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The Tamagotchi is a handheld
virtual pet game created by Aki Maita. The name is a
portmanteau of the phrase "Tamaogo tchi" (たまごっち) meaning "lovable egg"
in
Japanese.
Tamagotchis were introduced in
1996 and were a huge fad for some time, with millions sold.
Tamagotchi pets were small, plastic eggs containing a tiny computer
with a simple
black and white
LED screen. Below the screen were three buttons. The egg was attached
to a keychain, to encourage owners to always keep the pet close by.
Caring for the pet was fairly simple. A tiny creature would appear on
screen after the egg was turned on. By pressing the three buttons, the
owner could feed, bathe, discipline, or amuse the pet.
If these four actions were done in moderation and at a fairly regular
pace, the creature would eventually
evolve into a better animal. If the creature was poorly cared for, it
would either die* or evolve a sickly weak animal.
The game ends after the creature reaches its ultimate state of
evolution, and "returns to its own planet." This usually takes several
days.
There were many Tamagotchi spin offs, with different animal types,
including "Forest Tamagotchi" and "Angel Tamagotchi."
- In the American version, the Tamagotchi never dies, he simply
"leaves" when uncared for. Confusingly, a tombstone graphic still
appears on the screen when this happens.
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