I’m sure most people know what a Tamagotchi is. For me, Tamagotchi’s have been around since I was in middle school. Perhaps even in late elementary school, I can’t quite remember the exact year these came out and became a really HUGE deal. What I do know is that I, like many of my friends, were absolutely obsessed with them! I’m talking I had 5+ of them strapped to the belt loop of my pants or shorts and kept them with me alllll day. Yeah, I got in trouble at school if I wasn’t careful, but I was in love!
I’ve been so happy that one of my kids also loves Tamagotchi’s. She’s even got some impressive newer ones straight from Japan. She’s been learning Japanese and so she uses the Tamagotchi’s with the help of what she knows, and translation tools to help her understand what she doesn’t. It’s really impressive the amazing versions you can get now. Some of them even have colored screens, they even have all sorts of neat accessories and features they didn’t have back in the day.
If you don’t know what a Tamagotchi is, it’s a simple game where players take care of a virtual pet. You care for it by feeding it, playing with it, and cleaning up after it. The Tamagotchi will grow and develop based on the the way you care care for it, and will eventually reach adulthood and lay eggs, which can then be hatched into new pets. If you’re not careful and don’t take care of it, your Tamagotchi will end up dying. Thankfully, there is a reset button that allows you to start over.
This above is a newer style Tamagotchi, the Pix version. It comes with a camera, has a color screen, but still just uses three buttons to operate the toy and care for your own little virtual pet! I love how they’ve continued to grow and expand these over the years.
Tamagotchi’s were a revolutionary game that captured the hearts of millions of people around the world. Its simplicity, affordability, and portability made it accessible to people of all ages, and its impact on popular culture can still be felt today. Whether you’re a nostalgic fan who still has an old Tamagotchi sitting in a drawer somewhere, or a new player discovering the game for the first time, there’s no denying the enduring appeal of these digital pets. I love that you can still get the older Gen1 style, like the cute Ice Cream styled one I got to include in my gift guide this year!
Did you play with a Tamagotchi or any other virtual pet growing up?
Leave a Reply