Nintendogs: Chihuahua & Friends is basically the reason I still have my DS. You start by picking out your pup—I always went for the tiny brown Chihuahua with the big ears—and suddenly you're brushing them, tossing frisbees, and trying not to melt when they tilt their head at you. The touchscreen makes it weirdly real; you scratch behind their ears by actually moving the stylus, and they'll nuzzle right into it.

At first I thought it was just petting simulator, but there's actually a surprising amount to do. You can enter disc competitions (my dog was terrible at catching), teach them to bark on command, or just walk them around town collecting presents. The barking gets old if you leave the sound on, but watching them fall asleep curled up on the screen never did. It's the kind of game you play for 10 minutes and suddenly realize an hour's gone by.

If you ever wanted a tiny digital dog that won't chew your shoes, this is still one of the best ways to do it.