Nintendogs, though not the manliest of games is actually pretty fun and super addictive. Sharks are badass, they're scary, emotionless killers that prowl the immense depths of the Ocean. What happens when you combine the two concepts? Well, that's what I'm about to explain to you.
You play as a shark breeder, who must take care of an aquatic predator, teach it a handful of tricks and enter competitions to become top breeder. Possibly the most badass concept to ever grace a video game and possibly the game's strongest point.
Taking care of your fishy friend tends to be an easy task, but if you don't follow the on-screen tutorials, you'll find things can get difficult, quickly. Everything from navigating the menus to interacting with the shark is done with your stylus. You must feed, clean, exercise and medicate the shark in order to keep it happy and healthy, as your shark needs to be in great condition in order to enter competitions. Competitions, which are bland and uninteresting are your main source of currency in the game, and require you to master several of the tricks you can teach your shark. Money can be attained from a handful of minigames, but the games main attraction is caring for and competing with your shark. It's simple, but addicting at the same time.
Scaly predators need lovin' too!
The game has solid visuals for a 3D downloadable DSi title. Both the sharks and the environments have a fair amount of detail. The shark customization system is surprisingly robust, you can choose from a variety of shark "skins" and colors, but it's expanded by the variety of unlockable outfits, with which you can dress a shark all your own. The shark design itself is ridiculous, as the creatures are portrayed as happy, almost dog-like critters. They happily swim around whatever background you select, eat and drink from bowls and sleep. Things real sharks aren't capable of doing. It's adorable and silly. The audio unfortunately, isn't as amazing. The sound effects are simple and the music consists of three basic tracks that belong in a Toronto club. You're better off listening to something else and cranking the volume down.
101 Shark Pets is somewhat simplistic, but a fantastic concept along with a low price tag of 500 DSiPoints ($5) and addictive gameplay make the game worth looking in to. If you have a DSi, this is one of the handful of games on the DSiware service that's worth downloading, especially for people who've played Nintendogs and want a similar experience.
- Kyle K.
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