The Dog Island – WII – Review

Somebody out there in the
video-game universe must has woken up from a dead sleep one night in a cold
sweat screaming "Puppies!" Because quite frankly, we have been inundated with
the hairy little buggers big time since Nintendogs came a calling two years
ago. Ever since then, game developers have been clamoring for ways to make a
game about the most popular animal in the world doing cute and somewhat
interesting things. So into the fold comes Ubisoft who decides to make things
a bit more linear for gamers who love dogs and may like RPGs.

This is a game tailor made for my
son who absolutely loves puppies and the Wii. And since typical RPG fare does
not appeal to him, the simple quests and item hunting required of your puppy
is exactly what the Dr. ordered. You see, in Dog Island, you play as one of
40+ breeds of puppies (you pick) and like those greeting cards and other
pictures, the puppies are tiny bodied and big headed, with big noses for
sniffing as well. Just the sort of thing that appeals to younger gamers and
maybe a few older ones too. Since the game is an adventure, you are tasked
with finding the cure to your younger brother’s sickness. In doing so you will
travel over the surprisingly huge island, meeting other dogs and animals,
doing tasks for them and learning all sorts of new smells that aid you in your
travels. Most of the tasks involve you speaking (sometimes too long) to the
various dogs you run across and discovering that they need a particular item
from "X." Going and getting that item and returning it to the rightful owner
is pretty much the name of the game.

 
"Gotta go, gotta go, gotta go….. never
a fire hydrant when you need one."

If this sounds like it may be too
easy for you, then you are probably right. I said it before but this is like
an introductory RPG for younger players. I was astonished by how much there is
to see and explore, and the Wiimote provides a good way to control things as
the nunchuk is not required. The game is simple in its premise but provides
adequate side tasks to do to make things interesting. I will admit that the
developers put more effort into the visuals of the game than I would have
guessed and there is plenty to look at and sniff throughout the game. Not
particularly great graphics, but surprisingly good ones. The little dogs look
quite cute especially when you see them in hats and wearing glasses. There are
no humans to be found so I guess you could say this was a form of doggie
nirvana as there is no one telling them where they can’t go and when they can
eat, but I saw no shovels, and we all know dogs don’t clean up after
themselves. Regardless, the game has pleasant graphics and moves at a steady
pace so there is no slow down in appearance.

The same could be said for the
subdued acoustical sounds of guitars in the background. The musical score is
light fare and invokes a certain harmony amongst dogs, who for some reason
never fight. Plenty of reading when you do make contact with other dogs and
engage in conversation. I suppose coming up with that many different dog
voices would be a challenge, so the developers simply never put voice work to
use here. I like how you can bark at the moon, that was funny and caused some
giggle moments for my son.

Interestingly enough, the game
does have combat as your little pup will engage in enemies and be forced to
knock them unconscious when needed. You are after all trying to save your
little brother. This is something I wasn’t too sure about but after
experiencing it first hand, I will tell all you parents out there that this is
nothing to be worried about. Ubisoft has made an adventure game with six-year
olds in mind and rest assured their little minds will not become warped.

Lastly, there are several
mini-games to break things up even more. Fishing, soccer, a pirate ship
deck-swabbing game; there are several and given how large this island truly
is, there is so much for your child to look for and explore. The word
astounding comes to mind when I think about how large this island really is.


Review Scoring Details
for The Dog Island

Gameplay: 7.0
Easy, smooth, well made for your
child.

Graphics: 7.3
Smooth animation and kid-friendly
looks are the order of the day. No slowdown in the action.

Sound: 7.5
Barking, nature, an acoustical jam
by somebody who respects guitar, all very nice.

Difficulty: Easy/Medium
It is easy for kids to pick up and go, but since
it is a rather large game, I think it will take some effort to see it
completely through.

Concept: 7.7
What a wonderful idea for a game. It may not make perfect sense to an
adult, but to a child this is a beautiful experience. I can see it in my own
kids’ eyes when they play it.

Overall: 7.4
I have the distinct advantage of
being able to see how the target audience responds to a game and that response
is a good one. Hats off to Ubisoft for taking a step in a completely different
direction.