(This is the review that almost wasn’t. Read on to find out why.)
One of my biggest pet peeves is children who play games that are too violent or inappropriate for their age. My husband and I do not approve of them and do not let our kids play them when they are under our roof. If we do let them play games, we monitor what they play on their various gaming devices. Though there are many parents that argue violent video games don’t have any impact on children, my husband and I respectfully disagree with the mindset, and feel that we, as parents, have an obligation to keep our children from playing those types of games for as long as possible.
When we do choose games for our kids, we look for ones that are age-appropriate and fun. For my seven-year-old, there are many cute and fun games he can play that are enjoyable and we approve of. My children have been playing the Petz games for years. In fact, one of the first games my 12-year-old ever got was a Petz one. And now my son is into them too!
The other day Petz Beach for his 3DS came in the mail for my son, and he and I both sat down to try it out and see if it is as good as previous Petz games. 
To start, I created a minpin named Zoe. I created her because I thought it would be funny to have a virtual pet like our real life one. It turns out, she’s way better behaved in the virtual world. LOL!
Seriously, our real life Zoe is a bit of a demon puppy. We love her, but she gets into everything. And because she’s got long legs and can jump almost as high as I am tall, she can get on our table, even if the chairs are pushed in.
When the game came in, I set it on the table, thinking it would be safe. It wasn’t. Check out the teeth marks on the game. (This was just the start of our review issues.)
Luckily, the inside of the game went unscathed and I was able to pop into the 3DS and start playing. Yes, mommy tried it first.
One of the hardest things for me when playing games on a DS system is the split screens. Oh…and 3D mode on 3DS system kills my eyes. I have a hard time adjusting. Go ahead, make old jokes if you want to. I don’t mind. I am getting old.
Once I turned off 3D mode, I was able to play the game without anymore headaches…or eyeaches.
Picking out a dog was easy. There are many pets to choose from and interact with over the course of the game. Over 50, to be exact, ranging from cats and dogs, to dolphins and whales, and even penguins. I haven’t seen any dolphins yet, but I want to. They’re my favorite!
As for the local, as the name suggests, it’s a beach, complete with white, sandy beaches, palm trees and an ocean view.
Also, I liked the little missions/quests you and your pet are sent out on, as well as learning new tricks, like digging for shells on the beach.
I also love how Ubisoft, the makers of the game, partnered with Encyclopedia Britannica, to provide children with facts about animals, plants and insects. Kids are able to learn in a fun way, which is great since some children require different ways to learn.
When it came time for my son to try it out, he was able to jump right in and play from where I left off. And where I struggled, he didn’t. I guess you can tell he’s used to playing it, and mommy’s not.
He was upset that I picked a minpin for a pet. I think he wanted something different. Oh well!
As for what he thought of the game, he loved it just as much as the other Petz game. He loves running his pet all over the village, going on quests, meeting villagers and trying out new tricks, too.
He loved the bright colors and different items you can purchase for your pet also.
So why did this review take so long to finish?
Well, from the moment I put the game in my son’s 3DS for the first time, the charging port only worked sporadically and wasn’t charging fully.
And then it went kaput.
We tried to fix the prongs in the port with no luck. We ended up having to go on Amazon and order a charging station to attach to the DS in order for me to finish my review. That was $23 we didn’t plan on spending on this review. However, my son is happy now because his DS works great…and we are happy because we didn’t have to purchase an entirely new 3DS. That would NOT have been good.+
Overall thoughts:
I think Petz Beach is a wonderful game designed for kids 7+. Parents have no need to worry about exposing their children to inappropriate content. The game is easy to play, but may be challenging for children than younger than seven. If you’ve already got the other Petz games in your game collection, this is another great one to add to it.
Petz: Beach FAQ
- Can connect with other players, exchange items and take pictures of your pets via the Street Pass.
- If you own Petz Beach and Petz Countryside, you can visit your town from the other game with your pet
- Can exchange exclusive items between games.
- Game expands the longer you play.
- Interact with 28 different breeds of dogs, six breeds of cats.
- Features over 200 in-game collectibles.
- The environment within the game changes with the season.
- Release date: October 14, 2014 (Just in time for the holiday season which is fast approaching.)
- Purchase Petz Beach on Amazon for $29.99
I was selected for this opportunity as a member of Clever Girls Collective and the content and opinions expressed here are all my own.