notice is the prices of the dogs in the Kennel. They have gone up by more than double and sometimes almost triple in cost. An example: the Golden Retriever in the DS costs $550, and in the 3DS, it's $1,580. I started my 3DS version with $3,000 and thought I had a decent amount of money, when in reality, it was only enough for about 2 dogs. All the same, I didn't mind the price hike all that much. It's a lot closer to prices for dogs in real life.

Another price difference was the Interior Decorator. In the original game, the three most expensive homes were the Desktop at $20,000, Seaside at $50,000, and Outer Space at $100,000. A bit ridiculous, and I don't know if I ever would have wanted to spend that much in game even if I had the money.

In the 3DS, the Interior Decorator homes range from $0-$5,000, MUCH more reasonably priced. The Interior Decorator also sells furniture, because you're allowed to furnish the four corners of your room, which wasn't a feature in the previous version. Couches and dog beds can be jumped on by your pups, and pups will sit or lay in front of tvs or fish tanks to stare at them. It's pretty cute.

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Dog walks are a lot different between the two version. In the DS version, you were given a map, and you could plan out your route however you'd like, the path you can choose would lengthen as your pup gained stamina. You could plan a route to head to a supply store, a park, or just try and hit all the "?'s" to see what those were. "?'s" could either be presents or puppies to interact with. You could also encounter trash that your pup might eat and get sick over. Once you've planned your route, you'd walk your pup side-scroller style.

In Nintedogs + Cats, you start on a Main Road, and there are three main side streets with the possibility of an extra Secret Path road. This walk is forward scrolling, a straight shot that always magically ends with your home.

Rough guesstimate of the map in Nintendogs + Cats (Not including secret paths)

You still encounter presents, trash, and puppies to interact with. This time the puppies you bump in to are attached to people though, a bit more realistic. lol. Parks and the Gym are still available to play in as well. Supply stores are still around too, each one selling different items. New features include Secret Paths that give you extra opportunities for more presents, grassy patches your pup can piddle on, and occasionally find a gift, and cones that, when maneuvered through successfully, are rewarded with a present. Another new feature is the Cafe. In the original DS version, you would pass a cafe, but wouldn't be able to visit it. In this version, you can. Entering on your own, you're given a choice between three different food items - a treat for your dog and a drink for yourself - and your pup can play with the chubby cat that lives there.

Not being much of a cat person, I chose to have six dogs. So, when I feel like playing with a cat, I'll pop in to the cafe and play with Precious.

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Competitions are very similar to the previous version, they both have Obedience Trials and Disc Competitions. The main difference is the third competition. In the original, it was Agility Course. This new version has Lure Courses. Personally, I prefer the lure courses over Agility. Actually, I prefer the Lure over all the competitions.

 I'm no good at aiming, so Disc is not my best competition, though if I have a magic pup that can catch anything I throw, I don't mind so much. In my DS version, my dogs were so well trained it didn't matter where you threw the disc, and they would always jet out and back and immediately return the disc without hesitation. My pups in this new game aren't there quite yet, though I have faith that even my lowest scoring pup can get there.

In all honesty, Disc Competition was the only one I competed in with my DS version. I wasn't fond of the Agility Course, and I loathed the Obedience Trials. Lure Courses are a lovely change from the Agility Course.

Obedience Trials are the worst. In the original, you'd have to train your dog in a monotone voice using the awful mic feature and expect your pup to remember all the tricks while also expecting yourself to remember your exact intonations when saying each word. I lost interest in this competition very quickly.

I feel like they looked at Obedience Trials and thought to themselves, "How can we eff these up even MORE than before?"   They probably thought something more along the lines of "How can we make these Trials neater?" Or something like that, but no. It's just annoying.

Now, in the 3DS version, you need AR Cards to participate. AR Cards come with your 3DS and allow your pups to show up "in the real world" via your 3DS cameras. In order for these to work properly, you need to be in a well lit room so your camera can read them properly.

So, basically, they require you to, again, teach your dogs tricks using a monotone voice via the mic feature, (which doesn't feel like it's improved much, though I read that it has) hope your dog remembers all the words you use to teach the tricks, hope you remember the intonations you used to teach each trick, AND have your AR Cards out in a well lit area. The picture I have above is the limit to how dim the room is, and sometimes it's still too dim and the camera will lose the card because of it. I often like to play this game in a room that's either dark or dimly lit, so having to wander in to the bathroom for the lighting, or else rigging the flashlight feature on my phone to shine on the card... it's just a stupid unnecessary requirement. I felt this way with the first version, and the same for this version: mic (and this version's AR Cards) should be optional, not required. I might... go back to trying these Obedience Trials once all my pups have successfully mastered all Cups in Disc and Lure, but even thinking about that puts me off. I might just be better off not participating in these Trials ever.

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The toys in this version are pretty fun, there's a helicopter and mariokarts (Mario, Peach, and Yoshi) that allow you to play with them normally...

...or by clicking on them, you can go into first person view and play with them that way.

Boomerangs are also pretty fun to play with, and give my pup a better chance at catching them if I'm playing at a park that has more than just my pup playing. (If I play with a disc, another pup is always way better than my dog and will always catch it first.)

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A big issue I have with this game is the amount of animals you can own. The original version could keep up to 8 pups, 3 at home and 5 at the hotel. I wasn't interested in owning more than three in the DS version, so that didn't bother me.

This 3DS version only has room for 3 at home and 3 in the hotel. That might be only 2 less than the DS version, but still... it's 2 less. I actually think these animals are adorable, and if I could, I would have more than just 6. I play with the three at home, run them through their competitions, then swap them with the other three, run them through their competitions, and repeat the next day.

DS version

3DS version

I actually thought to myself the other day that I should just purchase another Nintendogs + Cats just so I can have more pets. I guess that's a good job there Nintendo... making me want to buy another copy of the game I have.

Overall, I love this game, as I did its predecessor, and most of the updates overall make it even better. Definitely glad I have this game. Now, excuse me while I go play with my pups. :)


Nintendogs + Cats for 3DS: (Part 2 of 3) Walkthrough and Tips
Nintendogs + Cats for 3DS: (Part 3 of 3) Extra Picture Dump