Discovery Kids: Kitten Corner and Puppy Playtime :: DS Games Review

The new Discovery Kids animal simulations games, which includes animals like dolphins and ponies along with kitties and puppies, are very detailed on certain elements. Each game seems to have the same base foundation but offers a different gaming experience.

For example, if you are looking for a pet game where you can create a very unique pet and compete in contests and win awards, then Kitten Corner is the game for you. However, if you want a game where you teach your pet lots of different tricks and then use them in story-like situations, then Puppy Playtime is a good choice. While the games have their differences, they share a lot of the same pros and cons.

Great Discoveries

The amount of options in the games is amazing. For Kitten Corner, you can customize your cat with 35 different fur colorings. As well, you can teach your puppy in Puppy Playtime lots of different tricks and, in both games, you can buy lots of different accessories, furniture, and toys to play with. Also, there are lots of mini-games and missions available, which will give you lots to do.

Your pet's hunger, thirst and mood is tracked on helpful charts in the main menu. In Puppy Playtime, your puppy actually grows up a bit, starting at around two months old and aging until it is around one year old. Puppy Playtime is a rescue dog game where you train your puppy to help out the police, fire department, and lifeguards in different missions.

Poor Discoveries

Unfortunately, Puppy Playtime only has three kinds of dogs: Dalmatian, German Shepherd and Labrador Retriever. There are no voice commands, like in Nintendogs, in both games, everything is done with the stylus on a cluttered menu.

The game experience does not flow very well. The tutorials at the start of the game are very long and teaches more things than can be remembered later on. As well, your puppy tends to nap a lot at the start of the game, which makes practicing what you learned harder. Also, every time you start up a saved game, the game will ask you if you want to delete your saved game, which can lead to accidents and heartbreak if you are not careful.

Worth Discovering?

Although Discovery Kids does have some interesting features and gameplay elements, it is not done well enough to garner a recommendation. If you really love pet sims, then give this game a try, the animals are still very cute!

Rating:

Price: $29.99

ESRB Rating: E for Everyone

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