Nintendogs came out roughly 20 years ago and was genuinely a big deal at the time. Plenty of people were initially skeptical, but I distinctly remember the Japanese gaming magazine Famitsu awarding it a perfect 10 out of 10, a score reserved strictly for the absolute best of the best back then. Plenty of outstanding games never managed to earn that honor, so naturally, I was one of the first in line to pick up a copy. Nintendo also structured it a lot like Pokémon, releasing multiple versions of the game.

The concept itself is refreshingly simple: puppies are adorable, and everyone loves them. Each version of the game features different dog breeds, so you’d pick whichever edition matched the type of pup you actually wanted.

From there, you get to choose your puppy, name it, pet it, feed it, and basically do everything involved in owning a real dog, minus the vet bills and recurring cost of dog food, all wrapped into one upfront purchase.

The game also includes various activities for your dog to take part in. You can train them in obedience, teach them tricks, and even enter them into dog show-style competitions. It’s been long enough now that a lot of the specifics have gotten a little fuzzy in my memory.

Honestly, though, I genuinely enjoyed my time with Nintendogs. For a stretch there, I was spending more quality time with my virtual dog than my actual dog. At least this one couldn’t bolt out the door chasing freedom the way my old dog Zelda used to. That said, I never felt compelled to pick up the 3DS sequel, and Nintencats always felt like a bit much to me. Still, I give Nintendo real credit for taking a bold swing on the concept and sticking the landing, commercially at least.