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Portables (Games) Businesses Nintendo

Nintendogs In-Depth Strategy Guide 59

Posted by Zonk from the woof dept.
heday writes "1up.com has a comprehensive strategy guide for Nintendogs, which was released this Monday. The article explains a lot of the nuances and idiosyncratic stuff with videos and pics." From the article: "The subtle sounds of shuffling feet running towards you. Those adoring eyes glazing at you with complete obedience. The moist soft tongue running up and down the back of your feet. That pendulum tail wagging back and forth that embodies the dog's adoration for you. If there were any companion animals vying to be man's best friend, the dog would be unmatched in terms of friendship, loyalty, and devotion. Anyone who has loved a dog would testify that raising one is truly one of the most rewarding experiences in life. But owning a dog is no walk in the park--it requires the utmost responsibility. "
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Nintendogs In-Depth Strategy Guide More

Nintendogs In-Depth Strategy Guide

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  • Slow news day? (Score:5, Insightful)

    by BinaryOpty ( 736955 ) on Friday August 26, 2005 @05:08PM (#13411219)
    Is it such a slow news day that a website putting up a strategy guide is considered news?

  • Nintendogs (Score:2, Informative)

    by WTBF ( 893340 )
    For people like me who were thinking wtf Nintendogs Wikipedia has a page on it. [wikipedia.org]

  • What about real dogs? (Score:3, Funny)

    by Nomihn0 ( 739701 ) on Friday August 26, 2005 @05:18PM (#13411292)
    What button combination and timing rids an ailing chihuahua of its fleas?

  • Honestly...what the hell? (Score:4, Insightful)

    by TripMaster Monkey ( 862126 ) * on Friday August 26, 2005 @05:19PM (#13411307)

    "The subtle sounds of shuffling feet running towards you. Those adoring eyes glazing at you with complete obedience. The moist soft tongue running up and down the back of your feet. That pendulum tail wagging back and forth that embodies the dog's adoration for you. If there were any companion animals vying to be man's best friend, the dog would be unmatched in terms of friendship, loyalty, and devotion.

    If this is what you're looking for, how about you go down to you local Animal Shelter and get an actual dog? I'm sure they'll love you for getting them off Death Row...

    Anyone who has loved a dog would testify that raising one is truly one of the most rewarding experiences in life. But owning a dog is no walk in the park--it requires the utmost responsibility.

    Interesting commentary on today's society...people would rather invest in a virtual dog than accept the responsibility of owning an actual pet.

    • Re:Honestly...what the hell? (Score:5, Insightful)

      by pnice ( 753704 ) on Friday August 26, 2005 @05:29PM (#13411382)
      Interesting commentary on today's society...people would rather invest in a virtual dog than accept the responsibility of owning an actual pet.

      I could see it helping from a parents standpoint. Their child is begging them for a dog but the parents "know" that their child won't take care of it, give it water, feed it on a regular basis, etc. Instead they get the child Nintendogs. It helps teach responsibility to the child (the dog will run out into the neighborhood if you neglect it) and show whether or not the child could be trusted with a real animal....maybe, I don't know, I'm just going with it.

    • Re:Honestly...what the hell? (Score:5, Insightful)

      by jclast ( 888957 ) on Friday August 26, 2005 @05:29PM (#13411386) Homepage
      Why the hostility here? Not all of us have living arrangements that allow pets. And some children aren't allowed real pets even if their living situation would allow it.

      For a child whose parents have forbidden a dog in the house, this could actually be a good alternative. I could also see it going over pretty well as a precursor to a real dog to see if the child is ready for the responsibilities of pet ownership. Obviously, some things can't be simulated well (walking, cleaning up mess, etc.).

      And what of the people who are allergic or just prefer simulations? We don't all have the time for real pets. If you do, that's great, but there's no need to chastise those who would make choices different from yours. Couldn't the same really be said for all games? Why aren't you outside playing? Don't you like real games? Wouldn't actual physical activity be better from a societal standpoint than button-mashing?

