Nintendogs + Cats doesnât just add better graphics, the creepy ability for the virtual pets to watch you and cats to the mix. There are also some neat augmented reality features built into this latest version of digital pet ownership.
Once youâve selected your pet, named him or her and done a little training, the game unlocks the ability to bring your cat or dog into the real world through the Nintendo 3DSâ augmented reality cards.
Pointing the 3DSâ camera at one of the six AR cards makes your pet appear on the card wearing a special prop. If you use the Mario card, you get a pet with Marioâs iconic hat. The Link card gets you a cat or dog with a blond wig and green hat. Check out the video to see them all in action.
The other neat way the game dips into reality is by using the 3DSâ built-in pedometer to take your virtual pet for a real walk. You can still use the touch screen to go for walks, but now you can also select to go out and then close your 3DS and go on a real walk. Once youâre done, you open the system up and it shows you how far youâve walked your pet.
Pretty neat.