Nintendogs-esque game to keep an eye on for Switch

Rejoice pet lovers, a game very reminiscent of the classic Nintendogs has come to the Nintendo Switch in Japan. Little Friends: Dogs & Cats is described to be a game dedicated to spending your days with furry friends that “exhibit lifelike expressions and behaviours.”

Dog and cat raising is already a popular video game genre, and a title like this can only thrive on the Nintendo Switch, considering its capabilities. Interacting with the pets and their fur can be enjoyed through the Switch’s HD rumble that comes into play when petting these  cute companions.

The game boasts popular breeds of dogs and cats both within and outside Japan, featuring over 40 hair colour and patterns for you to choose from for each breed. Little Friends also provides many ways for you to interact with your pet of choice. Whether it be Joy-Cons and their movement vibrations or touch panel controls, playing with these virtual pets can prove to be exorbitant amounts of fun with the variety of ways you can improve your bond: you can pull the pet’s cheeks, pet, touch, feed or even play ball!

More customisation options are available too, with the ability to fully customise the room inhabited by you and your furry friend.  With over 600 costumes and accessories to support this, showing off your room and companion can also prove to be a fun mechanic thanks to the Switch’s built-in social media sharing capabilities.

Little Friends: Dogs & Cats released on the Nintendo Switch back in December 2018 for Japanese audiences so Australian audiences are yet to get a taste of this furry fun. With the previous success of Nintendogs and games alike however, it surely is only a matter of time until the title reaches Western shores.

The title should be monitored closely until it finally fills in the digital companion shaped hole in our heart that has come with current generation consoles.