Nintendogs: Dachshund & Friends is basically the reason I kept my DS charged back in the day. You pick this tiny wiener dog (or one of the other breeds if you're boring), name it something ridiculous, and suddenly you're fully invested in teaching it to roll over while your real-life cat judges you from across the room.

The touchscreen makes it weirdly satisfying—scrub your pup in the bath with little circular motions, toss a frisbee by flicking it just right, and try not to panic when they start whimpering because you forgot their walk. The barking comes through the DS speakers crisp enough that my dog would always tilt his head at it.

It’s simple, sure, but there’s something about the way the dogs nuzzle the screen when they’re happy that makes it hard to put down. I may or may not have skipped homework to win a virtual agility competition once.