Tamagotchi

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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. More and more will be made in reference of this new technology.[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.
  • Cleaning up a Tamagotchi's waste.
  • Checking its age, discipline, hunger, happiness and other statistics.

There are five versions and it is very likely that more varieties of tamagotchis will be made.

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.

Tamagotchi releases

Main article: List of Tamagotchi releases

44 Tamagotchi versions have been released between 1996 and now[when?]. 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 Celebrity Tamagotchi in which the player can raise a family of characters with a "royal" background, and soon Bandai will release a Version 6, as confirmed in an email, reported on Tama Zone.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 Celebrity 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; only with other of the same version or the V5 Celebrity. But the lower versions are able to connect with each other using the "others" feature. The V4.5 and the V.4 could only connect from thereown version connection.

Tamagotchi Video Games

Tamagotchi for Gameboy and Gameboy Color which are similar to the original handheld games. Tamagotchi Connection: Corner Shop, Tamagotchi Connection: Corner Shop 2, and Tamagotchi Connection: Corner Shop 3 for Nintendo DS are games where the players can run shops to make money. The players 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.

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.

Arcade Systems

Mario Kart Arcade GP 2

Mametchi, a common tamagotchi character, appears in Namco's/Nintendo's Mario Kart Arcade GP 2.

TamaStation

TamaStation is an arcade machine released in Japan where the owner can get prizes for their EnTama/UraTama. This machine has a sequel, TamaStation 2

TamaStation 2

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 care. Worry over potential ownership disputes, class disruptions, and general distraction from schoolwork has led many schools to ban the product. [3] (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". [4]

In other media

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. It has been said that a sequel will be released at the end of this year. This video will not be released in the United States.

The movie was released on December 15, 2007, and was distributed by Toho Co. The film opened at #3 at the box office on opening weekend. [5] On May 31, 2008, North American distributor Bandai Entertainment announced they had acquired the rights to the film. [6]

Animated video

An animated video called Tamagotchi Video Adventures was produced in 1997, and 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. Whichever Tamagotchi brings back the most desirable item receives a medal of honor. A music video and a how-to-draw session follow the movie.

References

  1. ^ Lytie, J. Mark (2005-08-27). "Tamagotchi hits 10 million sales". Digital World Tokyo. Retrieved 2008-04-01.
  2. ^ バンダイ タイムマシン
  3. ^ Honolulu Star-Bulletin Local News
  4. ^ Your Vote: XYZ | Refused-Classification.com
  5. ^ [1]
  6. ^ Bandai Entertaiment Gets Tamagotchi Feature Film - Anime News Network

External links

TamaTown

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