Dogz (2005 video game)

Did You Know?

• In 2007, Ubisoft issued Dogz 2 for the Game Boy Advance, which was mostly a reissue of Dogz with the same story and graphics but six additional dog breeds and added minigames.
• Jeuxvideo.com considered the attempt to pass off the reissue as a sequel scandalous.

Gameplay

The player begins by adopting a dog, giving it a name, and training it. Action is presented from an isometric perspective with a player avatar performing actions. Dialogue with the player character's family coaches the player in pet care. The simulation runs on a daily cycle, with non-pet chores such as changing music, switching a television on and off, tidying up, and vacuuming included as minigames.

Reception

Arriving half a year after Nintendo's Nintendogs, many reviewers saw Dogz as Ubisoft's attempt to cash in on a trend and compared it unfavourably. Mark Green of NGC Magazine found it overly simplified and felt the intermediary player avatar made bonding difficult. Eurogamer described the interactivity and controls as asinine. Matt Helgeson of Game Informer noted a fair amount of depth in actions but called the mechanics awkward and static. The DS port was seen as very similar to the GBA version, with Jeuxvideo.com criticizing the lack of use of the handheld's two screens.