Tamagotchi: The Premier Virtual Pet!

Kids of the late 90s remember when Tamagotchi hit the scene. Suddenly, kids everywhere carried little keychain toys with little creatures inside them. Playgrounds were packed with kids feeding, playing, and caring for these little creatures.

Over the years, these small toys have continued to give people worldwide fun, pocket-sized pets to care for anytime, anywhere. The Tamagotchi craze also gave birth to one of the world’s biggest anime franchises! So, whether you remember feeding your mini cyber pet at the school lunch table or have never even held one, this article is for you!

What is Tamagotchi?

Tamagotchi are small handheld electronic toys, typically wristwatches or egg-shaped keychains. Each game comes with a unique creature that players must raise and care for. The story behind the little toys is that they are cyberspace aliens who must go to Earth to learn about its people and culture.

The game acts as miniature pets that require love and attention. Depending on how carefully players care for their little pets, the aliens can thrive and be happy or get sick and become unhappy. The gameplay is very simple, with only three buttons, making them super accessible for younger players.

What does it mean?

Tamagotchi is a portmanteau of two Japanese words: “tamago” or egg, and “uotchi” or watch. This name was created as the devices resembled small eggs designed to be worn as wristwatches. Translating it directly, Tamagotchi means “egg watch”, which is pretty accurate considering that they look like little eggs.

Who invented Tamagotchi?

Tamagotchi’s were first created in Japan in 1996. They were designed jointly by Aki Maita of Bandai and Akihiro Yokoi of WiZ. Aki and Akihiro won the 1997 Ig Nobel Prize for creating small virtual pets, a silly award given to people who have made inconsequential or strange breakthroughs in the scientific community. But an award’s an award, and it’s certainly pretty cool that they won one. It was also in 1997 that the small portable pets made their big debut in the US!

How do I play with a Tamagotchi?

Playing with pocket-sized critters is extremely easy, so they became very popular. Once activated, the little virtual pet is alive and kicking in the palms of your hands. Players can use only three buttons to play with their pets, feed them, praise them, and clean up after them. This last part is vital because if your pets poop too much, they’ll get sick. If they get too sick, they may even die, which – obviously – is bad.

But, for the astute players, their little pets can thrive and evolve into bigger and better forms. Players’ virtual pets can age after so many days, and as sad as it may be, once they get old enough, they may die from old age. It’s a sad ending to the playtime with players’ virtual pets, but there’s comfort in knowing that they were given the best life possible while in the care of their owners. And once one pet goes away, another can take its place!

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What’s the connection between this toy and Digimon?

Initially, they were marketed strictly to teenage girls. These early game versions were shaped into wristwatches (hence their name.) But as the game took off, there were fears that it wouldn’t appeal to boys either. To fix this, a brand-new series of games was released as the Digital Monster.

If this sounds suspiciously familiar, this new line of games evolved (or even digivolved?) into the famous series Digimon. It’s incredible to think Digimon was created simply to help sell the games to boys. And considering how big Digimon is today, it’s fantastic that the Digital Monsters took off!

Why is Tamagotchi so popular?

Tamagotchis are popular because of their ease of play and portability. Players don’t need to buy a whole video game console, expensive game cartridges, or supplemental strategy guides to understand how to play them. Their size makes them perfect for quick pick-up-and-play sessions, too, compared to the classic Tiger Electronics handheld games of the past.

These little virtual pets fit in the palm of your hand, don’t require many batteries, and can sleep snugly in your pocket, purse, or backpack. And since the gameplay is so simple, pulling out your little buddy and giving them pets on the fly is a lovely, cozy feeling. They may be simple, but these toys are affordable and easy-to-play pet simulators that can give players smiles on the fly.

Have you ever played with a Tamagotchi before? If so, which one did you have? Were you able to raise it all the way, or did it leave? Please let us know in the comments below! We would love to hear about your fun times with your virtual pet!