Nintendogs: Noodles

Nintendogs: Lab and Friends. Such a sweet, innocent game.

I had gotten the game years ago. I was so excited. I had bought a red Cavalier K.C. Spaniel when I first started my file. I named her Noodle. She was so sweet. I would spend hours with her, training my sweet little puppy. Feeding her, bathing her. I played the game almost non-stop when I got the cartridge that one cold day. I had gotten many other dogs on the game. But only three stayed with me at all times. The three were Noodle, along with Shelly, a Miniature Dachshund, and Draco, a German Shepherd. They would cheer me up when I was down. They could make me happy even during my darkest hours. I loved them so much. They were my best friends. As silly as it sounds, it was almost as if they were...alive.

But, time went by. I was slowly growing out of Nintendogs. It was almost as if they could sense that I was going to leave them. I was starting to play different games. I began to get on the computer more often. I was starting to watch more TV. Slowly but surely, Nintendogs had been forgotten and replaced. Replaced. Replaced with bigger, and better things.

Years later, I was digging through my games, not to play them, no. To sell them. I didn't want to sell any of my games, but I had to. My mom needed money.

I froze as my hands brushed against a small game cartridge. I blinked, picking it up and dusting it off. Nintendogs! I smiled. Boy, I had missed this game. The last time I had played it was before my best friend left me. I stood up, still holding the cartridge. My mom was out of the house at the time, so I was free to play it.

I grabbed my DSi, and sat down on my bed. I pushed the small square into the system, a small "click" echoing throughout my room. I stared at the start-up icon. It looked...odd. There was no cute little Lab puppy on it. It was just a completely red screen. I shrugged it off. Just an error. Nothing too major. I tapped the screen, and watched the icon disappear, as it faded out into the game.

It showed the normal Nintendo logo against a white screen. But the writing on the bottom half was gone. Was this normal? Yes, it had to be. It was just my mind playing tricks on me.

But instead of a normal happy "bark" welcoming me, it was just silence. My eyes widened at what I saw. Instead of seeing the normal happy beach scene, the sand was covered with bones, and internal organs of what it seemed to be other dogs. The sky was blood red, and more bones and other severed body parts scattered the ocean, making it red also.

Swallowing hard, I looked around for my dogs.

I almost wished I hadn't. The minute I started looking, I heard a soft whining noise. Noodle lay there, covered in blood. My mouth went dry as realization hit me. The bones and body parts were parts of Draco and Shelly. This was not normal. Not at all. My eyes were filled with tears as I frantically held my thumb on the "Power" button.

"The DS System Cannot Be Turned Off At This Time."

W-what? What did it mean? I shuddered, tossing my DSi across the room. It made a loud thud as it hit the wall. I made a dash for the door, putting my hand on the knob. I jiggled it. It wasn't moving. And my door didn't have a lock.

I opened my mouth to scream, but nothing came out. Sobbing silently, I pressing my back against the door, closing my eyes. After a few minutes of sobbing, I calmed down. Everything was silent. Maybe my DSi had turned itself off? Maybe I broke it? I didn't care. I just wanted out. An icy chill went up my spine as I heard a few barks coming from my DSi. Hesitantly, I slowly walked towards it.

Noodle was standing in front of the screen, holding a leash in her mouth. "Noodle would like to take you for a walk." I quivered. It had never said anything like that before. I shakily picked up my DSi, getting a good look at Noodle. Her eyes were gone. There was nothing left but her eye sockets. Blood covered her face, and some skin and fur was missing. Sobbing, I tapped the "No" option on screen. The screen faded to white, leading me to the route screen.

It looked normal, besides for the route ink. It was blood red. It automatically made its own route. "Is this the route you'll take?" I frantically tapped the "No" option.

It didn't listen.

Noodle and I immediately started to walk. I stared at the screen in horror. All of the buildings were on fire. Body parts of humans and dogs alike were scattered all over the sidewalk. Noodle stopped at a dead puppy, and started to eat it. I continued sobbing as she dragged me through the terrifying scene.

"Arf arf!" Noodle barked. Oh no. Another dog. The screen faded to white for a few seconds, before showing a new screen.

"Maggie is out for a walk." Instead of a cute little Yorkie jumping around, it was a decaying skeleton, with still some rotting flesh on it.

"Chantal has some stern words for you." I gulped, clicking the red arrow.

"Your dogs are dead, Lydia. Everyone's dogs are dead. It's all your fault..." I watched in terror as Noodle lunged forward, gnawing at the dead body of Maggie.

"It's time to say goodbye to Chantal. Noodle doesn't seem to like Maggie very much." The screen faded out, and back into Noodle and I walking. After a few minutes of walking, she barked once, running out of sight. She came back with a white and red present. "Noodle must have found something. She's bringing it to you!"

"You got a dog's skull!" Noodle excitedly pawed at the screen.

"This skull belonged to a local neighborhood puppy."

I continued to cry silently as Noodle dragged me through more terror. It seemed like it took forever, but we were soon back home. I finally managed to open my mouth and talk. "Why are you doing this to me?" I choked out, my voice scratchy.

Noodle stared up and the screen. "Noodle has waited three years for you to come back." I gulped.

"...But you never came..." Suddenly, what was left of Noodle's fur and skin slowly started to melt off. "I'll make you suffer..." Soon, it was just a skeleton left. "...Just like I did." And just like that, the skeleton collapsed to the ground.

My DSi turned off.

Sobbing hysterically, I ripped the game out of my system, and tossed it in the trash. Suddenly, my door slowly creaked open.Without thinking twice, I bolted out of the room. I never want to play Nintendogs again.