Dog's Life

Last updated

Dog's Life
Dog's Life Coverart.png
PAL cover art
Developer(s) Frontier Developments
Publisher(s)
Director(s) David Braben
Producer(s) Jonny Watts
Designer(s) David Braben
Jonathan Roach
Jonny Watts
Writer(s) Kerry Shale
David Braben
Andrew Gillett
Composer(s) Alistair Lindsay
Platform(s) PlayStation 2
Release
  • EU: 31 October 2003
  • NA: 14 September 2004
Genre(s) Action-adventure
Mode(s) Single-player

Dog's Life is an action-adventure video game developed by Frontier Developments and published by Sony Computer Entertainment for the PlayStation 2. It was released in 2003 in Europe and 2004 in North America by Hip Games.

Contents

Plot

Jake at the Farmhouse area in Clarksville. Dogs life Clarksville.jpg
Jake at the Farmhouse area in Clarksville.

The game opens in Clarksville, a city located in the American countryside. One day the protagonist, Jake the flatulent American Foxhound, witnesses Daisy, a Labrador Retriever, whom he has a crush on, being taken away by dog-catchers and resolves to rescue her. He follows them from the small town of Clarksville, to a mountain resort called Lake Minniwahwah, and finally to Boom City, using information gained from overhearing conversations between humans to track them down. Throughout his adventure, he is continually harassed by Killer, a Dobermann belonging to a dog catcher.

Eventually it is revealed that Miss Peaches, head of a cat food company, is arranging for dogs to be caught and smuggled to a factory where they will be made into her cat food. Jake ultimately makes it to the dog pound, and after rescuing a number of dogs and bribing Killer with bones, gains entry to the factory. There, he manages to prevent Daisy from being killed by the machinery as she is taken through it on a conveyor belt, only for Miss Peaches to appear with a shotgun. Jake farts, sending her falling onto the conveyor belt, killing her and turning her into cat food.

The epilogue reveals that all the stolen dogs were saved and that Jake and Daisy are together.

Gameplay

Smellovision mode Dogs Life SOV.jpg
Smellovision mode

The game allows the player control or interact with over 15 dog breeds each with distinct traits and abilities. They handle things in different ways, that can also be used in challenges or puzzles. [1]

The game is divided into three areas: Clarksville, a rural town; Lake Minniwahwah, a ski resort; and Boom City. [1] These are then divided into smaller areas such as districts or farms. Humans willing to give missions in exchange for bones populate every area. Bones can also be found buried underground or hiding somewhere. Bones are used to increase your stats, which will make it easier to complete missions.

Certain smells picked up through the game's "Smellovision" will activate challenges against a local dog. In each small section of the game there are four challenges, two of which are to find eight smells of the same colour and compete against a local dog. These missions include races, obedience trials, tug-of-war games and a territorial game where the player must run around urinating in marked areas to obtain territory. [1]

There are also salons in some levels where Jake can get his coat cleaned and brushed. He also gains a shiny new collar with a silver 'J' at the front.

Once these dogs are beaten, the player is able to take control of that dog and use their special abilities to find other bones. Other challenges include scent-collecting challenges, and a minigame called "Doggy Do", where the player must copy the moves of the local dog. There are also dangers in certain areas, such as the dog catcher and his Doberman. The player must also keep Jake healthy by feeding him, allowing him to defecate and coax people into giving Jake snacks by growling and barking or performing tricks unlocked by doing the obedience trials. Jake is able to do a range of tricks including begging, sitting, lying down and marking his territory.

Jake can interact with many characters including: chasing, shaking and throwing chickens, stealing sausages, and shaking kittens. [1]

Reception

Dog's Life received "mixed" reviews according to video game review aggregator Metacritic. [3]

Eurogamer found the game amusing, but felt that it offered little for experienced gamers, being aimed at a younger audience. They praised the game's "warm sense of humour" and "cute visuals" and found the idea of controlling a dog to be "actually quite cool". [5] Although GameSpot called the game charming and entertaining, they said that there is not much to do in the game, other than playing and controlling the dogs. [8] GameSpy called it "a nice change of pace" but found the game bland and considered it to be aimed more at younger children than teenagers. [9] IGN called the gameplay "simple and well-executed", but noted that the visuals "look like the game was ripped from a PSone title" and that the audio seemed "all over the place". [11] Charles Herold of The New York Times called the game fun but forgettable. [14] In Japan, Famitsu gave it a score of one eight, one six, and two sevens, for a total of 28 out of 40. [6]

According to the Guinness World Records Gamer's Edition 2009 , Dog's Life holds the world record for the most video game voice-overs recorded by one person in a game. Kerry Shale voiced 32 characters from the game. [15]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Marc Ribot</span> American guitarist and composer (born 1954)

Marc Ribot is an American guitarist and composer.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Crufts</span> International canine event held annually in the United Kingdom

Crufts is an international dog show held annually in the United Kingdom, held since 1891, and organised by The Kennel Club. It is the largest show of its kind in the world.

