If you owned a Nintendo DS, you might remember the pet simulator Nintendogs, one of the first games released for it way back in 2005. While we haven’t received an official sequel yet, Little Friends: Dogs & Cats by developer Imagineer could fill that virtual puppy-shaped hole in your life when it gets released in America and Europe sometime later this year.
As the game’s name heavily implies, Little Friends: Dogs & Cats gives players the opportunity to interact with virtual representations of some of mankind’s favorite furry friends, whether they be a puppy or a kitten. Just like Nintendogs, you can do a variety of activities with your friend, including petting them, playing with them, or dressing them out in a wide variety of silly outfits.
Originally releasing in Japan at the tail-end (ha ha) of last year, Little Friends offers three types of kitten and six breeds of dog, including Labrador Retrievers, German Shepherds, French Bulldogs, and Shiba Inus. You can have any combination of three pets you want in your apartment, and you can have an additional twelve pets in a hotel.
There are a variety of activities you can perform with your furry friends. The trailer shows off some walking and Frisbee throwing, but there are also a whole variety of toys for your pets like balls and cat wands. There are also over 600 different accessories to dress up your pets, and you can use the Switch’s screenshot feature to take pictures of you adorably dressed buddies. They’ll probably be much more receptive to your cowboy costumes than a real-life pet.
There’s no official release date yet, but we know Little Friends: Dogs & Cats will be arriving sometime “this spring.” If you’re going to PAX East later this month, you’ll be able to try the game hands-on at booth #24096.