Tamagotchi

In the original Tamagotchi released by Bandai in 1996, players keep the virtual pet alive by regularly feeding it, cleaning up its waste, playing mini-games to maintain its happiness meter, disciplining it when needed, and turning off the lights when it sleeps. Neglecting any of these care routines causes the pet to become sick or die, forcing you to restart with a new egg.

Yes, Bandai continues to produce Tamagotchi devices, including reissues of the original 1996 egg design and newer iterations like the Tamagotchi Pix and Tamagotchi Uni with updated features such as cameras, motion sensors, and Wi-Fi connectivity. The brand has evolved significantly while maintaining the core virtual pet concept.

The Tamagotchi was invented by Aki Maita, a designer at Bandai in Japan, and was first released in November 1996. It became one of the biggest toy fads of the late 1990s, selling tens of millions of units worldwide and sparking an entire category of handheld virtual pet toys.

When a Tamagotchi dies from neglect, it typically transforms into a ghost or angel character on the screen, and a new egg appears so the player can start raising a new pet from the beginning. The quality of care you provide determines which adult character your Tamagotchi evolves into before it eventually passes on.