It could have been way better. Buy it for a pet simulator, not as a game.
The graphics update is ADORABLE. These puppies are super cute.
But the game has changed almost drastically since the original. One, you can't just pet the dog. It has to be pet in specific spots for it to count.
Two, Walks are completely different. You can no longer decide your destinations. Which means you can't go train whenever you want or on every walk.
Three, the secondhand store is a trade system. You trade the trash you find, rather then just find it. Which is kind of cool, but I prefer the luck system over a trade system.
Four, the obstacle course has been traded with reel coursing. The obstacle was my favorite part, and the reel coursing is super simple and silly.
Five, which is more of a peeve then anything, they left dogs in the park. So training for disc tossing is ridiculous because the other dog gets in your dog's way, and you can't just pick the empty park since you don't decide your walks. There's a dog socialization cafe, other dogs in the park is unnecessary, even if it's more realistic.
Six, removing from the realism is Miis walking their dogs. Super realistic dogs on super realistic streets... with miis on them. It really detracts from the experience.
But there are some cool things. Cats, my biggest draw, while super expensive to buy, are THERE. You can't do a damn thing with them, which is bothersome, but hey, fuzzy kitties.
The decoration system is expanded and looks really awesome.
The graphics are amazing and the touch screen is more responsive. Which is a 3DS thing, but an upgrade is an upgrade.
New songs, some new accessories.
You can take your dog on an actual, physical walk with the built in pedometer in the 3DS.
You can also use the street pass kind of stuff to meet other people and such, rather then being stuck with direct connects.
Obedience training is a little more straight forward.
I really liked the original, but I played the crap out of it. So it's kind of nice to have a whole new replacement, but this isn't the way it should of been done. They could of ADDED reel coursing rather then replacing the obstacle course. They could have kept the original petting system with the treats that appeared. They could have kept the walk mapping system but updated it, maybe with new locations, new images or something, or at least allowed you to select where you wanted to go.
They could have gave the cat more toys, and maybe the ability to take it to a cat show. You can train cats, I would like a obedience trial for that, too. It would be so adorable I would die.
The original was fine. I think I liked it better. But maybe I set my expectations too high for the new one.
My only advice is don't pay full price for it. 14 bucks for a few months of down time puppy petting is nice. 35, not so much. You don't get your money's worth even if this is exactly your kind of game.
Also, I bought this particular title because it has Shiba Inus, because of a manga I loved as a kid called "silver moonlight legend weed". So I always buy a black shiba inu and call it "Weed". But in this version it's a "inappropriate language". Weed is named after literal weed so "he would have friends everywhere". Not because some stoner is super uncreative and named him after the first thing he saw. I simply do not see how slang for a plant which is also another plant is inappropriate language. I bet you could name it Mary Jane. Slang for an illegal plant and spider man's girlfriend. Equally as bad as Weed.Read full review
