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Nintendogs dated, three versions

Five dogs per version, and you can swap them with your friends.

Nintendo DS virtual pet title Nintendogs (known as Puppy Times in the States) will be released in Japan on 21st April in three different packages, each featuring five distinctive breeds of puppy. Players will be able to collect the other ten by linking up with friends' copies of the game.

As you may recall, Nintendogs is a Tamagotchi-esque game of playing with your puppies, using the stylus to entertain them with one of more than 150 items, and using the microphone to call their names and issue commands like "sit" and "stay".

Despite its apparent simplicity, Nintendogs has captured the attention of a lot of gamers and has already amassed a cult following. The news of three distinctive packages, announced in Japan yesterday, seems to be the icing on the Pedigree Chum.

Each package, as we say, features five breeds. Nintendogs: Shiba & Friends will consist of Shiba, Shetland Sheepdog, Toy Poodle, Welsh Corgi Pembroke and Miniature Pinshcer; Nintendogs: Miniature Dachshund & Friends features Miniature Dachshund, German Shepherd, Yorkshire Terrier, Miniature Schnauzer and Pug; while Nintendogs: Chihuahua & Friends is Chihuahua, Beagle, Shih Tzu, Cavalier King Charles Spaniel, Labrador Retriever.

Breeding hearts types will love it. We'll let you know what we think as soon as we know that ourselves.