The Family Album of a Weird Little Ninja and a Very Fluffy Rabbit - Penguin-keeper's Virtual Pet Log

[Tacoburritotchi]

Speaking of Pokemon cards, my siblings gave me a whole treasure trove of Pokemon cards.  

 

[Penguin-keeper]

I've got something a little bit different for you guys today, and I'm almost certain that this is a virtual pet that has never been covered on TamaTalk before!

First things first, this is a Psion Series 5mx - a British palmtop computer which is about the same size as a Nintendo 3DS XL. The Psion Series 5 was released in 1997, and the 5mx (a much-upgraded version) was released in 1999, so the device was contemporaneous with the Western release of the original Tamagotchi Gen 1 and Gen 2 devices, and the ensuing virtual pet craze.

While browsing for Series 5 software and utilities recently, I happened across a program called "Fred", which was billed as a "virtual pet novelty" for the system. So, tonight, I installed Fred to see what it was all about, with the intent of adding my findings to my log.

Upon starting the program, I was greeted with this. It turns out that Fred is a virtual version of a Pet Rock.

It also turns out that there are various witticisms attached to the "activities" that you can perform so as to "care for" Fred. Moreover, they're not always the same every time - for example, choosing the Inject option for the first time will inform you that the needle broke, and choosing it a second time will tell you that the needle is still bent from the previous attempt, and there are multiple quips for attempting to give Fred a drink of Coca-Cola.

I went in expecting a basic virtual pet program rather than a joke one, and I found myself very amused indeed - Fred gave me a good laugh. The help files charmingly mention that Fred is free and is "Smileware", so if you like it, smile. I did indeed smile.

If anyone else around here owns a Psion Series 5 and is interested in checking out one of the only pieces of virtual pet software for the device (I know of one other, Magic Egg/"MEgg", but it was shareware and the full version probably isn't available anymore), you can download Fred here.

 

[Penguin-keeper]

Today, Bobbo finally won another race, which was the biggest event of his otherwise uneventful in-game day.

Meanwhile, now that Bobbo is reaching old age, I decided to hatch another Game Boy Tamagotchi, and I'm going to try out the method for obtaining Mimitchi that's outlined here. Supposedly, picking the black egg and feeding the Tamagotchi nothing but carrots for six in-game days will result in Mimitchi. We shall see! :mimitchi:

Living in the room next door, we now have Bimmy! He isn't very fond of carrots, but unfortunately for him they're all that he'll be getting for the next six days...

It turns out that the different rooms have different wallpaper, different music, and even a differently-placed window so that you can tell which room it is at a glance. I think that this is a really nice touch.

 

[Penguin-keeper]

After having evolved into a Marutchi in between the last log entry and this one, Bimmy grew into a Tamatchi today. Tamatchi always amuses me because it looks like a badly-drawn Kirby. Tamagotchi GB's sports game only accentuates this further, with the character hopping between ledges in a hilariously-wonky-looking fashion.

Unfortunately, a little while later, Bobbo passed on. I'll actually miss him (in as much as one can miss a fictional virtual alien creature from a simulation game), since my fondness for the Game Boy line means that I feel more of an attachment to this game and its creatures than I typically do with the dedicated virtual pet devices. Goodbye, Bobbo - it was a fun time.

A nice touch is that Tamagotchi GB has a built-in memorial feature as part of its save-file, with spaces to save data about eight favourite Tamagotchis that you've raised.

If you have a Tamagotchi in another room when the one in the first room passes on and you resume the game after the memorial screen without choosing to hatch another egg, you'll see that the first room is now empty. Though the same jolly music as before plays, it seems sad since now your Tamagotchi is no longer there with it. This game's emotional beats are very well-thought-out, I think.

Meanwhile, Bimmy went on with his life, blissfully unaware of what had just transpired next door.

Given what I noted above about Tamatchi looking like a badly-drawn Kirby, this picture entertains me more than it should.

