have to agree with you there, after all the initial reviews i was expecting a dog.
this is the most fun i have had from a game in a long while, personally I think it is the best game since ICO came out on PS2.
Put it on for a quick look yesterday and racked up 6 odd hours, and I cant wait to get home and play some more.
If you are undecided on this title and like mario or zelda buy this game, so far it is the best game on the system ( from first impressions ) and that includes a fat little plumber.