History Toys / Tamagotchi

Tamagotchi is a series of handheld toys created by [[Creator/BandaiNamcoEntertainment Bandai]]. The handhelds are {{Virtual Pet}}s that the player can play with; the pet starts out as a little baby and can grow into a variety of different adult types from there depending on how much the player takes care of it.

The first toys were sold in Japan on November 23, 1996. The company didn't expect much, and produced them in small number. But the toys became a big fad overnight. By the time they were producing enough to meet demand, the popularity had died down and Bandai ended up suffering financially. In 2004, they relaunched the toys with new infrared technology, allowing two Tamagotchi toys to communicate, letting them play games, exchange gifts, and even marry and produce children.

* NintendoHard: Bandai have personally stated that they purposefully amped up the difficulty of the Tamagotchi Ocean compared to other vintage releases, so that one should not normally be able to raise their pet beyond the ''childhood stage''. Besides that, your pet gets sick multiple times in a single day (compared to other vintage releases, where it gets sick once per life stage, anywhere from half a day to a full day before evolving), and it has predators that can kill your Tamagotchi if you don't play close attention.

* AgeStereotypicalFood: On most ''VideoGame/{{Tamagotchi}}'' releases in the color era, the baby stage has exclusive foods and snacks that no other stage gets to have. For instance, on the Mix, the foods for that stage are a bottle of milk and [[https://www.tasteatlas.com/tamago-boro tamago boro]], a type of cookie often given to babies in Japan.

* OffModel: Prior to the color releases, Some Tamagotchi Like Mametchi had inaccurate sprites.

** The ''[[Franchise/Doraemon Doraemontchi]]'', [=TamaOtch=] and most other Tamagotchi Nano models also play this straight. They either go on a journey or run away. Justified since most of the characters come from series that don't feature these characters dying either.

* BraggingRightsReward: Some of the expensive items on the Connections models like UFO and throne can be this, since they are very expensive and only plays an animation when used. It's mainly bought as a proof that you are able to gather enough gotchi points.

* ForcedTutorial: The Pix Party will force you to swipe left to go to the training room when a pet is raised to adulthood, no matter which generation you're on.

* ExposedEyeballsAsEyes:
** Donutchi is a [[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin donut]] with exposed eyeballs near the top of his head.
** Hatenatchi is a question mark with these.
** Okutchi is block with a large, open mouth and eyes on top.

* {{Bowdelerise}}: In early Tamagotchi models, the death sequence is usually depicted as the Tamagotchi running away instead of a grave with a ghost. The Grim Gotchi also doesn't appear until ''On''.

* ControllableHelplessness: On the earlier 2000-era Japanese toys, if the Death Spirit appears and you're not prepared with the right item to send it away, you'll be stuck sitting and waiting for your Tamagotchi to die.

* Bowdelerise: In early Tamagotchi models, the death sequence is usually depicted as the Tamagotchi running away instead of a grave with a ghost. The Grim Gotchi also doesn't appear until ''On''.

* ItemCrafting: The Entama and Uratama have a cooking system. Ingredients can be purchased on the E-Tamago site or the toy's shop, and can be combined to create new foods.

** In 2020, Bandai started releasing ''Tamagotchi'' virtual pets based on a number of anime and video game properties, some of which are in line with ''Tamagotchi'''s target demographic of kids (such as with ''VideoGame/PacMan''). Others, like ''Anime/NeonGenesisEvangelion'' and ''Manga/DemonSlayerKimetsuNoYaiba'', not so much.

* DownloadableContent: The Smart takes after the Digimon Vital Brace's DIM Cards with the "[=TamaSma=] Cards", which are memory cards with a plastic, egg-shaped end. By inserting the [=TamaSma=] Card into a port on the right side of the toy, you can add additional characters, bonus items, cosmetic clock faces, and an extra minigame to your Tamagotchi. Not only are the bonus items free, feeding the special food and snack items to your Tamagotchi during the toddler and child stage increases the odds of it growing into one of the "special" Tamagotchi added through the card. Each toy can only have one [=TamaSma=] Card data loaded at a time, and [[RevenueEnhancingDevices to keep money flowing]] each [=TamaSma=] Card has a hard limit of 4 unique devices it can link to.

* AmericanKirbyIsHardcore: From the Tamagotchi Ocean to the Tamagotchi Connection.

** Most Tamagotchi features allows the owner to pause the pet.

* AnyoneCanDie: It's grim, but a Tamagotchi can die as a adult,teen, child, or even as a baby should the user neglect it enough. Though many of the modern toys and games instead have them run away or go off on a journey instead.

* BrotherSisterIncest: The Mesutchi and Osutchi had no restrictions on who they're allowed to marry, so the user could potentially marry the same two units over many generations with no consequence. Doubles as {{Twincest}}, as the two babies are identical and born at the same time. The modern releases until the 4U made it so both babies are the same sex.

* CrystalBall: Gypsytchi the fortune-telling Tamagotchi has one.

* EverythingsBetterWithPlushies: The Tamagotchis have had a variety of plushes made out of them. Considering the characters are purposefully made to be cute and cuddly, this makes sense.

** It can also read as a portmanteau of "tamago" and "tomodachi", meaning "friend".

* DemographicDissonantCrossover: In 2020, Bandai started releasing ''Tamagotchi'' virtual pets based on a number of anime and video game properties, some of which are in line with ''Tamagotchi'''s target demographic of kids (such as with ''VideoGame/PacMan''). Others, like ''Anime/NeonGenesisEvangelion'' and ''Manga/DemonSlayerKimetsuNoYaiba'', not so much.

* StockSubtitle: ''My Tamagotchi Forever'' uses the "Forever" subtitle.

* TheTetrisEffect: [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tamagotchi_effect Tamagotchi effect]].

** The Smart also features a "House-sitting" function that allows the Tamagotchi to take care of itself during the daytime, just in case you're not available to dedicate time to it. It does, however, require you to check back in by nightfall or else the Tamagotchi's Fondness meter will decrease.

* AnyoneCanDie: It's grim, but a Tamagotchi can die as a teen, child, or even as a baby should the user neglect it enough. Adults can in certain versions as well, though many of the modern toys and games instead have them run away or go off on a journey instead.

* OffModel: For a long time, Mametchi was depicted in LCD form with BlackBeadEyes instead of the larger, almond-shaped eyes he has in official art. This was eventually fixed in later models.

** Starting from the 2004 reboot, the Tamagotchi will appear squirming on the screen just before they poo. If the user selects the toilet icon in time, they'll use the toilet and gain a Happy heart.

* PottyFailure: Starting from the 2004 reboot, if you don't catch your Tamagotchi squirming when it has to go to the bathroom, this will happen.

** The Smart is the first toy with a rechargeable lithium-ion battery. No more burning money on cycling out watch batteries!

* BankRobbery: Several of the handhelds feature a burglar who occasionally steals some of your Tama Points. He's brought up in the newspaper you receive at mail call, with one of two possible stories with him being that he's robbed Tamatown's bank.

* ParentalAbandonment: For each new generation, the parent from the previous one simply leaves, with no explanation - from the Plus Color onward, the parent doesn't even stick around for more than a couple of minutes. Averted for the Version 5 series, where the parents do stick around.
* PatchworkKids: The main gimmick of the m!x and On.

** The Mesutchi (girl) and Osutchi (boy) toys initially came in pink and blue, respectively.
** On the m!x, since all of the teens are available in both genders they have the same sort of coloration patterns in their base forms.
** The Pix’s baby forms, nearly identical except for their color.

* PottyFailure: If you don't catch your Tamagotchi squirming when it has to go to the bathroom, this will happen.