There are games that reviewers look forward to, and games that they don't. For the games that we don't, it's usually because the game has had nothing but bad news leading up to its release, or that we're clearly outside the target market of the game. With Purr Pals for the Nintendo Wii, it's clearly the second reason. But perhaps this simple game with its cute box art and wuvable wittle kitties... sorry... loveable little kitties, can turn this late-twenty-something gamer into a pet-sim lover.

Purr Pals is a pet simulator, like Nintendogs or the old Tamagotchi toys from the 90's. Since it's a simulator, you won't see your kitten doing amazing tricks, or saving the world, or even running around crazy environments. You'll have to feed, groom, pet, and play with your kitten to keep it happy, as well as clean it's litter box. Time passes quickly in the game, so you'll find yourself taking care of your kitten almost constantly.

But it's not all just chores.

There are a variety of mini-games to play, and depending on how well you do, you will earn money to buy food, toys and accessories for your kitten. You can even buy rugs, flooring and new colors for the walls to decorate the house, but it seems unlikely that any kid would want to do that. All the mini-games are available from the beginning, but that's not saying much. There is a ping-pong game where you see how many times you can bounce the ball to your kitten, and an alley-oop game where you throw balls into a basketball hoop, with an assist by your cat earning you an extra point. There's a Simon-like game where you repeat patterns, a Cupid game where you shoot at hearts floating above two cats (neither of which is yours), and a rhythm game like Guitar Hero. Along with a game where you move a mouse through the garage while avoiding your kitten, playing through all the games will only take a few minutes, but children may be interested enough to spend the hours required to master them all.

Along with these small games, you'll be able to enter your cat in contests that measure how well you can take care of your kitten over the following 1-5 days. The longer the contest, the bigger the reward (assuming you do well). It will be time-consuming and expensive to keep your cat in top shape, but this is probably pretty realistic when you think about professional cat shows.

There are serious downsides to the game that I feel I must mention. Unlike most console games, there is really only one save spot. You are allowed to adopt up to 5 kittens, but when you turn on the game, you can only afford one. If you try to adopt another one right away, you'll realize that all kittens use the same Savings Account to purchase food and toys, and you won't be able to adopt your second kitten. I could see this being a serious issue if you expect multiple children to share the same game, and each have a kitten right away. It may be more realistic to only have one kitten in the house, but it's still a video game, and this seems like an issue that could be a big sticking point in some houses.

Purchasing multiple kittens doesn't unlock anything special in the game, and there is no way to have the kittens play together, which is kind of a bummer, considering that all the other resources of the game are the shared.

As for graphics and sound, the game is pretty basic. The kittens are very customizable though, with 40 breeds to choose from, and lots of options for markings, eye and paw colors, and even tail length. It really makes it seem like it's your kitten, and it's likely yours is different from everyone else who has this game (both of those people).

One odd bit is that there is almost no music in the game. The starting screen has a theme, but throughout the time I was playing, it was very quiet, even during some of the mini-games. I suppose you could say that's realistic, but again, most video games make some use of music. One of the few options in the game is to adjust the volume of the music that plays, but it seems like a needless option since there is hardly any music at all. Perhaps the development team's research indicated parents wanted as little noise as possible coming from the TV.

Overall, Purr Pals is a very disappointing game for your average gamer, but then again, your average gamer is in their 20s or 30s and likes sports or action titles. For kids who really want the experience of taking care of a kitten, and especially for parents who want their kids to realize it won't be fun and games forever, Purr Pals is a pretty decent option. If a child can't enjoy playing this game for an hour a day for a month, they would likely grow tired of a real kitten just as quickly. At least with Purr Pals you won't have to clean a real litter box, and you can ignore your cat for weeks on end without any consequences.

Purr Pals is available now for the Nintendo Wii and Nintendo DS for $29.99