Months ago I happened to see a call out on Twitter visitor the movie download for “anyone who has a DS game system and school age kids”. My keen parental instincts told me this was probably a PR person trying to take advantage of my kids.
I promptly responded “yes! me! is there something free involved?!?!”
And that’s how I came to be the proud owner of the GoPets:Vacation Island game for the Nintendo DS.
For all of about 2 seconds.
The box arrived, I unpacked it, and the radar Devin has for Things That May Rot His Brain kicked in. The game was off the kitchen counter before I had a chance to confirm the spelling of the game. I haven’t seen it since.
In other words, this entire review is based on second hand knowledge from my 8 year old son. And my 3 year old. And my 28 year old husband who apparently has an affinity for the mini-game portion.
“You should tell people that it’s really awesome and I’m super good at it and I’ve pretty much already won the game,” Devin told me when I asked him about it.
“Do you have to shoot anyone?”
“Uh, no. Why would a dog or a cat shoot anyone?”
“Never mind. So it’s about dogs and cats?”
“Well you make a dog or a cat and then you dress it up and then you get stuff and you do stuff with it and also there’s games and I am awesome at the games and I beat Dad at all of them.”
“The site says it’s about social networking.” Devin gives me a blank stare and reminds me I am talking to an 8 year old, not a focus group. “Is there a part where you play with other people?”
“Well, yeah. Kinda. I guess. I don’t really do that though. No one does that Mom.”
8 year olds not yet into social networking. Noted.
“But it was fun? You liked it? And you didn’t have to shoot anyone or blow up anything or learn about the hardships of war through a virtual reality?”
“Mom, you’re weird.”
Jared has assured me that the game is safe. That being said, he also had no idea that there was supposed to be a “social networking” component to it. Ironically, it seems the whole point of the game is supposed to be like a Second Life experience for kids – in a safe environment. Except they’re cute fuzzy animals instead of big breasted sex pots.
But my family, neither my son nor my husband, had much interest in that aspect. They were content to go through the mini games and spend hours trying to figure out how to be able to buy stuff from the store for their virtual pets.
Neither of them are all that “social” in real life. I wonder if that played a role in what they got from the game. Maybe I should box it up and send it to a family with a third grade girl.
Any takers?
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Posted in Sponsored Posts - PR, ads, reviews, sponsored giveaways Tagged: GoPets: Vacation Island, Nintendo DS, reviews, video games
I have read your blog for awhile, and haven’t ever commented… I find your wit and honesty entertaining as well as insightful, hence I am always returning. Thanks!
Anyway – on this game post… so cool… My daughter (8) and stepson (13) have DS’. I am always worried about the games I would purchase for them… (I totally identify with the; did you have to shoot anyone questions!). That being said, my stepson – I don’t know how this game would, if ever, go over. My daughter will love it.
Again, thanks…
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I reviewed this game too and my 6YO daughter loves the dressing up features for the pets. There is a cooking game on it where you make meals and that’s way fun, seriously, it is easier to make broccoli stir fry in real life than it is on that game, you gotta keep stirring that shit or it’ll burn! BOO!
So, try the cooking game, it’s fun. If anyone is ever willing to share.
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Thank god Motley is 19 and I was only subjected to NanoBabies and the Tamagachi thingamabobs.
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When you’re a kid all you care about are the kids at school and your parents… they don’t need to social network! They’re just making sense of their ‘First Life’… they don’t have time for a second one!
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Was it bad that it took me a full minute to figure out what a DS was? I feel totally out of sync with life now.
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I’m confused.
Do the dogs and cats steal cars, pick up hookers and run over pedestrians?
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in our house, we only play games where you get to kill people.
Example?have you played Mortal Kombat Armageddon for the wii yet? You haven’t seen funny until you watch a four year old screaming “FINISH HIM! Do the rip his spine thing!!
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Hmm, I may download this off Bit Torrent and try it. I haven’t many DS games I like yet.
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My six year old grandson has two WebKinz stuffed animals and plays something on-line that sounds similar. He gets into decorating the ‘pet’s’ room and buying stuff, but don’t think it goes much further than that. I did take a brief look at their site and was relieved to see that though your ‘pet’ can get sick, it will never die…wait, does this mean he’ll have to take of those things forever?
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so that is what dev was playing the whole time i was there! he kept asking me if a kabob was rare and if a dog would like it. or what things i had never heard of were. then he would tilt the game so i could see the animal in clothing and wonder what the fuck could hold his brilliant little brain for so long. (fortunately harry potter or building a fort or licking my arm with his sister were also just as engrossing for little dude. he makes me giggle.)
p.s. i have “keeping the faith” (ben stiller, edward norton, jenna elfman) on my tv this morning and jenna’s character was just standing at the met, in front of one of rodin’s sculptures. the eternal spring one that you seemed to really enjoy. i miss new york with you guys. sigh.
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Sounds like something Bri would play, but she’s 6. Hubby ot one for christmas and the kids keep taking it.
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Hubby got a DS, i mean. Need more coffee….
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Even Mob Wars has a ’social networking’ aspect to it. But I have a lot more fun putting people in the hospital
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That game sounds like something my daughter would have liked, when she was little. But my 8 yr. old boy is into Star Wars and Wii games. But he DOES play Webkinz online. Has your son ever tried that? Aaron loves it! Oops, I just saw that someone else already mentioned Webkinz. Note to self: read comments first.
J.
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Social networking for children – that’s amazing. We call it school.
My kid is so not into this stuff, yet – YET.
Dogs and cats shooting people is funny. I think they’d go for neutering people, first.
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Blab blah blah, words.
So, are you offering your children or the game in this post?
I’m all about the Webkinz.
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Yay! Poppy likes Webkinz, too!! :heartbeat:
J.
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I’m with Poppy.
All about the Webkinz.
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I’d take it but we don’t have a Nintendo DS system. I’m with Poppy and Dawg on the Webkinz, though. Natalie LOVES them and has five million of them.
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I bought my 5 year old a game similar to that for her Leapster. I LOVE it! It’s on dogs though. We dress her up (it’s always the white poodle) and you play games to win money to buy stuff at the store. We both play it, but I have to admit, she is much better at it than me. I’ve never been a video game person, except for that damn Mario Brother’s that I used to spend endless hours on when my boys were 5 & 6, and 6 & 7, then 7 & 8… you get the idea!
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