A Pet for Your PS3

Even before we opened the box, my 6-year-old was itching to play  EyePet & Friends for the PlayStation Move. For my big time animal lover, it was love at first sight.

From the beginning, a friendly voice guides you through obtaining and caring for your EyePet. In 2 player mode, we began by naming our ‘eggs’. That’s right, eggs! The fun begins when each player is given an egg with a surprise EyePet inside. Though you cannot see the little guy, you can hear the squeaking and watch the egg wiggle as you encourage your pet to come out of its egg. The motion controller becomes a heated fan to warm the egg, then we played a game of Simon Says by imitating the pet’s movement with a series of taps. (This early interaction was a great intro to familiarizing both myself and my daughter with our pets.) With the top of the shell off, we coerced the furry little guys out by gently petting them on the head. We couldn’t help but, “awwwwwww!” the minute the little critters popped out.

From the menu, you’re given options to care for your EyePet just as you would any other. Ham especially loved the customization feature where she cut, colored, and dressed her pet.

She also enjoyed playing with her pet with the various toys, including a squirt gun, laser pointer, magic training wand, and trampoline. She got a kick out of the angry response she would get when she couldn’t quite keep the trampoline under the pet for jumping.

The more you play with your pet, the more points you earn, of which can be used to select special items, upgrade games, and new toys for your pet. In addition to the points earned, you receive an energetic “good job!”, “well done!”, or “great!”, from your virtual guide.

One of my personal favorites was the customizable playground that can be built for your pet. There are several different tunnels, ramps, and slides for your pet to climb through, on, and under. While you are building the playground, your pets wander throughout the obstacles you’ve built.

Features

• Raise and care for your own pet from an egg
• Customize and dress your EyePet
• Build and customize your own playground
• Design your own toys
• Dual player interaction with each other’s EyePet

Drawbacks

There were only a couple of glitches I had during the game. One of which, was the calibration of the controller at the beginning of the game. It took me some time before I finally figured it out. As such is the case, make sure to have the PS Eye pointed all the way to the floor, and press the move button just before you get to the specific spot, rather than right as you get there. Another was the wait time in between activities. For example, when leaving soft play and entering pet care, it takes a good 30-45 seconds to switch over due to loading graphics. The kids were a bit more patient with this than myself, and my 16 month old loved the short footage in between. 

A Mom’s Perspective

EyePet & Friends is a must have for families of animal lovers. You can’t help but love these adorable little critters, as will your kids. The game design is simple enough for even toddlers to enjoy, yet entertaining enough for older children. While my 6-year-old was playing, my 16-month-old watched and giggled as the little critters playfully squealed and interacted with my older child. He even enjoyed interaction with the pet during playtime.

The variety of activities and options are good for hours and hours of play, and the lifelike interaction with the pets make them positively irresistible. EyePet & Friends is available at Amazon.com for $32.47 and ships free with super saver shipping.

*I was provided a copy of EyePet & Friends in exchange for my honest review.  All opinions are my own.