Reviews:
-
Going above and beyond its contemporaries have been satisfied with, this adds what ends up being a nice sense of adventure to the mix
There’s no doubt that to this day if you’re looking to emulate a winning formula in pet sims the Nintendogs series continues to pretty well define the gold standard. Since it has been quite some time since Nintendo last released one though, with none on the Switch, it hasn’t been surprising to see quite a number of would-be leaders of the subgenre pack emerge. The problem is that, to date, none of them have even remotely matched the fun, variety, and polish of the original, with most being satisfied to simply try and replicate a portion of what made it special rather than tackle surpassing or even remotely matching the depth and quality of that Nintendo classic. Puppy Island, instead, brings many of the staple pet sim elements to the table, allowing you to care for, feed, pet, dress, and walk your pets… but then going the extra mile to add elements to exploration and building to the mix. While it may not seem like much I found that this style was at least far more likely to keep my attention, always teasing a bit more to see and unlock if you stick with it. While on a general level it still doesn’t quite match the best qualities and level of polish of Nintendogs it gets more of the formula right than wrong, and by doing a few things its own way helps to more firmly establish itself as the title to beat in this space on the Switch.
Justin Nation, Score:Nindie Choice! [8.1]