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The Tamagotchi (たまごっち Tamagotchi) is a handheld digital pet created in 1996 by Aki Maita and sold by Bandai. The Tamagotchi is housed in a small and simple egg-shaped computer. Three buttons (A, B, and C) allow the user to select an activity to do, these include:
- Feeding the Tamagotchi piece of food or a snack, which are definifed as "healthy" and "unhealthy" options, respectively.
- Playing a game with the Tamagotchi, which keeps its happiness levels topped up.
- Purging the Tamagotchi's environment of its excrement, this is done by "flushing" the screen.
- Checking its status: Its age, weight, discipline, hunger and happiness levels.
The Tamagotchi evolves into one of a wide range of characters three or four times in its lifetime depending on how well the user takes care of it, and which version of Tamagotchi the user has. Tamagotchis were one of the biggest fads of the late 1990s. In addition, there are now versions of the toy that can connect with other Tamagotchis, called Tamagotchi Connection.
Name origin and pronunciation
The name combines the Japanese word for egg ("tamago") and the syllable "chi" which denotes affection, so it could be taken to mean "loveable egg". It is also a pun on both "wotchi" (borrowed from English "watch", as in the time piece) and "tomodachi" (Japanese for friend). Because "tamago" is Japanese for egg, and "tomodachi" is Japanese for friend, Tamagotchi could also be taken to mean "egg-friend."
In Japanese, it is pronounced with a long "o" sound — ta-ma-goh-chee. The romanization of the name from the Japanese phonetics using the generally accepted method of doubling the consonant sound of the final syllable ("chi") produces the "tchi" spelling. The "T" in this case is not to be associated with the preceding long "o" and resulting in an incorrect pronunciation. Alternatively, the name could have been romanized as "tamago-chi" which preserves the correct Japanese pronunciation in non-Japanese text.
Tamagotchi Releases
Please see: List of Tamagotchi Releases.
Tamagotchi console releases
Game Boy
Three Tamagotchi games for the Nintendo Game Boy portable game system were released in Japan. The first one, also released in the United States, corresponds to the first two generations of the original Tamagotchi and had similar gameplay. The second game features characters from the Mori and Umi (Forest and Ocean) Tamagotchi. The final game released is based on Osutchi and Mesutchi, and features a unique cartridge with a user-replaceable battery and independent peizo buzzer that alerts players to turn on their Game Boy system and care for their virtual pet. Each had the smile game, the study game and the sports game, where each game helps the Tamagotchi.
Nintendo DS
'Tamagotchi Connection: Corner Shop,' or 'Tamagotchi no Puchi Puchi Omisecchi' in Japan, is a shop simulator game in which the player has to work in many different shops to earn Gotchi Points. Later in Japan, 'Tamagotchi no Puchi Puchi Omisecchi Gohi-kini' was released showing different shops and characters. There was a 'Home' or 'Care' mode where players could buy clothes and decorations for the Tamagotchi's home. These games differ from the Tamagotchi virtual pets in that players do not take care of the pets.
There will also be a sequal to 'Tamagotchi Connection: Corner Shop' called 'Tamagotchi Connection: Corner Shop 2'.
Nintendo Wii
A Tamagotchi game for Wii has been announced under the name of Tamagotchi's Sparkling President. It is expected to be released on the Japanese Launch of the Wii. [citation needed]
Criticism and Controversy
There has been much discussion over the years regarding the Tamagotchi. One common controversy includes children taking them to school and using them during classes. This has led schools to ban the product from being allowed to be brought to school. Bandai eventually added a "PAUSE" feature to the Tamagotchi line to solve the problem, but it is still a common issue.
A German short children-opera ‘Tamagotchi’ oder ‘vergiss die Reset-Taste’. Ein Märchen für Kinder und Erwachsene. 1999 - Siegfried Carl (lyrics) and Joschi Krüger (composer) - is an example of criticism against the tamagotchi-hype. German tamagotchi-lyrics
On August 03, 2005 South Australian MP Nick Xenophon attempted to ban the Tamagotchi Connection Version 2 due to the Slot Game featured on it, fearing that it will make kids wish to gamble in the future. This backfired, as many Australians went out and bought Tamagotchis. In the end, Xenophon decided not to ban the virtual pets, but to let parents be aware of the toy's contents.[citation needed]
In 1998, a French driver killed a cyclist and injured another after she took her eye off the road trying to play her Tamagotchi while driving. [1]
Popular Culture
- Mametchi, a Tamagotchi, will appear as a playable character in the upcomming Mario Kart Arcade GP 2 game.