Growing up, I didn’t experience the pleasure of having pets running around my home. I had quite a lot of fish over the years, but typically, the last thing a fish feels like doing is running around.
Fish are beautiful, fascinating creatures, and I established quite a bond with them. I remember, at the age of 12, holding a little sign against the glass of the tank, on which I’d written “Your name is Mark.” You know, just so Mark the goldfish was aware of that fact.
Looking back, two things are clear. Mark absolutely couldn’t read, and would have no concept of what a “name” is even if he could. Another thing, though, was that developing a relationship with a more hands-on sort of pet would’ve been nice.
In the virtual world in the 1990s, I had several dogs and cats. The Dogz and Catz games for PC allowed for simple interactions with these furry friends, and I had several dozen of them.
Arranging furniture and accessories in rooms for them, cooing at the kittens they produced, and swapping out active ones so that everybody got some attention was a lot of fun. It wasn’t until 2005, though, that a truly iconic virtual pet title arrived: Nintendo DS smash hit Nintendogs.
In Pokemon-esque fashion, different breeds of dog were available in each of the three versions. I opted for the labrador version and was soon in my element, filling my in-game house with the full quota of three dogs (at a time) as soon as I could and getting started playing with them.
Being an early DS release, gameplay was all about making as much use of the system’s unique capabilities as possible. At the time, I found it absolutely gobsmacking to steadily teach my puppies a range of tricks, and to see them perform them in response to a microphone command.
That particular feature maybe wasn’t as reliable as it could have been for me, but to have a virtual pet respond to my voice even some of the time seemed revolutionary in 2005.
Nintendogs, and its 2011 3DS follow-up Nintendogs + Cats, isn’t exactly a feature-packed experience. It’s a game about enjoying the simple things: A casual walk with your friend, a bonding showing session or frisbee competition, dressing them up in silly accessories, or buzzing over their heads in a tiny little R.C. helicopter.
My personal favorite toys were the tiny little Mario Kart vehicles. There was absolutely zero room to drive them in, but that didn’t dampen my enthusiasm for this wonderful cozy experience.
Memories Of Nintendogs And Of Barkley, The Best Boy There Ever Was
My beloved labrador Barkley was my very first Nintendog, as adorable an animal companion as any in anime.
The first time the little guy pawed at my screen, I was declaring Nintendogs game of the year, and there was a real sense of accomplishment as we rose up the ranks in the game’s frisbee contests. I was absolutely meticulous with feeding and bathing him, as I was with the rest of my doggie entourage.
Nobody has ever worn a silly pair of 3D glasses better than Barkley. You can be sure of that.
As with so many players, though, I gradually drifted away over time. Like a once-so-dedicated Animal Crossing player whose daily session becomes every other day, and then a quick weekly check-in with the villagers.
The longer you’re away, the worse it feels. Particularly in Animal Crossing, because the villagers love to hit you with their variations on “I haven’t seen you in … three months!”
My beautiful Barkley and all my other Nintendogs would probably be upset at me in a similar way. If they weren’t at first, they certainly will now, two decades after the launch of the original games.
Still, that’s the way with games in general. Just think of all the titles that we’ve been super hyped for prior to launch. All the joy we got from playing them once they finally did. Now, there they sit, forgotten in a collection, or possibly sold or given away.
I’m not sure that I could even tell you where my original Nintendogs cart is now. I’ve grown up, got married, started my own little family and moved all the way across the country since I last played it.
All the same, though, several times during all of that, I’ve discussed the game with friends, or seen a labrador in the street, and I’ve thought of Barkley.
As Phoebe’s ex-boyfriend Parker put it in that one Friends episode, “Bow wow, old friend. Bow wow.”
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Author: 360 Technology Group
