Nintendogs

"Wow! Oh my! That's so cute! CAn it bark? Gosh, it looks so real!"

Yes I was gushing as I stared at the latest generation of virtual pets. Made by who else but the grand dame of handheld portable games - Nintendo. Had it been so long ago when the humbleTamagotchi was touted as the must-have item? Remember those days when everyone had at least one of those egg shaped things which contained a precious little dog or chick which poops, sleeps and plays? And the future generations of Digimons it spun off that sent little boys into virtual battledomes?

Having said that, here's a couple of suggestions for the local market ...

The NintenSiberian-Husky --> For folks still intent on 'adapting' Artic animals to the local weather, its a safer alternative. After all, it would only be a virtual dog which dies of heat stroke. The owner can always restart his game, making a mental note to turn on the air-conditioning for his precious pet the second time round.

The NintenLuohan --> Although the Luohan may be out of fashion now, who knows when it would be in vogue again? Uncles can carry their handhelds and stare at their fish while on the go for the divine 4 digits.

The NintenBaby --> We can't miss that out. For busy couples who can't afford the time to diaper real babies, this would be a low commitment project. Maybe they would find the virtual little one so cute, they decide to make a real one to boost our falling birth rates.