At one point, I briefly forgot the carrots-only rule that supposedly yields Mimitchi, and ended up feeding Bimmy a cake - hopefully that won't have a negative effect on the end-goal!

Soon enough, the in-game night fell, and it was time for Bimmy to get some sleep - isn't he cute?

Whilst it was fun raising two Tamagotchis at once for a while, I don't think that I'll do so again anytime soon, if ever, and I certainly don't plan to raise three at a time, either - it's just a bit too hectic for my liking, and I prefer the game's more chill nature when you're raising just one pet at a time. So, for now, it'll just be Bimmy, until his time is up.

While I'm here, I just want to draw everybody's attention to @LucidLyes thread, "How to make Tamagotchi for Game Boy more like a real Tamagotchi", as it's a great effort at bringing more community attention to the game by providing a ruleset for playing it that puts it more in line with the dedicated virtual pet devices that run in real-time. If you're at all interested in Tamagotchi GB, I highly recommend checking it out!

 

[Tamacass]

This log is so detailed, I love your recent coverage on the GB game!

Speaking of which, I've been meaning to purchase the cartridge (my Gameboy collection is tiny, with two original GB games and one GBA game, plus my SP!), but the cheapest listings I can find are listed as Nintendo of Europe copies, with the information on the sides of the sticker being printed in German/Italian. It makes me wonder if the ROM itself is in English, and if you possibly know anything about the game's different region releases? (the only ROMs available online are the US/NTSC versions, from what I've researched, so I can't test using an emulator  ).

Also, I never truly did notice how Kirby-like Tamatchi was in the Gameboy ver! I've always enjoyed the aesthetic of it anyway, so this just makes it even better. 

 

[Eggiweg]

I'm impressed at how good the keyboard is on the PSION 5, I think I've only ever seen tiny blackberry-style buttons on those types of devices, and I'm loving the 1990s era programmer humour in Fred.

 

[LucidLyes]

 While I'm here, I just want to draw everybody's attention to @LucidLyes thread, "How to make Tamagotchi for Game Boy more like a real Tamagotchi"

Hey there! thanks for the shout out!
I'm not posting about it but I'm actually having way too much fun with the GB game. It's definitely getting the job of replacing a real Tamagotchi done. What it lacks in "realism" it replaces with better graphics and more interesting gameplay.
Besides, I've also gotten Tamagotchi 3 to run on an Android emulator. The RTC isn't actually functioning but I can definitely play it the same way as I'm playing the other 2 games, and this one has a whopping 49 characters, so that's sure to keep me interested for a while!

I'm currently raising 5 Tamagotchis (classic android app, Tamagotchi GB, Mori and Umi on Tamagotchi 2, and Osu/Mesutchi on Tamagotchi 3 since today). As you said, things are getting a little bit hectic and I think I'm gonna focus on just 1 at a time after they all die off (or go back to their planet if you prefer).

BTW, is "Bimmy" a reference to AVGN's Bimmy and Jimmy joke in the Double Dragon review?

 

[Penguin-keeper]

Hey there! thanks for the shout out!

No problem! It's a great post and it deserves the attention.

I'm not posting about it but I'm actually having way too much fun with the GB game. It's definitely getting the job of replacing a real Tamagotchi done. What it lacks in "realism" it replaces with better graphics and more interesting gameplay.
Besides, I've also gotten Tamagotchi 3 to run on an Android emulator. The RTC isn't actually functioning but I can definitely play it the same way as I'm playing the other 2 games, and this one has a whopping 49 characters, so that's sure to keep me interested for a while!

I'm currently raising 5 Tamagotchis (classic android app, Tamagotchi GB, Mori and Umi on Tamagotchi 2, and Osu/Mesutchi on Tamagotchi 3 since today). As you said, things are getting a little bit hectic and I think I'm gonna focus on just 1 at a time after they all die off

I assume that you're not running three emulated Tamagotchis at once?

(or go back to their planet if you prefer).

They look pretty dead to me.

