Family Dog

Family Dog is a rather straightforward and simple platformer. The dog handles, in theory, much the same way Mario would. He can walk, run, duck, and jump, with a higher jump if he leaps from a standstill and a longer jump if he begins while moving. The dog’s only defense is his bark, which is a limited resource. You’ll find bones that refill the dog’s life meter and dog treats that fill up the amount of barks, limited to ninety-nine, he has scattered throughout the game. Family Dog

Gameplay – Family Dog

You start in the home of the Binsfords, the titular family. Anything moving should be considered a hazard. Bouncing balls, flying books, cats clinging to curtains and walls, and Billy, the family’s son, are out to stop you. Billy seems to delight in torturing the dog, something consistent with the show, and you’ll have to avoid him chasing you with a vacuum and a water gun, only to play fetch with him in some bonus stages. It’s a strange relationship. Throughout this stage, you can get by without ever attacking anything. It doesn’t make things any easier, but it is doable. Family Dog

The second stage has you left at the pound for, what you can only assume, dead. This time you do actually have to combat some of the hazards as there are other dogs guarding some birds in cages. The birds open up your way forward, so each time you come across one, you have bark at the other dog enough to kill it so you can free the birds. Life with the Binfords has truly hardened this dog. Family Dog