Dogz
© 2006 Ubisoft, Inc.
This puppy simulator isn't bad, but it also isn't great. In the game, you can adopt your own very cute puppy by choosing from a popular breed such as beagle or retriever, and then teach it tricks to earn money that you can use to buy toys, food, brushes and so on. A few important program notes about this entire series: First, the word Dogz as well as Catz and Petz (all ending with a 'z') has a long history in the animal simulation space. The titles were first published by California-based P.F. Magic back in 1998 — that's long before the first Nintendog or Neopet. French-based video game publisher Ubisoft acquired the series in 2001, and still sells the original versions both on CD and as a download. These original titles (the latest were Catz 4 and Dogz 4) continue to be outstanding play experiences. Secondly, this new wave of animal sims (or should we say, simz) comes in a variety of platforms, each made by different studios, so features and quality can vary. We've done our best to capture each platform by way of individual reviews. Unfortunately, this new PC version of Dogz (as well as the new Catz) is missing the magic that that made so many people fall in love with the older versions. While the puppies certainly look better than their pixelated ancestors, and the new voice command feature is nice, these puppies aren't nearly as smart, and they don't do nearly as much. Kids take note of these things. For example, this series gives you just one animal to play with rather than two or more, and they no longer have babies. There's a clumsy close-up mode that is used when you pet your dog or give it a treat, but it requires that you use an on-screen icon to zoom back out. Finally, while there are five interesting areas to explore, you can't freely interact with the items, say, by dragging items out of the refrigerator in the kitchen for a midnight pet snack. Instead, this new Dogz is more of an economic simulation, where you win money by teaching your animal tricks. Money is used to purchase new toys, food, water and clothing, which increases the educational value of this experience, as a business simulator. For example, children must consider their budgets when they are confronted with questions like, "Should I buy the generic brush for $20, or the platinum one for $200?" The entire experience is much less creative, both on the part of the child and the publisher. The PC version was difficult to install on two out of three of our test machines, crashing just after the first introduction screens. The bottom line? This is a mid-quality animal simulation that isn't bad, but could be much better.
$20, Windows XP*, Nintendo DS*, Game Boy Advance
Teaches: economics (money), logical thinking, planning, budgets
CTR Rating: 80%