The likelihood was teased earlier but more official word is here: Little Friends: Dogs & Cats is making its way to Western audiences exclusively to the Nintendo Switch later in the year, filling the little Nintendogs shaped void that has been left inside all of us since the series’ last installment on the DS in 2011.
“Little Friends: Dogs & Cats is an adorable pet simulator that we hope animal lovers of all ages will fall in love with,” states Katie Clark, Product Manager at Sold Out. The release of this title marks the first of the pet simulation genre on the Switch.
While Little Friends isn’t related to or a part of the Nintendogs IP in any form, it promises to fulfill the charm that the series had. This is a title that benefits from the Switch, with functions such as the handheld device’s HD rumble used in game when interacting and petting with these cute and furry companions.
The lineup of 6 breeds of dogs, including favourites such as Labrador Retrievers, German Sheperds and French Bulldogs also includes 3 cute kittens for all feline lovers out there. Interacting with your pets appears to fun and creative with game features too:
“Play with your furry friend! Use the Switch and it’s touch screen capabilities to pet your friend or even take them out for a walk to maintain their happiness. Playing ball and practice fetch for the flying disc tournament too, unlocking new toys as you play. Interact with up to 3 pets at a time or use the hotel to keep up to 12 of these cute companions”
What seems to be one of the large selling points of the title however is the customisation available. With over 600 customisable options for your pets, you can dress and style your friends in whatever fashion you desire and then screenshot images of them to remember an iconic or cute look to share! With free access to social media sharing, showing off your furry friend looks to be a large part of the fun to be had with the title.
Little Friends: Dogs & Cats was a title that previously only allowed for Japanese audiences to enjoy playing with their furry friends but not for much longer: Imagineer’s title is being published and brought to Western shores as soon as this Spring (This Autumn for Aussies!). In the meantime, the game will be readily available at PAX East in Boston at the end of the month for those itching to get a taste.
About the Author
Charlie Kelly
She/Her, They/Them
Charlie loves her video games as much as she loves dumb, charming JRPG protagonists: probably way too much. You can often catch her spending too much time being emotional over LGBT stories in games. She also thinks Yakuza 6 is the best one.
