Hello from an old-school virtual pet fan!

[Penguin-keeper]

Hello there!

I recently got back into the virtual pet hobby (having started in my teens with the original "P1") after picking up a 20th Anniversary Tamagotchi Mini. Although I'd done my research beforehand and knew that they were very limited, I was still surprised by just how limited they really are.

This led to a hunt for my original 1997 Tamagotchi and my early 2000s Tamagotchi Connexion V4 from back in the day, but both had somehow gone missing, so I picked up a 1997 Tamagotchi, and Tamagotchi Connexion V2 and V4 units on eBay UK. I then also picked up a Dinkie Penguin, and today I've received a UK boxed version of a 168-in-1 virtual pet in the mail (yes, the kind with the notorious "Bunny ROM"), and have a review of it that I'd like to share, as I was actually pleasantly surprised by it!

Here's how my little virtual zoo is looking at the moment.

I don't enjoy the Tamagotchi Connexion units as much as I'd hoped, though - I didn't realise back when I had my old V4 that you can seemingly keep them alive forever, unless you have them marry or deliberately neglect them, and I feel that there are too many features (even on the V2) that detract from my preferred experience of keeping a virtual pet. I can see from this that the modern iterations of the Tamagotchi aren't likely to be for me, as I'm more interested in older-style virtual pets that simulate a complete life-cycle, as opposed to virtual friends who get married and have jobs, and can stay alive for what seems to be forever once they reach old age.

I've signed up because I particularly love penguins, and I'd like to learn more about penguin virtual pets. I'll make a proper post about my questions in the appropriate section of the forum for that, though.

Anyway, it's nice to meet you, and I hope that I'll be able to find the information that I'm seeking here!

 

[hyurutchi]

Hello and welcome!

Those penguin pets look cute, I'd be interested in learning more about them too! The only other virtual pet I had was the dinkie dino which I loved, I didn't know they had penguins or other creatures. I know what you mean about all the features on newer tamas, the colour screen tamas seem so overwhelming to me! I enjoy having tamas as pets rather than a handheld game; but I would still love to try one and see how much they have changed

Hope you have fun here, cheers~

 

[x.Optimistic]

Hey, welcome to TamaTalk!! I hope you enjoy it here c:

 

[chaoticpi]

I'm the same way with the sudden gap in generations. I'm like, what are all these things...?

The 20th Anniversary ed. is slowly becoming a gateway drug. LOL Even *I* pulled out my v3's and have a wishlist of Tamas I want.

 

[Penguin-keeper]

Thanks for the welcomes, everybody!

The only other virtual pet I had was the dinkie dino which I loved, I didn't know they had penguins or other creatures.

As far as I know, they made Dinkie Dino (RakuRaku DinoKun in Japan), Dinkie Penguin (Yuki Pengin), Dinkie Alien (Tako Seijin), and Smarty Time (RikouRikou Chan), the latter of which is a kid who you have to raise and teach well, or else he might grow up to be a delinquent.

I know what you mean about all the features on newer tamas, the colour screen tamas seem so overwhelming to me! I enjoy having tamas as pets rather than a handheld game

That's the case for me, too - I feel that there's a distinction between virtual pets and handheld games. I can see that the modern iterations are good, but I know that they wouldn't be worth the investment for me, because I can also see that I wouldn't enjoy them.

Nonetheless, it's disappointing to see that they don't seem to be releasing them outside of Japan.

Hey, welcome to TamaTalk!! I hope you enjoy it here c:

I'm having a good time so far, but I'm surprised at how quiet it seems to be here at the moment, considering the seemingly large amount of attention the 20th Anniversary Tamagotchi Mini seemed to get from the press in the run-up to its release!

Here in the UK, you pretty much couldn't find them anywhere, and even those 168-in-1 virtual pets (which, ironically, do a bit more than the 20th Anniversary Mini does) were selling out in stores that were carrying them as stocking-fillers before Christmas, which would suggest that a market still exists for these types of toys.

The 20th Anniversary ed. is slowly becoming a gateway drug. LOL Even *I* pulled out my v3's and have a wishlist of Tamas I want.

Yeah, it really is! Some other people I know have experienced exactly the same thing, and have gone from picking up a 20th Anniversary Mini as a nostalgic item, to getting other models that have more depth to them.

As above, this does seem to suggest that there's still a market for virtual pets outside of Japan, if only they were more visible in the marketplace...

 

[hyurutchi]

Gateway drug LOL. So true though. That's exactly what happened to me, now here I am wanting to try all the new versions.

I agree though, there is love for vpets outside of Japan and I wish they'd try selling some here again. If they sold the real originals with all the functions I think it would have gone even better or sparked some more interest. There are definitely fans still out here. It's too bad Bandai also seems to be narrowing their audience even more and marketing tamas to be "girly", I remember a lot of boys felt awkward for liking tamas even before they were obviously pink and sparkly

 

[PokemonBecky]

Welcome to tamatalk!