<i>Project Gotham Racing 2</i> 2003 video game

Project Gotham Racing 2 is a 2003 arcade-style racing video game developed by Bizarre Creations and published by Microsoft Game Studios. It was released exclusively for the Xbox in November 2003 as the successor to 2001's Project Gotham Racing.

<i>Cats & Dogs</i> 2001 spy-comedy film directed by Lawrence Guterman

Cats & Dogs is a 2001 spy-comedy film directed by Lawrence Guterman and written by John Requa and Glenn Ficarra. It stars Jeff Goldblum, Elizabeth Perkins and Alexander Pollock, with the voices of Tobey Maguire, Alec Baldwin, Sean Hayes, Susan Sarandon, Charlton Heston, Jon Lovitz, Joe Pantoliano and Michael Clarke Duncan.

<i>Nintendogs</i> 2005 real-time pet simulation video game

Nintendogs is a real-time pet simulation video game developed and published by Nintendo for the Nintendo DS handheld video game console. It was released in Japan, and was later released in: North America, Australia, New Zealand, Europe and other regions. It was originally released in three different versions: Dachshund & Friends, Lab & Friends and Chihuahua & Friends. It has been re-released twice, first as a bundled release with a special edition Nintendo DS with a new version called Nintendogs: Best Friends and later as Nintendogs: Dalmatian & Friends.

<i>Kirby: Canvas Curse</i> 2005 video game

Kirby: Canvas Curse, known in Europe as Kirby: Power Paintbrush, is a 2005 action-platform game developed by HAL Laboratory, published by Nintendo for the Nintendo DS. While Kirby: Canvas Curse is a platformer, it does not play like a traditional Kirby video game, as it solely requires the use of the stylus. A Wii U sequel, Kirby and the Rainbow Curse, was released in 2015. The game was later re-released for the Wii U's Virtual Console in Europe and Australia in December 2015, in Japan in February 2016, and in North America in October 2016.

<i>The Matrix: Path of Neo</i> 2005 action-adventure video game

The Matrix: Path of Neo is a 2005 action-adventure video game developed by Shiny Entertainment and published by Atari. The game was written and co-directed by the Wachowskis, who wrote and directed the first three The Matrix films and the 2003 video game Enter the Matrix, also developed by Shiny Entertainment. Players control the character Neo, participating in scenes from the films.

<i>The Secret Files of the Spy Dogs</i> American animated series

The Secret Files of the Spy Dogs is an American children's animated series, produced by Saban Entertainment, that aired on Fox Kids from 1998 to 1999.

<i>Backyard Wrestling: Dont Try This at Home</i> 2003 fighting video game

Backyard Wrestling is a fighting game developed by Paradox Development, and published by Eidos Interactive in 2003 for PlayStation 2 and Xbox.

<i>Disney Sports Football</i> 2002 video game

Disney Sports Football is a pair of 2002 sports video games released by Konami for the GameCube and Game Boy Advance.

<i>Gurumin</i> 2004 video game

Gurumin: A Monstrous Adventure is a 2004 action role-playing game developed by Nihon Falcom. It was originally released in Japan in December 2004 for Windows. A PlayStation Portable version was later released in Japan in June 2006, then in 2007 in North America by Mastiff in February and in Europe by 505 Game Street in March. A Nintendo 3DS version, titled Gurumin 3D, was released in 2016.

<i>Kororinpa</i> 2006 video game

Kororinpa (コロリンパ), known as Kororinpa: Marble Mania in North America, is a video game for Nintendo's Wii video game console. It was released in Japan on December 2, 2006 as a launch title for the Wii, then in Europe on February 23, 2007 and North America on March 20, 2007.

<i>The Dog Island</i> 2007 video game

THE DOG Island, known in Japan as THE DOG Island: Hitotsu no Hana no Monogatari, is a 2007 adventure video game for the Wii and PlayStation 2 consoles in which players control a dog and must go on a journey to search for a special flower to aid their sick sibling, which can only be found by achieving their goal to become a "sniff master". The player interacts with various other animals in the game that give hints and information to aid on the quest. The video game is based on The Dog and Friends franchise.

<i>Lego Star Wars: The Complete Saga</i> 2007 video game

Lego Star Wars: The Complete Saga is a Lego-themed action-adventure video game based on the Lego Star Wars line of construction toys. It is a combination of the game Lego Star Wars: The Video Game (2005) and its sequel, Lego Star Wars II: The Original Trilogy, in 2006, which span the first six episodes of the Skywalker Saga. The game was announced by LucasArts on 25 May 2007 at Celebration IV and was released for the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, Wii, and Nintendo DS on 6 November 2007 in North America. The game was later released on Microsoft Windows on 13 October 2009, macOS on 12 November 2010, iOS on 11 December 2013, and for Android on 1 January 2015. The game was a critical and commercial success.

