At first, I did not have very high hopes for this game. The idea of dressing up dogs in fashionable clothes seemed pretty hokey to me. However, this is actually a decent pet simulation which offers a good bit of engaging gameplay in a charming package. While the potential audience is admittedly small (preteen girls aged 7-10), the game is a pretty good pet simulation for this group. The designers knew their target audience and took the time to make a game that is easy to play and still entertaining.

While the game is essentially about dressing up the family pet, don’t let that fool you into thinking it’s just another girl game. A lot of the fun in playing Tiger Woods (a manly game) is in all the cool accessories he can wear and use. The basic premise here is the same, in that players will earn cool items for their pets by playing mini-games and teaching their dog tricks. Not only clothing for the puppy, but items for the house can be earned.

There are 16 mini-games, not all of which are available in the beginning. They offer a good variety of play, with racing, catching, jumping and matching types of games. Most of them are well-designed and fun to play. The best games are Pup-Pong (a ping-pong game), Spot Mistakes (a spot the difference type of game), Fashion Pup (remember the images from one picture to the next) and Pup Catch (throw the Frisbee in the right direction). The least fun are the racing games, mainly because of the difficulty in making the pup go fast with the stylus. The other games fall in between. There are 3 difficulty levels for each game.

Many of these minigames can be played with two players, and only require one cartridge, yay!

Besides playing mini-games with their pets, players can train their pets, feed them and watch their tricks. They can also take photographs and send them to other profiles attached to a message. And of course, dress up those pets!

There are 8 different types of dogs to choose. They are all cute and attractively drawn, but their heads look somewhat similar to each other. The backgrounds and accessories are nice enough, and the mini-games look pretty decent.

Parents of young girls can purchase this game with confidence. No need to worry about promoting shopping shallowness. The bulk of the game is about playing and taking care of the family pet in a responsible manner. This game is easy and really designed for young girls.  Older kids of both genders will have more fun with Nintendogs, but younger girls will enjoy Dogz Fashion more, despite the wordiness of the opening dialogue. And the dog does look cute in the clothes.
 

Gameplay: 7.5
This pet simulation game for kids is a thoughtfully designed game. The game has a good mix of variety, and is spot-on for the target audience. The interface is also good and easy to understand. The mini-games and the amount of time required to earn items guarantees a good amount of game time.

Graphics: 7.5
The graphics are improved over the earlier Dogz game, and are much more realistic.

Sound: 6
The music is somewhat annoying.

Difficulty: Easy
The game is easy to pick up and play.

Concept: 8
This game follows the unique concept of designing a kid’s game that is for kids and is fun to play.

Multiplayer: 7.5

Overall: 7.5
This game is a good game for young girls. There is a nice variety of gameplay features, and the overall design is solid. The longevity is a plus. Dogz Fashion would have received a higher rating, but for the extremely narrow focus. However, parents should definitely consider getting this game for the girls in their family ages 7-10. It is sure to please.