Petz Fantasy 3D for the Nintendo 3DS – review

Ever wondered what it would be like to own and raise an exotic or mythical pet, like a red panda or a unicorn, and to teach them tricks and even magic? If so, then Petz Fantasy for the 3DS might be the game for you! This new 3DS game is somewhat similar to the pet-related games for the Nintendo DS, but, of course, all of the fun and action is seen and played on a 3D screen. If you’re a fan of the regular DS Petz sorts of games, you’re sure to love playing this one, as well! If you like other kinds of games, like first-person shooters, or superhero ones, you might not like this one; but, then again, you probably wouldn’t be reading this in the first place if you did like those games exclusively.

What cool features does this game have? You hatch your pets from eggs, and there are twenty different ones in all. They become, like real pets, your virtual best friends, and besides teaching them tricks, you can dress them up in more than 42 fun costumes and accessories.

Also, you take care of your life-like pets: You get to feed them, clean them and learn their preferences – from cotton candy to Tabasco sauce – to help them grow.

Also, the pets interact with you, showing you their affection by licking the screen, putting a paw up to welcome you, and performing 360 jumps when they’re excited. I love our family pet (really my teen daughter’s), a terrier mix, but even Lily doesn’t know how to do 360 jumps! The pets can explore their 3-dimensional worlds, and you can teach them magical powers, too.

Besides all of this, there are fun mini-games you can play with them, and there are 20 different magical maps you can collect to aid in exploring their world. They can also learn to fly, speed, breathe ice, and spit fire. What’s more, you can keep them hidden from your parents by teaching them to morph into household objects like toasters and lamps, and you can have the fun of watching them transform in 3D! Also, you can have a good time looking for them in your home once they transform, kind of like with Hidden Objects types of games, except in this case, you’re looking for objects that you think might be your pets that have transformed themselves into household objects!

What’s more, you can use the Nintendo 3DS Camera to decrypt codes on cards and discover new 3D realistic creatures, outfits and accessories. Who knows? Maybe if you take good enough care of these virtual pets, your parents will let you have a real one of your own! Of course, one good thing about having virtual pets is that you don’t have to clean up after them if they have “accidents” in the house. A couple of others are that you don’t have to worry about them shedding or barking so loudly they wake up the neighbors!

I prefer, in general, the other sorts of games I mentioned, like first-person shooters and MRPGs (Massive role-Playing Games). But Petz Fantasy 3D for the Nintendo 3DS is a great game for anyone who is a fan of the regular DS Petz games, and it is a family-friendly, nonviolent game that will provide anyone who loves virtual pets hours of fun!