Nintendogs Dalmation Coming

Since the launch of Nintendogs back in October 2005, copies of this title have been flying off the shelves, with over 2.5 million copies sold in Europe and 6 million copies globally. Now Nintendo is offering canine lovers the chance to own the much sought after Dalmatian puppy, as Nintendogs Dalmatian & Friends Edition goes on sale across Europe, exclusively for the Nintendo DS from 16th June 2006.

With an initial choice of six breeds to own and a further 14 to be unlocked, Nintendogs Dalmatian & Friends Edition sees the previously hard-to-unlock Dalmatian amongst the initial choices, along with the most popular dogs from the previous versions - Dachshund & Friends, Labrador & Friends and Chihuahua & Friends. If you’ve missed out on the handheld phenomenon of the year so far or have just been as yet unable to unlock your very own spotted puppy, Nintendogs Dalmatian & Friends is the companion for you.

Just as cute as ever, Nintendogs Dalmatian & Friends also features all the fantastic ‘touch’ and ‘talk’ elements of the original series. Players get to purchase their favourite puppy, making sure it is fed, walked, cleaned, played with and taught various tricks and commands using the Nintendo DS’s touch screen and microphone.

Once players have trained their puppy, they can enroll their dog into competitions to show off their new talents and earn prize money. Three different types of competition are available: an obedience trial, a frisbee-catching contest and an obstacle course. With the competition earnings, players can purchase food, toys and accessories for their puppy.

The Nintendo DS’s Wi-Fi functionality also allows players to share their adorable new Dalmatian with friends through ‘Bark Mode’. Interacting with another puppy automatically unlocks that breed in another players version of Nintendogs, giving players the chance to share this rare new puppy with friends.

In ‘Bark Mode’, owners search for other Nintendo DS’s running in the same mode using the console’s built in wireless connection. If another console is discovered, the DS will emit a ‘barking’ noise, alerting owners that a playmate has been found. Both players then exchange contact cards, allowing them to interact with each others puppies and give exciting gifts if they wish to. With the phenomenal success of Nintendogs across Europe, owners shouldn’t have any trouble finding someone to meet in ‘Bark Mode’!

So whether you’re a Nintendogs fan or just dotty about Dalmatians, this title is for you! Nintendogs Dalmatian & Friends bounds its way on to the Nintendo DS across Europe from 16th June 2006 for the estimated retail price of around £29.99. We'll let you know of the NZ price as we have it.