- Site: Petz Sports
- Publisher: Ubisoft
- Developer: TransGaming, Inc.
- Genre: Simulation
By Brad Cook
In 1999, ESPN placed the famous racehorse Secretariat in 35th place on its list of the greatest athletes of the 20th century; he was the only non-human in the top 50. If ESPN covered the world of Petz, you might be able to train and race your own animal to a spot on the list of greatest athletes of the 21st century. In the meantime, you’ll have to settle for personal fame and glory with friends and family.
Begin your quest to become top dog by choosing one of 18 breeds of Dogz — from quick, agile Chihuahuas to powerful Rottweilers — and prepare your puppy for the game’s 36 races spread across four cups. As in Petz: Dogz 2, you build a strong relationship with your new friend by playing games with it, petting it, and teaching it more than 20 tricks. Put series of tricks together to teach routines to your puppy.
As your pet successfully completes races, tricks, and games, you unlock new content, including more challenging races, tricks, and games, as well as new clothing and accessories that ultimately give your dog more than 100,000 custom looks to choose from. You also earn adoption coins that let you acquire more dogs whose canine racing careers you can nurture too.
New Dogz, Old Trickz
The games, which become available after completing your first set of races in the Street Cup, consist of jumping rope and playing fetch. During the former, you command your dog to jump to the beat of the music, performing special moves when indicated. In the latter, you use a slingshot to hit targets with a tennis ball; successful strikes result in your dog leaping through the air to catch the ball.
When teaching tricks to your pet, pick up a treat and guide it along the path, turning it when necessary — if you stray too far outside the lines, your dog will eat the treat and you’ll have to start over. Complete that task three times to teach your new dog old tricks; teach your dog a routine by quickly completing several tricks in succession.
You’ll need to move between races, tricks, and games as you build up your dog’s skills; you must complete all of them at a certain level of difficulty to unlock the next one. The strength and stamina your dog accumulates from tricks and games come in handy during races, where he must slalom through series of poles, leap over hurdles, circle cones, cross narrow beams, and jump across sandpits. You’ll compete in four racing cups: Street, City, National, and World — the final one takes place in a sold-out stadium with thousands of cheering fans.
Any time you want, you can compete against a friend or family member in a race from any of the cups. Petz Sports supports up to six profiles, so each of you can build your favorite canine’s abilities through solo play before pitting them against each other. A victory in the World Cup final may not be the same as winning the Kentucky Derby, but we’re sure it will be enough for personal bragging rights.
Game Hardware
Check out our systems for your best gaming experience.
If you liked these games, check out:
- Black & White: Creature Isle
- Petz: Catz 2
- Petz: Dogz 2
- The Sims: Unleashed
- The Sims 2: Pets
- The Sims Pet Stories
- Zoo Tycoon 2
System Requirements:
- Mac OS X version 10.4.11 or 10.5.5
- Intel Core Duo processor
- 1GB of RAM
- ATI X1600, Nvidia 7300 GT, or Intel GMA950 (requires Mac OS X 10.5.5) or better graphics chipset
- 2.1GB hard disk space
The Breeds
- Labrador Retriever: One of the most popular breeds in the world, labs, as they’re known, make dependable, loyal dogs who aren’t difficult to train.
- Yorkshire Terrier: Playful dogs, Yorkies, as they’re often called, tend to be intelligent and outgoing.
- German Shepherd: These dogs were originally bred in the late 1800s for herding sheep. They’re strong, smart, and obedient.
- Golden Retriever: Bred for hunting, these dogs are smart and eager to please.
- Beagle: Unlike the most famous member of their breed, Snoopy from the “Peanuts” comic strip, these dogs tend to be even-tempered.
- Boxer: They possess powerful jaws, but almost never use them, preferring to be loyal and friendly with their owners.
- Poodle: Considered one of the smartest breeds, poodles are agile, obedient dogs.
- Shih-Tzu: Also known as “Tibetan temple dog,” this breed originated in China.
- Schnauzer: This German breed is very loyal and was often used in the past to guard homes and carry messages in times of war.
- Chihuahua: Named after the Mexican state, these dogs are loyal and learn tricks very easily.
- Pug: These stubby dogs like to have fun and aren’t difficult to train.
- Boston Terrier: A friendly breed, Boston Terriers are often eager to please.
- Rottweiler: Despite their fearsome appearance and reputation, these powerful dogs’ reputation as fiercely loyal stretches back to the days of the Roman Empire.
- Maltese: These tiny dogs are descended from a breed originally associated with the island of Malta. Despite their size, they’re known for being fearless.
- Mini Pinscher: This small variation of the Pinscher type was originally bred to hunt vermin. They tend to be energetic and playful.
- Siberian Husky: Bred for working in cold weather, these dogs are known for being extremely energetic.
- Dalmatian: These dogs are known for their high endurance and ability to run very fast.
- Bernese Mountain: Originating in Switzerland, these dogs love the outdoors.
Tips and Tricks
- Your dog often stops to inspect a new race feature, such as the balance beam, before tackling it. There’s nothing you can do about that, so just wait for him to be done and focus on what he needs to do to clear the obstacle.
- It’s not uncommon for your dog to get distracted during a race. He is a puppy, after all. Just pay attention to the icons you see onscreen and click the appropriate mouse buttons to get him going again.
- There’s nothing for you to do when your dog is moving through a tunnel, so take a break and get ready to have him running again as soon as he exits it.
- Don’t get your dog running before the announcer says “Go!” or you’ll commit a false start.
- For an extra edge on your opponents, don’t forget to use a Power Start at the beginning of the race and a Power Boost after negotiating each obstacle.