Catz 5

UBI Soft's tech support has said that this "feature" extends to *all* of their PC titles. So fair warning, particularly to folks with laptops where DVD/CDRW drives came standard, ask before you buy. Perhaps if enough people have a problem with this flawed policy, UBI will smarten up. "Flawed" because limiting installs to drives without write capacity isn't going to slow a determined game cracker/pirate down, it's only going to prevent normal consumers from being able to install the game. Worse, they don't find out until they've opened the package and tried to install, which in some cases is enough to prevent a return and refund from the seller.

I'm certain this game deserves more than 1 star, and suspect it will see some good reviews from people who are able to install, but I can't give it more than a single. That's a commentary on UBI Soft and their "feature", not about the game itself.


Dogz 5 and Catz 5--more 4 legged fun!   March 7, 2004
 10 out of 11 found this review helpful

We had the original version of Catz installed with Win98. The kids and I loved it, and so did my mom. The kids are now 8 and 12; Mom is past retirement age. :-) The original version would not run on Win XP so I purchased Version 5 of Catz and Dogz, and WOW! What a difference. Of course the upgraded graphics make a difference, but even had we not known the original, this is still a purchase I'm glad we made. The critters are adorable, the games are easy to use, and when both are installed the Dogz and Catz can interact. There are tons of extras with the games (many new environments and toys, there can be puppies and kittens, more info about your adopted animal)and so many fun things you can do while "interacting." (like teaching your petz tricks) These animals are the next best thing to real you can get! (maybe better....no litter boxes...lol) And mom still loves it! And so do the kids and I. Mom is a computer "newbie" but the games are easy enough that she can use them with no problem. They are definitely 2 games that I'd recommend to others. The animals seem so real, and they will definitely make you laugh. If you're wondering whether to give them a try, go for it! I truly think you'll be glad you did. (btw, if anyone comes across a version of Oddballz that will work with XP, I'd love to know about it)


Great game!   February 13, 2004
 2 out of 2 found this review helpful

This is a great game. I heard about on a website, and explored the official website myself. Finnaly, on my birthday, I got it.
First off, the adoption center has several breeds to choose from, and you can also download new ones. I started my own petz zoo this way. Then there are lots of toys to collect, and games to play. There is also a playscene creator, and I created exibets for my animals and a playpen. There is a salon with tons of clothes and a bath, sponge, and towel.
I love this game because of its many features. Your catz can have litters of up to 4 kittens, and the games are fun. There are playscene hosts, mouse holes, and lots more! Get this game to see everything.


I love these virtual petz!   December 30, 2003
 45 out of 46 found this review helpful

Catz 5 was what I wanted most for Christmas this year. I got what I wanted--this game is pure FUN. I've been playing it nonstop ever since. Very much like Catz 4--except new mini-games, new breedz, are the big changes.

If you've never heard of catz or dogz (or any of the series), then you must know now! These games are about taking care of cats or dogs, raising them, feeding them, training them, and breeding them--basically it's like taking care of an animal around the house (except you don't have to scoop any litter or take any walks). =P It's the perfect gift for girls aged 8-13, or people who are cat/dog fanatics.

The scenes (places for catz to play in) in this game are pretty much similar to the ones in Catz 4, except now they have a Salon (umm...I think it wasn't in Catz 4 but I haven't played on Catz 4 for years), fantasy castle, AsianTemple, and a Haunted mansion. Yes, you can still design your own scenes for your catz to play in, and you now get to design your carrying case (w/ a paint program) for your catz! The scenes in this game are:
The Adoption Center
Backyard
Beach
Family Room
Fantasy Castle (new)
Haunted Mansion (new)
Kitchen
Salon (new)
--
Arabia
AsianTemple (new)
Circus
Snow Scene
South Seas
Wild West

To get items in this game for your Catz to play with, you must defeat little miniature games that are in scenes, such as tic-tac-toe (as silver-girl said, it takes about 3-10 times to mark an X in your area), rock paper scissors, Simon says, obstacle coarse, and scarab crunch. Almost all the items in this game are old ones from Catz 4. Thank goodness in this game you can hold unlimited items in your carrying case, unlike in older versions of games where you have to hold a maximum of 9. That's one of the reasons we're all glad for this game.

A female cat in this game can have a litter of 1-4 kittenz. They are almost always mixed breeds, really if you have to different types of catz. There are 15 different breedz of catz in this game -- Alley Cat, B+W Shorthair, Calico, Chinchilla Persian, Desert Lynx, Egyptian Mau, Honey Bear, Japanese Bobtail, Maine Coon, Orange Shorthair, Persian, Russian Blue, Scottish Fold, Siamese, and Tabby. You can't cheat anymore with your computer calendar to speed up the birth of your cats' kittens. Usually it takes babies to be infants 2-3 days, and kittens in 7 days. Then it takes 3-4 days to become adults. They grow up so fast...*sniff*

You still have the screensaver, in this game also. But what I HATE is that you need the CD in order to launch it (like the review that person wrote who only bought this for the screensaver). Don't bother buying this for the screensaver either; it's nothing really. It's just your catz playing with random items.

Please do not buy this if you already have Catz 4 and you expect a lot out of this game. If you want the extra stuff, I say go for it. It's not much different than Catz 4--just more breedz, 4 more scenes, and mini-games which you play to earn new items.

Well, that's my review.


Catz 5   November 14, 2003
 3 out of 6 found this review helpful

The game its self is good however the "new and improved" security system is awful. When ever you turn on your computer you have to install the disk in order to play with your catz. If you do not install the disk and play with your catz they will runaway. Talk about being trapped. I personally do not like having to carry a disk all over just so my catz do not run away from my laptop.