<i>Contra 4</i> 2007 video game

Contra 4 is a 2D action game published by Konami Digital Entertainment in the United States and developed by WayForward Technologies. It is the eleventh overall installment of the Contra series, and was released in North America on November 13, 2007 for Nintendo DS. A mobile port was released six days later on November 19, 2007. A rerelease, called Contra 4: Redux, was released for Android in 2011.

<i>Cats & Dogs: The Revenge of Kitty Galore</i> 2010 film by Brad Peyton

Cats & Dogs: The Revenge of Kitty Galore is a 2010 spy comedy film directed by Brad Peyton in his directorial debut, produced by Andrew Lazar, Polly Johnsen, Greg Michael and Brent O'Connor and written by Ron J. Friedman and Steve Bencich based on the characters by John Requa and Glenn Ficarra. The film stars Chris O'Donnell, Jack McBrayer, Fred Armisen and Paul Rodriguez with an ensemble voice cast of James Marsden, Nick Nolte, Christina Applegate, Katt Williams, Bette Midler, Neil Patrick Harris, and Sean Hayes, Joe Pantoliano and Michael Clarke Duncan reprising their roles from previous first film. The film is a stand-alone sequel to the 2001 film Cats & Dogs, with more emphasis on its animal characters than the previous film, and was released on July 30, 2010, by Warner Bros. Pictures. It received mostly negative reviews from film critics and grossed $112.5 million on an $85 million budget.

<i>Nintendogs + Cats</i> 2011 video game

Nintendogs + Cats is a real-time pet simulation video game for the Nintendo 3DS. It is a sequel to the Nintendogs games for the Nintendo DS systems. It was announced alongside the 3DS during Nintendo's E3 press conference and is a launch game, released February 26, 2011, in Japan, March 25, 2011, in Europe and March 27, 2011, in North America, launched earlier in Australia.

A ratter is any dog used for catching and killing rats and similar vermin. Specialized rat-catching breeds are found in many countries. A typical ratter is small to medium-sized and has a short and smooth coat, however a wide range of dog breeds and landraces may be used. The use of ratting dogs is widely considered to be the most environmentally friendly, humane and efficient methods of exterminating rodents. Ratting dogs are considered more efficient than domestic cats.

<i>Diggin Dogs</i> 2012 video game

Diggin' Dogs is a 2012 casual puzzle video game developed by Soap Creative and published by Chillingo for iOS devices. The player must guide dogs to the end of a level by swiping the screen to dig through dirt and tilting the device left or right using accelerometer-based motion controls to move dogs and items. Diggin' Dogs received "generally favorable reviews", according to review aggregator Metacritic, and was compared by critics to Where's My Water?, a game with a similar digging mechanic, although Diggin' Dogs was in development before it released.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 "Dog's Life - Case Info"
  2. ↑ "Dog's Life for PlayStation 2". GameRankings. Archived from the original on 9 December 2019. Retrieved 27 October 2023.
  3. 1 2 "Dog's Life for PlayStation 2 Reviews". Metacritic . Retrieved 16 May 2013.
  4. ↑ Edge staff (January 2004). "Dog's Life". Edge . No. 132. p. 102.
  5. 1 2 Reed, Kristan (10 November 2003). "Dog's Life". Eurogamer . Retrieved 16 May 2013.
  6. 1 2 duckroll (18 May 2005). "This week's Famitsu scores are in! (BOMBA)". NeoGAF . Retrieved 15 January 2016.
  7. ↑ Brogger, Kristian (September 2004). "Dog's Life". Game Informer . No. 137. p. 107. Archived from the original on 18 November 2005. Retrieved 15 January 2016.
  8. 1 2 Shoemaker, Brad (24 August 2004). "Dog's Life Review". GameSpot . Retrieved 15 January 2016.
  9. 1 2 Chapman, David (23 August 2004). "GameSpy: A Dog's Life [sic]". GameSpy . Retrieved 15 January 2016.
  10. ↑ The Bearer (29 September 2004). "Dog's Life - PS2 - Review". GameZone. Archived from the original on 4 October 2008. Retrieved 15 January 2016.
  11. 1 2 Lewis, Ed (24 August 2004). "Dog's Life". IGN . Retrieved 15 January 2016.
  12. ↑ "Dog's Life". Official U.S. PlayStation Magazine . September 2004. p. 89.
  13. ↑ "Review: Dog's Life". PSM . October 2004. p. 32.
  14. 1 2 Herold, Charles (14 October 2004). "Touches of Weird, Done Best in Japan". The New York Times . Archived from the original on 14 March 2019. Retrieved 15 January 2016.
  15. ↑ Guinness World Records, ed. (2010). Guinness World Records 2009 Gamer's Edition . Guinness World Records. pp. 108–109. ISBN   978-1-904994-45-9.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.