      • Just to play the devil's advocate (Score:4, Insightful)

        by Moraelin ( 679338 ) on Friday August 26, 2005 @06:18PM (#13411800) Journal
        "Couldn't the same really be said for all games? Why aren't you outside playing?"

        Now I'm not going to completely aggree with him or anything, and I'm not opposed to a pet simulation as such. But still, just for pointing out the obvious, there's a difference between a dog sim and, say, a jet fighter sim or a Formula 1 sim in that aspect.

        You _can_ get a dog fairly cheaply, whereas I don't think most of us could afford an F-16 or MiG-29, even if it was legal to buy one.

        Plus, very few people are physically unable to have a dog. Yes, people with allergies do exist, but they're not a majority. Whereas piloting a fighter jet is something which has a lot more strict requirements.

        Plus, there are a lot of situations in games which are too risky in real life. If you crash a F1 car, you may well be dead or crippled. (Even a few premier league drivers discovered that.)

        Even something more mundane like trying to replicate a medieval duel (e.g., if you want to do that instead of playing WoW) with something even vaguely resembling 6 ft worth of steel blade (as opposed to a silly PVC tube wrapped in foam), even unsharpened, you might break a bone or two. Historically, european straight swords were used to break ribs even through a maille hauberk: even if it didn't penetrate, a hard hit as with an axe or mace could still cause enough damage to disable an opponent.

        So there are a lot of situations where doing something in a game is anywhere between the only safe choice, and the only choice, period. Having a dog, on the other hand, just doesn't fit that bill for most people. You don't absolutely _need_ a simulation to play with a dog.

        The other aspect is that simulations are but an imperfect replica of the real thing. That goes doubly for any sim that involves AI. Just above anything above the intellect of a goldfish, is just too complex for a modern computer. (And not to mention it would be a full time job for academic AI researchers and psychologists to stimulate, not of a game designer who thinks "AI == hard-coded triggers for simple scripts".)

        Having pretty much grown around various pets (but especially cats, hence they're still my preference), and on summer vacations around other farm animals too, I can tell you that the real thing differs _massively_ from anything I've ever seen simulated on the screen. It has quirks, it has moods, it has a personality, etc. E.g., a real dog won't be just unconditional puppy-love, but might as well one day challenge you for leadership of the "pack" if he thinks you're doing an awful job as a pack-leader.

        A pet sim can be a substitute for that just about as much as a dating sim is a substitute for having a girlfriend. I.e., not at all.

        Plus, there's the whole aspect that it's a living being you physically touch, and which you know isn't hard-coded to just simulate puppy-love. You know that that's a real being reacting to your actions, good or bad, not just some script being triggered. Personally I just don't see how a script can possibly really replace that.

        Again, personally I won't lose any sleep if you do use a simulation for that. But just saying I can see where a "get a real dog" recommendation would come from.
        • For the record, I understand that most of us can't go out and duel or race F-1 cars. I was merely implying that instead of playing video games we could be playing _other_ games.

          But for what it's worth, my comparison does hold for sports games.
      • Couldn't the same really be said for all games? Why aren't you outside playing? Don't you like real games? Wouldn't actual physical activity be better from a societal standpoint than button-mashing?

        Yeah! You like Grand Theft Auto so much, why don't you get off your ass and go steal some *real* cars!

    • Re:Honestly...what the hell? (Score:4, Interesting)

      by alienw ( 585907 ) <alienw.slashdotNO@SPAMgmail.com> on Friday August 26, 2005 @05:43PM (#13411506)
      Interesting commentary on today's society...people would rather invest in a virtual dog than accept the responsibility of owning an actual pet.

      Why should everyone accept the responsibility of having an actual pet? If anything, this would show that people are more responsible: instead of getting a dog and not being able to care for it properly, people get a virtual pet.

    • Re:Honestly...what the hell? (Score:4, Insightful)

      by radicalskeptic ( 644346 ) <x&gmail,com> on Friday August 26, 2005 @05:45PM (#13411529)
      Interesting commentary on today's society...people would rather invest in a virtual dog than accept the responsibility of owning an actual pet.

