90's virtual pet craze

[jeremysart]

"When I was your age, I was raising Tamagotchi's, not babies"

 

I was going through some old junk in the basement recently and found a keychain with a Tamagotchi, a Dinopet, and "Chikapet".

It made me laugh, but I was young in the mid-late 90's, about 12 when the keychain pet craze hit. I was obsessed with these things for some reason, there was a point where I had about 8 of them on one keychain! Of course, I was facsinated with dot matrix/ LCD games in the 90's.

 

Finding them brought me back, I remember my cousin was the first person I knew who had one, I thought it was so neat, so my mother bought me a knock off version at drug store, which turned out to be better because it had two games instead of one, and there was "simulated weather", if a sun appeared you had to give it a hat, if it was raining, an umbrella, or if it was snowing, a scarf.

 

I recently found a new in the box one at the trade center for $5, so I picked it up and re-discovered the fun. Its no surprise that I like these things.. I love video games, I love hand helds, and I love games like Harvest Moon. I am already the geek guy that brings a Super Mario lunch box, thermos and glass to work everyday, I dont think I'll be any more geeky with a Tamagotchi on my keychain, haha.

 

Did anyone else like these, or remember the whole fad? Share your story!

[Reaperman]

All I remember is that all my virtual pets liked vigorous shaking, and were very unhappy when I did not shake them enough. Probably not the best message to be sending our current generation of breeders.

 

My favorite one was the color pikachu model, which an old girlfriend hid on me so well that I haven't seen it since. I was sure I'd find it when I moved, but I think she must have "hidden" it in a garbage can.

[4Ks]

I always thought virtual pets were stupid.

[godslabrat]

I used to carry a Tamagotchi. I even got to take it to school... I kept it on a bracelet on my wrist, hidden by a long-sleeved shirt. I still have it (somewhere).

[high voltage]

I still collect them, got approx 100, but the new Tamagotchi are way expensive on ebay

[jeremysart]

I still collect them, got approx 100, but the new Tamagotchi are way expensive on ebay

 

Wow, thats crazy. Are they are "name brand", or different variations. Ebay prices on lcd games in general are very bad.. most virtual pets range $35-75 when most of them originally cost about $10-15, the same goes with Tiger Electronics handhelds..

 

Do you sell them too?

 

Haha, I just thought I would post this topic why I was thinking about the "collecting craze". Everyone was collecting these, Firbys, Beany Babies and Pokemon cards..

[IntellivisionDude]

I had one but it may have been an off brand. Don't really remember. Thought it was cool at first but got bored with it quick.

[kroogur]

They had Star Wars themed ones and I always liked the Rancor monster in the movie so I bought the Rancor "Keychain Pet" It was pretty cool at the time and I think I still may have it somewheres.

[Rev. Rob]

I always thought virtual pets were stupid.

 

Ya, where's the voting option for that?

 

The only one I tried was Chao Adventure on the Dreamcast VMU.

[Video]

I didn't vote because quiet frankly, I didn't fit any of the catagories.

 

I had several from back in the day, still do somewhere. I got the octopet when they first came out (due to being cheaper, and having different pets instead of just the blob Tomogatchi had) Later I got a tomogotchi when they were marked down to octo's range (mostly cause everybody said how much better they were hint, they wern't) Later the Digimons came out with the link thing, so you could hook two together and get them to interact. I Actually have tomogotchi and a wonderswan somewhere (anybody remember those?) And when Pikachu came out, I had to get that, it had the pedomiter and at the time I worked a job where I spent the day walking, so it always got exercized all to hell . Then Furby hit, followed by the various dogs, Aibo, cybo, and osme others and that was pretty well the end of the virtual keychain pet craze. I've never gotten any of thsoe except furby cause they were to damn expensive...some being over a thousand dollars. I still got my halloween furby somewhere too, and one of the little robot things based of Neopets (if that still exists, I think it does)

 

Anyhow, the biggest problem with "virtual pets" to me, was the fact they required WAY to much care. Real pets do need interacted with, but none of them need fed every 20 minutes or anything, or have a life span of only 3 days max. That was always the stupid thing about those virtual pets, they were to short lived to keep my amusement. Pikachu was the only one I think I had that didn't "die" on you, though cause it was constantly active counting stepsit would go through it's battery relatively quickly.

 

Anyhow, I'd be interested in modern virtual pets, but I don't think anybody makes any anymore, there's the cube world things I see occasionally, but I think the dogs would be cool, and I'm pretty sure sony doens't make any anymore.

[horseboy]

the same goes with Tiger Electronics handhelds..

 

Yeah, the prices in general on Ebay on these are crazy, but that is very deceiving. If you do a completed item search you will find that 90% of Tiger Handheld that actually get sold go for under $10 each. Many of those in the $1-5 range.

[MagitekAngel]

I had T-Rex Giga Pet back in the day. Also bought a pair of Tamagotchis more recently.

[Reaperman]

And when Pikachu came out, I had to get that, it had the pedomiter and at the time I worked a job where I spent the day walking, so it always got exercized all to hell .

now that you mention it, I do recall it being a pedometer, and not something I was 'supposed to' shake violently...

[Classic Pac]

I had this friend who crazy for them. At one time he had 6....after 3 days he got bored with them.

[zylon]

Never had one. I was too busy working in the 90's.

[pinball22]

I've always called them Tamagrouchies since the FoxTrot series of strips about them at the time -- this one's my favorite, click forward/back to read the others.