GoPets: Vacation Island (Nintendo DS, 2008)

I really looked forward to the online play when I bought this game. In fact, I wouldn't have even bothered purchasing the game at all if everything was offline. However, to my disappointment, after I had already purchased the game I discovered the online features were no longer available. At first I worried it might just be my DS or that it would take a while to connect, but my DS and game cartridge were fine. Weeks later, still unable to connect, I found the reason behind this was the discontinuation of online play.

The offline play is alright for a few days. You get a choice of cat, dog, and later on a pony and the customization of colors and clothing is really good. There are some fun minigames, like Mahjong, Darts, and cooking to keep you entertained for a little while... but as for taking care of pets, it won't take long before that gets really boring. There is nothing special about unlocking new places, it's just a different background to look at while playing with your pets. The game is also a bit glitchy.

Overall, this game starts out fun but gets boring really quick, the only reason I ever play it now is for the Mahjong (GoTiles) minigame. The pets are very cute and cartoony, but don't let that reason alone suck you in. Do not buy this game if you were looking forward to any of the online features.