Nintendogs - Labrador & Friends is basically the reason I kept my DS charged back in the day. You pick out a puppy (I always went for the golden retriever), name it something ridiculous, and suddenly you're fully invested in this digital dog's life. The touchscreen makes it weirdly satisfying—scratch behind their ears, toss a frisbee, watch them get all excited when you come back after ignoring them for a day (whoops).

It's not just about feeding and walks, though. Teaching them tricks feels like an actual achievement, especially when your dog finally nails that backflip after five failed attempts. And yeah, the competitions are silly, but I’d be lying if I said I didn’t restart the disc throw contest three times to beat my own high score. Perfect for when you want something low-stakes but weirdly absorbing.

Just don’t blame me when you catch yourself saying “good boy!” to your DS in public.