BTW, is "Bimmy" a reference to AVGN's Bimmy and Jimmy joke in the Double Dragon review?

Sort of! I've never watched the Angry Video Game Nerd, so it's just a reference to the "Bimmy and Jimmy" typo from Double Dragon 3 on the NES.

Good eye!

 

[LucidLyes]

I assume that you're not running three emulated Tamagotchis at once?

Not sure I understand the question. I don't have 3 tamagotchis on the same "cartridge" if that's what you mean. I only have both Mori and Umi tamagotchis on the Tamagotchi 2 "cartridge". (I'm using quotes cause I only use ROMs).

 

[Penguin-keeper]

Not sure I understand the question. I don't have 3 tamagotchis on the same "cartridge" if that's what you mean. I only have both Mori and Umi tamagotchis on the Tamagotchi 2 "cartridge". (I'm using quotes cause I only use ROMs).

I'm sorry, I should have been clearer! What I mean is, are you running multiple separate emulated games at once, at the same time (i.e., in separate windows/tabs/whatever), with a Tamagotchi or two on each?

 

[LucidLyes]

I'm sorry, I should have been clearer! What I mean is, are you running multiple separate emulated games at once, at the same time (i.e., in separate windows/tabs/whatever), with a Tamagotchi or two on each?

Oh I get it. I don't use my PC all that often these days (and I've been doing 90% of my gaming on smartphone ever since I got powerful enough devices) so I'm using My OldBoy! for the first 2 games (Tamagotchi and Tamagotchi 2) and RetroArch with the mGBA core for Tamagotchi 3. I "visit" each tamagotchi sequentially and take care of it every 1 or 2 hours. That process is currently taking about 15-20 minutes every hour (my job has been pretty chill since COVID hit the scene), but I think I'd enjoy each game a lot more if I focused on only 1 pet at a time. That's why I'm sort of impatient for all of them* to die return to their home planet and keep only one to enjoy**. I'm a horrible person.

*EDIT: The Umi character just died right after laying an egg. I coldly sent it back to its home planet as soon as it hatched. One less, 3 to go x).

**That's when I'm planning to start my log too.

 

[Penguin-keeper]

Bimmy is hanging out on the GB Boy Colour today.

He's now 4, which means that he only has to endure two more in-game days of being forced to eat nothing but carrots - hopefully he'll still evolve into a Mimitchi in spite of my mistake of feeding him a cake last time!

Bimmy's frustrated angry face when he loses at the smile game is hilarious. Bootleg Kirby look intensifies!

I tried to enter him in a beauty-contest today, and to my surprise, he was allowed to enter. I had mistakenly thought that only adult Tamagotchis could enter the contests, but that's not so - this gives me more to do with the game when they're in the child phase, now.

Even better, Bimmy won!

And, after giving him a top-up feed and playing all three of the games for a little while, every single one of his meters were full.

That's why I'm sort of impatient for all of them* to die return to their home planet and keep only one to enjoy**. I'm a horrible person.

*EDIT: The Umi character just died right after laying an egg. I coldly sent it back to its home planet as soon as it hatched. One less, 3 to go x).

Eh, if you don't have the time, you don't have the time - this is a hobby, after all, and it's meant to be fun, not a chore.

**That's when I'm planning to start my log too.

Awesome - I'm looking forward to reading it!

 

[Penguin-keeper]

I was already spending a bunch of time with my Game Boy Colour this evening (the custom one, as opposed to the clone, this time), so I felt like playing through two in-game days for Bimmy, today.

On the first of them, which for him was his fifth in-game day, he won a race.

And then, on Bimmy's sixth in-game day, the moment of truth arrived - he evolved! And he evolved into...

... A Zuccitchi! Was the Mimitchi method incorrect, or did the one cake that I gave him in error foul everything up? I don't know.

