nintendogs + cats

28th February 2011 – Own and bond with your very own fluffy friend, all in glorious 3D, when the adorable nintendogs ^TM + cats launches alongside the Nintendo 3DS handheld device on 25th March.

nintendogs ^TM + cats offers players their very own portable pooch and, for the first time, the addition of a feline friend to play with and care for whilst on the move. The lifelike 3D graphics and interactivity creates an immersive experience. Your adorable puppy will seemingly come alive in the palm of your hand as he welcomes you with a lick of the face!

Players will choose their new companion by picking their favourite breed of dog from nine different starter breeds. There will be three versions of nintendogsTM + cats, each offering different packages containing particular breeds of dog.

nintendogsTM + cats: Golden Retriever & New Friends offers players a selection of dog breeds including the majestic Great Dane or playful Beagle, nintendogsTM + cats: French Bulldog & New Friends will introduce breeds such as a cheeky Chihuahua or spotty Dalmatian and nintendogsTM + cats: Toy Poodle & New Friends will welcome a cute Jack Russell Terrier or fluffy Shih Tzu!

For the first time, the Nintendo 3DS inner camera will help your beloved puppy to recognise your face – always enjoy a warm welcome when he or she comes bounding up to greet you. The dogs can even follow head movements and appear to pop out of the screen to lick you! Once you have their attention, use the stylus and microphone to teach them a variety of tricks though voice commands “give paw” or “lie down.” Increasing the bond and relationship allows you to develop the interaction between you and your dog. Just like with a real dog, once you gain his trust, you can teach him more complex and surprising tricks!

To create a totally unique experience, with hundreds of decorations and accessories are available to dress up your puppy or kitten. You will also be able to edit your surroundings, including what furniture you have in your room, to tailor the entire experience.

Just as in real life, cats will often be less inclined to spend time with you, so you’ll need to work harder to form a lasting, but rewarding, relationship with your new kitten. As a tip, cats like climbing, so you might want to think about buying some tall furniture from the shop to give them somewhere to crawl up and snuggle in. Treat your kitten well and he will become your friend rewarding you by bringing you presents. If he’s exceptionally happy, he may even feel comfortable enough to befriend your puppy too!

Take your dog for a walk, and you can find special stores selling rare items and different locations as you walk. You can even use the Pedometer feature so when you physically walk around with the Nintendo 3DS you are walking your puppy too thanks to the system’s motion sensors!

By utilising the StreetPass functionality of Nintendo 3DS, whenever you take your Nintendo 3DS out with you can meet other owners! Swap items and 3D photos, meet puppies and Mii of other owners just by passing other systems of nintendogsTM + cats players on the street. These owners and puppies will appear in your diary and game after meeting through StreetPass. You will also be able to swap information with fellow nintendogsTM + cats players – all without even needing the Game Card inserted in the system.

With the AR Cards that come bundled with Nintendo 3DS, you will be able to view your puppy or kitten in your own environment by using Augmented Reality. Simply place one of the AR cards in front of your Nintendo 3DS and the outer cameras will read the AR Card; your partner will appear before your very eyes in your room or the palm of your hand – perhaps even wearing a special outfit!

Get ready to meet your new companion when nintendogsTM + cats: Golden Retriever & New Friends, nintendogsTM + cats: French Bulldog & New Friends and nintendogsTM + cats: Toy Poodle & New Friends will launch on March 25th alongside Nintendo 3DS.

About Nintendo:

The worldwide pioneer in the creation of interactive entertainment, Nintendo Co., Ltd., of Kyoto, Japan, manufactures and markets hardware and software for its WiiTM home console and Nintendo DSTM family of portable systems. Since 1983, when it launched the Nintendo Entertainment SystemTM, Nintendo has sold more than 3.5 billion video games and more than 577 million hardware units globally, including the current-generation Wii, Nintendo DS, Nintendo DSiTM and Nintendo DSiTM XL, as well as the Game BoyTM, Game Boy Advance, Super NESTM, Nintendo 64TM and Nintendo GameCubeTM systems. It has also created industry icons that have become well-known, household names such as MarioTM, Donkey KongTM, MetroidTM, ZeldaTM and PokémonTM. A wholly owned subsidiary, Nintendo of Europe, based in Grossostheim, Germany, was established in 1990 and serves as headquarters for Nintendo's operations in Europe.