It Makes Perfect Sense For Tamagotchi to Return as a Cozy Video Game
Plus, learn direct from the source why Tamagotchi aren't allowed to fight!
In 2021, Tamagotchi turned—wait for it—25 years old. There’s been a big push by Tamagotchi’s creators in recent years to recapture the cultural phenomenon from the 90s, which has included everything from launching something called the “tamaverse,” to partnering with Apple on a new video game, the Animal Crossing-inspired Tamagotchi Adventure Kingdom, which launched on Apple Arcade earlier this month.
“We were eager to create a game that would appeal to the original fans who are now adults and often parents,” said Tamagotchi Adventure Kingdom executive producer Chanh Ly in an interview with Crossplay. “I believe that a fundamental aspect of Tamagotchi is generational transmission: these parents, nostalgic for their 90s experience, often pass on their affection to their children. That's why our game is also designed for children. But in the end, we primarily tried to make a game for everyone, whether they are young or adults, men, or women.”
The early word on Tamagotchi Adventure Kingdom is positive, per Pocket Gamer:
“Tamagotchi Adventure Kingdom is an excellent casual adventure game. The game offers an adorable, vibrant world to explore, full of exciting characters. You'll enjoy foraging in the forest, mining, fishing and crafting new items as you save Tamagotchi Planet. From personalizing your camp to unlocking fun new areas, Tamagotchi Adventure Kingdom will keep you blissfully entertained.”
Tamagotchi is not synonymous with video games, despite the once-ubiquitous devices themselves arguably featuring a video game, and the irony that its creator, Bandai, would eventually merge with Namco, the game maker. (In my opinion, Tamagotchi are synonymous with beep beep beep!) But Tamagotchi’s video game origins are pretty fascinating. In 1997, Hudson Soft developed 64 de Hakken!! Tamagotchi: Minna de Tamagotchi World for the Nintendo 64. It was only released in Japan, but it’s a multiplayer board game, and you’re wondering “hey, this looks like Mario Party” that’s because Hudson Soft also made the original Mario Party, which came out in 1998.
There are only a handful of Tamagotchi video games, with the most successful being a series of shop simulators called Tamagotchi Connection: Corner Shop from the 2000s.
It makes sense for Bandai Namco to try and straddle generations. For one, millennial nostalgia is very strong at the moment. How else to explain luxury brands creating flashy, expensive Pokémon bags? How about “gemagotchi,” Tamagotchi-inspired jewelry that starts at $650? A video game has the potential to cross age gaps.
Anecdotally, Tamagotchi seems to have ticked up in popularity recently. My daughter asked for one for Christmas, and while our experience did not exactly go well, other Crossplay readers have chimed in about a similar phenomenon happening at home. Kids are discovering what us millennials already know: they’re a pain to take care of!
“Both our boys (8 and 5) got Tamagotchi's for Christmas,” said Crossplay reader Scott Pytlik in the comments recently. “They've been wanting a dog forever and we've been telling them how much work having a dog is and that they'd need to show us that they can help take care of it, at least a little. Needless to say, their fish largely still gets fed by me and the Tamagotchi's were ignored, beeped for 3 days, and died. I think my memory of the Tamagotchi as a kid is cooler than the actual thing.”
Tamagotchi Adventure Kingdom is chill, perfect for the rise of “cozy” games like Stardew Valley, Animal Crossing, and Unpacking. Most of your time is spent picking up items, solving problems, customizing spaces, and exploring. Another Apple Arcade game, Hello Kitty Island Adventure, follows a similar path. Cozy games are hard to define, but they’re often characterized by accomplishing lots of tasks. They take up a lot of time.
“Coziness is the understanding that humans are social creatures,” said designer Robert Tatnell, who created the cozy game Hokko Life, in an interview. “We strive to be part of a group, and to be accepted. But being sociable can be difficult in the real world. It can be exhausting. In cozy games, the barriers come down. We can be part of a group without having to be stressed. The characters we meet are warm and welcoming and it's an easier way to enjoy a fundamentally human feeling."
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Tamagotchi took off in the same era as Pokémon, and the little creatures that make up the world of Tamagotchi certainly look like they could be in a Pokémon game. You could make the argument that Pokémon has some cozy game elements, but one key difference between them is that you’re not collecting Tamagotchi to fight them.
“The concept of fighting is entirely absent from the Tamagotchi universe,” said Ly. “It is inconceivable to see a Tamagotchi wielding a weapon to fight against an opponent. In fact, the very notion of adversity is unique in the IP [intellectual property] because the universe and its components are fundamentally peaceful, coexisting in perfect harmony. This doesn't mean that there are no conflicts, but they must be resolved through mutual aid, cleverness, or other non-aggressive means. And just look at these Tamagotchis, they are so cute... who would want to see them to be harmed?”
Be careful what you ask on the internet, sir.
Tamagotchi Adventure Kingdom is available now exclusively on Apple Arcade.
Also:
Tamagotchi might not fight, but Digital Monsters (aka Digimon), certainly do. Digital Monsters were created by Bandai as a specific pitch to young boys.
It’s worth reading this New York Times interview with the original creator of Tamagotchi, Akihiro Yokoi. The simple inspiration for Tamagotchi is delightful!
A Crossplay reader pointed out you can mute Tamagotchis with a special button combinations, and learning this has upended everything I know about reality.
"Be careful what you ask on the internet" is truly the warning of our time
"But being sociable can be difficult in the real world. "
if that isn't true idk what is , maybe thats why i tend to like 'cozy' games now that its mentioned.. i have Some local friends , mostly drinking buddies who live just across the street but frankly being over there can be exhausting. i honestly much rather just sit n chill with my fiancee or a farming game.