      That's going a little far. There are plenty of people who shouldn't or can't have a real dog for whatever reason: living in a dorm or apartment that forbids pet ownership, too young, too old, allergies, have a job where they are out of town a lot, etc.

      Also, it is just a game. You might as well look at a RTS game and say "interesting commentary on today's society... people would rather invest time in a virtual war with no consequences than accept the responsibility of starting an actual war." Or you could say the same thing for birth control: "people would rather invest in consequence-free sex than accept the responsibility of a child." Well, yeah... Having a virtual dog is fun. It's not a sign that people nowadays are all flakey and less responsible than previous generations.
    • people would rather invest in a virtual dog than accept the responsibility of owning an actual pet.

      I've been to shelters and volunteered with the SPCA, and I can honestly say that most people should not have an actual, living pet. Not that they don't want them (although that's very common; so many pets are bought on a whim, then discarded when they're no longer puppies, or the owners realize how much work they are) but a lot of people are negligent, unable to care for a pet, or just cruel. Sadly, these

    • I've had two dogs, and loved both very much, but the truth is, that it restricts life too much. Unless you get your dog used to going to a kennel early (and find a good kennel, which isn't always possible), you either get a small dog, which you might be able to take on vacation, or you stay at home with your large dog. If I need to ignore the Nintendog for a day, I can. I don't have to spend money on vet bills, dog food, and everything else. I don't have to walk the dog three times a day, and I don't ha
      • I don't have to walk the dog three times a day

        Either do I. We have two dogs. I just open the kitchen door and let them out into the quarter acre or so of our land that we fenced in for the dog yard.
        • But try doing the same in a city. Dogs can be rather demanding, especially if yours happens to have some mental disorder, or just really frightened by some things.

          Now, cats on the other hand presents more of a case. A cat never has to go outside the flat, if it's reasonably large (3+ rooms). Of course, there's still the matter of how to feed it when travelling, but that can be solved by a neighbour, or by putting it in a cat hotel. Nintencats would be harder to justify, except if you're allergic.

    • You can't turn an actual pet off , you have to actually feed real pets , a lot of people have allergies.
      People not being able to handle real pets is the exact reason a lot of them are in shelters and possibly going to be put down , having a safe way to test one out is possibly a good thing.

      Don't fall into the old "But there are so much more important things in life" meme ;) , Games are games , real life is real life.
      I intend on getting nintendogs , and i own 2 kittens (well they are over a year old now , bu
    • Interesting commentary on today's society...people would rather invest in a virtual dog than accept the responsibility of owning an actual pet.

      GOOD! We (at least in my area, and most big cities) have too many dogs ending up neglected and abandoned anyway, only to go to the "death row" which you recommend saving dogs from. I agree that if someone wants a cat or dog, they should go to their local "pound" or Humane Society and adopt that way, but if there were fewer pet owners in the first place those orga

    • If this is what you're looking for, how about you go down to you local Animal Shelter and get an actual dog? I'm sure they'll love you for getting them off Death Row...

      'Shaming' people into buying a dog, instead of making the impulse purchase of a video game, is a good way to encourage more flippant irresponsible pet acquisitions. Which will lead to MORE unwanted, discarded animals at the shelter.

      • more flippant irresponsible pet acquisitions

        Exactly. Right now, my neighbors have gone away for a few weeks, leaving their neglected dogs on their own, and these dogs have turned absolutely nasty (I live in an area with no leash laws). Nobody on our street can go outside without getting attacked, and I really need to mow my lawn before it rains again.

        We have had problems with these dogs before, and when someone calls to complain, he/she gets the same response: "Oh, we'll pass the word along..." - and
    • "Interesting commentary on today's society...people would rather invest in a virtual dog than accept the responsibility of owning an actual pet."