I'm fine with it since I like Zuccitchi, but I'm a little puzzled by this, I must admit - barring the lone cake, I gave Bimmy perfect care throughout, always kept his weight at its lowest-possible level, always kept his stress at 0, never let the Hungry or Happy hearts drop below one empty, and caught and acted on all of his discipline calls*. Also, he evolved with all of his meters full.

*@LucidLyes - Thanks for contacting me and letting me know what to do with the random sad-face calls that are different to refusals to eat/play. You do indeed have to scold them for those, just like you said. Apparently they're supposed to be temper-tantrums! I had mistaken them for the crying that requires praising in order to calm them down, as seen on the Tamagotchi Connection line.

Incidentally, in researching why this happened (though I still don't know why, even now), I discovered that the "Mine" meter is actually meant to be Selfishness! Man, that's a hell of a mistranslation. Once again, I strongly suspect that Tamagotchi GB was the subject of a Japanese-to-English Dictionary translation.

Apparently, in Tamagotchi GB, Zuccitchi and Masktchi have a chance to evolve into Bill, and apparently in the Western version this is easier to do than in the Japanese version, as explained here. However, even though I know that it's easier in the English version, I don't know how it's actually done!

Anyway, after all of that, I entered Bimmy into a beauty contest, but he placed third, and the poor little guy looked SO upset!

Still, the rest of his in-game day was happy, since now he's getting to try all sorts of new foods that he wasn't allowed to have before!

But, for now, I'm going to put my log on a brief hiatus again, as I've got a bunch of old games that I want to spend more time with (including my binder full of Game Boy games), and I don't want to end up with Tamagotchi burnout of any kind!

Time for some retro gaming!

 

[LucidLyes]

Incidentally, in researching why this happened (though I still don't know why, even now), I discovered that the "Mine" meter is actually meant to be Selfishness! 

You'll also easily find by doing a google image search how to get the exact character you want if you look up "Tamagotchi Game Boy Growth Chart". Someone has compiled the entire thing into one simple jpg file. Evolutions have to do with the selfishness and stress values on one hand and on the IQ and Body values on the other. I'm not giving you a link for it though to avoid spoilers. In fact, even though I have downloaded the jpg file, I don't want to look at it too much. I feel like all that info takes away from the games.

Too bad you're going on hiatus, I hope you'll come back shortly!

 

[Penguin-keeper]

You'll also easily find by doing a google image search how to get the exact character you want if you look up "Tamagotchi Game Boy Growth Chart". Someone has compiled the entire thing into one simple jpg file. Evolutions have to do with the selfishness and stress values on one hand and on the IQ and Body values on the other. I'm not giving you a link for it though to avoid spoilers. In fact, even though I have downloaded the jpg file, I don't want to look at it too much. I feel like all that info takes away from the games.

I didn't know that such a thing was out there - thanks very much for the heads-up! I might look it up later, since it'll probably shed a bit more light on how the game ticks.

Too bad you're going on hiatus, I hope you'll come back shortly!

Thankyou. I never leave it behind for too long! I just want to put a bit more time into other games for a bit.

 

[Lainey cassels]

Unifuwatchi and Kiminanizatchi had a son called Goblintchi - so named because of the many odd colour-changes that his mother naturally went through as she grew up, and because, frankly, both of his parents look a bit weird.



Last night, true to the reason for his name, Goblintchi grew up looking a bit weird himself - in a cute way, of course.

I'm going to turn him green later, for a bit of a change, since his mother's green teenager stage looked cool, and then he will be marrying Fairytchi later today.

He looks like a cloud.

 

[Penguin-keeper]

My lost Super Gyaoppi turned up! I ended up finding it in a place that I had already checked multiple times, where neither it nor any of my other virtual pets have ever been, and where neither I nor anyone else would have ever put it - bizarre!

On that happy note, however, this is where I'm choosing to end my log. In the time that I haven't been writing new installments here, I've found that I enjoy running my virtual pets more when I'm not logging them, since I can just enjoy the moment-to-moment happenings rather than having to remind myself to make notes and take pictures.

Thanks very much to everyone who read the log - I really appreciate it!