If your child has always wanted a pet, but it's not something you are willing (or able) to have where you live, check out Petz Bunnyz for the Nintendo DS.

You can choose between 4 different kinds of bunnies, and choose the color you'd like them to be. You can have up to 6 bunnies but can only care for one at a time. You need to feed and care for your bunny. Different feeding options for your bunny are entree, vegetables, snacks and water. Ways to care for your bunny are to brush them, and clean their cage using the stylus and touch screen. You can also hold the bunny and carry it around.

Your bunny will want to play with toys that you can earn by playing mini-games. Once you have a toy, select it and it will appear in the bunny's cage. Sometimes the bunny is not sure what to do with it at first, but eventually it will figure it out.

Under the pattern tab, you can change different items for your bunny. You can change the cage, chew toys, water bottles, wallpaper and accessories. You don't start with any extra items, just the basics. You can earn more playing mini-games.

The mini-games are able to be played when the "Play" icon shows up in the main menu. 7 different games are available and will be chosen randomly for you at varying degrees of difficulty. When you do well at the mini-games you earn extra items to take care of your bunny. There are 3 items available to win during each game.

If you touch the bunny icon on the bottom left corner of the screen you can find out information about your bunny. It is especially important to know their hunger status and cleanliness. The icon will show a happy face when your bunny is clean and full and will show sad when it's hungry.

The big difference between the bunny in the game and real bunnies is the fact that you can teach the bunny in the game to talk. Touch the teach button, and a list of words that you can teach your bunny will show up. The letters will show up inside bubbles and scrambled on the touch screen, and you need to touch them in the correct order before the time runs out. Sometimes the bunny will learn the word in one try; sometimes it will take multiple tries. Your bunny will also ask you questions about how to express their feelings, and if you choose the correct answer, it will learn those words, too.

You can take your bunny on outings. Open the cage, and let the bunny out into the room to play. Sometimes the bunny will find a surprise in the room. The outings button is also where you can change which bunny you are caring for at the moment. You can also find the owner's information about the bunny. If you have a friend with a Petz Bunnyz game card, you can connect to each other. Your bunnies will play together in the cage. You can also trade cage items and toys with your friend.

I think this game is great for kids who would like to take care of a pet. It also seems a little easier than Nintendogs, although you do have to know how to read. My 6 year old was having some trouble with Nintendogs, but loved playing Bunnyz. It's definitely not just geared for younger kids, though. My 10 year old is very interested in it, also.