Hi there - this is Rizu! I know I’ll be showing my age here, but my Petz journey goes way back to the era of floppy disks. Growing up, I didn’t have pets so I was very drawn to virtual pet games. I was first exposed to Petz when my older brother gave me a floppy disk copy of the Dogz 1 adoption kit demo. I remember being enchanted for hours and wanted more. I got my wish with Catz II and eventually Dogz II - the rest is history! Ever since, Petz has been this comfort game that I would come back to here and there when I thought of it. I still have my physical disc copies of some of the petz games - maybe some day I’ll grab some pictures of them for fun nostalgia.
My petz history wouldn’t be complete without showcasing, Pezen, my OG pet. Named after the candy with the dispensers - PEZ. Just with “en” added to the end for some odd reason. I must have really liked PEZ as a kid I guess. Pezen has followed my Petz journey ever since I first played Catz II in 1997. I have recreated her in every iteration of the Petz games that I have played and she is still around today some 25 years later in Petz 5. My current Petz 5 version of her dates back to August 6th, 2005. I’ve always loved all-white cats like Duchess from Aristocats. Pezen, however, is not quite so graceful as Duchess. She’s rather goofy but I think that’s what made her an endearing favorite of mine all these years.
Magnolia Road originated as a casual Tumblr blog — an avenue for delving into hexing and showcasing my treasured collection of petz. As my vision for the site evolved, it quickly outgrew its small beginnings. What started as a simple project has blossomed into a tribute to a game that holds a special place in my heart.
My mission with Magnolia Road is to cultivate more content and affection for Petz 5. Despite its glitches and quirks, there are unique charms about Petz 5 that I find endearing and nostalgic. I aspire to bridge the content gap for Petz 5 and share some of my own creations — with a touch of elegance and flair. I hope you find joy and inspiration in the creations I have made here at Magnolia Road.
In the petz community I’m more of a lurker but if you would like to reach me, I go by Rizu on RKC, WW, and the various Petz discords. Given the casual nature of this site, I may come and go in the petz community and responses may take some time! If you would like to see my other content, visit my main art page at Rizu Art.