      So... how many people do you know that can have a dog (i.e. they live in a place that allows dogs, or they're not allergic, etc..), but they don't already have a dog, and they chose to buy Nintendogs instead? Is there a data set large enough there to actually make a comment on society?

      Personally, I wouldn't draw up commentaries on society based on assumptions I've
    • You should read this article [planetgamecube.com].

  • Icky... (Score:3, Funny)

    by Gothic_Walrus ( 692125 ) on Friday August 26, 2005 @05:45PM (#13411536) Journal

    Nintendogs can simulate most of what's in the slightly disturbing blurb, but then there's this...

    The moist soft tongue running up and down the back of your feet.

    If the DS can simulate a moist, soft tongue, I'm never, ever going to touch one again. There's realism, and then there's just downright creepy...

    "You bought a used DS? Just think about where it's mouth has been!"

  • Stuff that matters? Honestly, if we start seeing a post everytime 1UP is updated, slashdot as we know it is dead. We don't see this everytime gamefaqs posts a new strategy guide.
    • I may be new here but I don't remember Slashdot as anything else than what it is today. It's always been old non-news and dupes and whiners complaining that Slashdot sucks. Simoniker was better than Zonk but overall Slashdot really didn't get any better or worse.
  • "But owning a dog is no walk in the park..."

    If it's only one dog, yeah, it is a walk in the park, they only have a CR of 1/3 [d20srd.org]. Certainly not very difficult to pwn.
  • Anyone who has loved a dog would testify that raising one is truly one of the most rewarding experiences in life.

    The replacement of children with pets in America continues apace.

    One thing about dog lovers, though: they're much more easy going than cat lovers. They are wound up extremely tight.

  • OMFG (Score:1, Troll)

    by Kris_J ( 10111 ) *
    What the hell is this ad doing on /.? Seriously. I mean, there have been blatent ads before, but for a strategy guide? I think the "editor" who posted this could do with six months in the "don't display their stories on the front page" bin.

  • Article error (Score:3, Insightful)

    by MrLint ( 519792 ) on Friday August 26, 2005 @10:40PM (#13413099) Journal
    "...one of the smartest breeds in the game, the Pembroke Welsh Corgi's is widely known for its intelligence. Even Hollywood acknowledges this fact, as seen in the recent anime series Cowboy Bebop, which featured Ein, an incredibly gifted Pembroke. Not only are Corgis intelligent, they have a vast amount of energy."

    BeBop did *NOT* come out of hollywood. There is this place called Japan. They make a lot of animation these days. And often its better than the stuff out of hollywood.
    • Also, IIRC, Ein was specially bred and engineered as a 'data dog' to be incredibly intelligent, having nothing to do with it being a Welsh Corgi in the first place. In fact, isn't a portion of the show spent on Spike trying to get rid of it?
      • Indeed spike does try to get rid of it. As I recall there isnt much development of the plot of ein being a data dog. Its unclear if hes normally smart, engineered smart or has some other kind of data storage.

        Corgi's are supposed to be smart however.
  • It's virtual pets (Tamagachi) crap rebundled with shiny graphics instead of dot matrix crap. The point is, it's been done. Move along people, don't stare at the partially retarded kids playing with themselves. Play WoW, where you can actually talk to REAL people.

    • Re:Kill it! (Score:3, Insightful)

      by gameboyhippo ( 827141 )
      Perhaps some people think that World of Warcraft is retarded. I personally enjoy Nintendogs. I'll probably also enjoy Animal Crossing DS when it comes out. So what if you don't kill anything in the game. As for already been done, I disagree with that. Nintendogs is far more interactive than Tomagachi. In Nintendogs, you speak to your dogs and use the stylus to interact with your dog. Also, I don't remember people being able to teach tricks to their tamagachis. I find it interesting how everytime the
      • I applaud your input, good rebuttle. Family oriented yes, but is it a one player thing or do you interact with others (asise from your dog)? I think multiplayer is healthier than single, that's all. P.S. You could teach Tomagachi's tricks... Or so I've heard.

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