Tamagotchi

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A Tamagotchi Connexion V1 (European Version)
A Tamagotchi Connexion V1 (European Version)

The Tamagotchi (たまごっち?) is a handheld digital pet created in 1996 by Aki Maita and sold by Bandai. Over 10 million Tamagotchis have been sold as of 2005.[1] The Tamagotchi is housed in a small and simple egg-shaped computer. Three buttons (A, B, and C) allow the user to select and perform an activity, including:

  • Feeding the Tamagotchi a piece of food or a snack.
  • Playing games with the Tamagotchi to make it lose weight.
  • Cleaning up a Tamagotchi's waste.
  • Checking its age, discipline, hunger, weight, happiness and other statistics.

Contents

[edit] Meaning of "Tamagotchi"

According to Bandai the name is a portmanteau combining the Japanese word "たまご" (tamago) which means "egg", and the English word "watch" (as in timepiece)[2]. Consequently, the name is romanized as "Tamagotch" without the "i" in Japan.

[edit] Tamagotchi releases

Main article: List of Tamagotchi releases

41 Tamagotchi versions have been released between 1996 and now, with one known version to be released by the end of July, 2008. These include the original Tamagotchi, Christmas-themed Tamagotchi and newer Tamagotchi versions, known as Connection, Connexion or Plus, which can communicate with other Tamagotchi for games and breeding. The most recent version is the new V5 Tamagotchi in which the player can raise a family of characters, and soon Bandai will release a refresh for the V5 (V5.5) which will be released in July. There is also a website designed to work with V3, V4 and V4.5 Tamagotchi Connections, named 'TamaTown', and one for the V5 and V5.5 called 'Tama and Earth Expo'. It has a better range of games. The website games vary for each version. Unfortunately, the V5 is not able to connect with the previous versions of Tamagotchi Connection.

[edit] Other Tamagotchi games

[edit] Game Boy

The first Tamagotchi game for the Nintendo Game Boy portable game system was released simultaneously in both Japan and the United States. Tamagotchi (Game de Hakken!! Tamagotchi in Japan) corresponds to the first two generations of the original Tamagotchi digital pets, with similar gameplay.

The second game in the series (Game de Hakken!! Tamagotchi v2) was released only in Japan)

[edit] Nintendo DS

The Nintendo DS games Tamagotchi Connection: Corner Shop, Tamagotchi Connection: Corner Shop 2, and Tamagotchi Connection: Corner Shop 3 are games where the player can run shops to make money. The player can choose between Mametchi, Memetchi and Kuchipatchi, and in Tamagotchi Connection: Corner Shop 3, Violetchi, to become a partner, and work together to keep their customers happy.

 Please help improve this section by expanding it.
Further information might be found on the talk page or at requests for expansion.


[edit] Wii

The Wii featured a game called Tamagotchi: Party On! You get to choose a tama to be and compete against other tamas to be the president of TamaTown.

[edit] Criticism and controversy

The major controversy over Tamagotchi digital pets involves children taking them to school, mostly because certain Tamagotchi versions could starve or die in less than half a day from lack of feeding, water, exercise or care. Worry over potential ownership disputes, class disruptions, and general distraction from schoolwork has led many schools to ban the product. [1] (Later versions included a 'pause' feature, plus a newer sound on\off function). Some parents also express concern because the device constantly calls the user to it with penalties for ignoring its signal, including death, starvation, and sickness, effectively keeping the device in the child's consciousness at all times and interfering with other, potentially constructive, activities.

On August 3, 2005, South Australian MP Nick Xenophon attempted to ban the Tamagotchi Connection Version 2 (or at least have it classified R18+) due to the "Slot" game featured on it, fearing that it would make kids grow up to become "the gambling addicts of tomorrow". [2]

[edit] In other media

[edit] Film

On June 1, 2007, it was announced by Reuters that an animated Tamagotchi film was to be released in December 2007. The film , Eiga de Tōjō! Tamagotchi Doki Doki! Uchū no Maigotchi!?, focuses on Mametchi, along with his friends Memetchi and Kuchipatchi. Introduced are Tanpopo, a human girl who Mametchi accidentally transports to the Tamagotchi Planet; and ChaMametchi, the younger sister of Mametchi who is born during the film's events.

The movie was released on December 15, 2007, and was distributed by Toho Co. [3] On May 31, 2008, North American distributor Bandai Entertainment announced they had acquired the rights to the film. [4]

[edit] Animated video

An animated video called Tamagotchi Video Adventures was produced in 1997, which is approximately 42 and a half minutes long. Cosmotchi sends fourteen Tamagotchi to Earth to collect objects in order to complete a museum exhibit for Grand Gotchi. Whoever brings back the most desirable item receives a medal of honor. A music video and a how-to-draw session follow the movie.

[edit] References

  1. ^ Lytie, J. Mark (2005-08-27). Tamagotchi hits 10 million sales. Digital World Tokyo. Retrieved on 2008-04-01.
  2. ^ http://www.bandai.co.jp/kids/tm/

[edit] External links