Where it all started — the egg that changed everything
What Is It?
On November 23, 1996, Bandai released a small egg-shaped toy in Japan with a black and white LCD screen, three buttons, and a digital creature inside that would die if you ignored it. It sold 400,000 units before the year was out. By July 1997, it had sold 10 million. By Spring 1998, nearly 40 million units worldwide. Schools banned it. Parents couldn’t find it in stores. A toy created to appeal to young women in Tokyo had become a global phenomenon.
That toy was the original Tamagotchi — and it launched an entire genre.
The Origin Story
The Tamagotchi was co-created by Akihiro Yokoi of design company WiZ and Aki Maita of Bandai. Yokoi’s concept was inspired by a commercial he saw featuring a boy who wanted to take his pet turtle on a trip. He envisioned a portable pet — something alive and dependent that you could carry in your pocket.
His first pitch to Bandai was rejected. After market research in Tokyo’s Shibuya district, he concluded that handheld electronic games were almost entirely targeted at young boys. The new device would need to be different — it would need to be kawaii. The second pitch succeeded.
The name combines tamago (egg) and watch. The concept began as a wristwatch before being redesigned as a keychain — part design choice, part cost saving on the plastic casing.
In 2025, Tamagotchi was inducted into the World Video Game Hall of Fame at The Strong National Museum of Play. Nintendo’s Shigeru Miyamoto, upon seeing the original’s success, reportedly said “when we were stuck on talk of the spectacular 3D graphics of Mario 64… I thought that Mario 64 had lost to Tamagotchi.”
The Devices
Generation 1 (1996)
The original. Eleven characters to raise — one baby, one toddler, two teens, seven adults, plus one secret adult obtainable only through perfect care. Three buttons. A grid of large pixels. Feed it, play with it, clean up its poop, treat its illness, turn off its light at night. Let it die and a small ghost floats away. Rereleased in 2017 for the 20th anniversary and has been available continuously since, in new shell designs every season. The Oritama — as the rerelease is known in Japan — is still sold today.
Generation 2 (1997)
Released shortly after Gen 1 with an entirely new character set and a new mini-game. The two generations were sold simultaneously and are differentiated by their shell designs and character lists. Mimitchi debuted on Gen 2. Also rereleased in 2017 alongside Gen 1 and available continuously since.
Tamagotchi Angel (1997)
A spiritual sequel in which each Tamagotchi represents the ghost of a deceased pet that has ascended. Players encouraged good deeds to raise the angel’s goodness meter — neglect or encouraging bad behavior could lead to the angel becoming a mischievous Deviltchi. Added a motion and sound sensor — tapping the shell or making noise activated the device. Re-released internationally in January 2025 as “Generation 3.”
Mesutchi and Osutchi (Japan only, December 1997)
Two companion devices — one female (Mesutchi), one male (Osutchi) — that could physically dock together by interlocking the tops of the shells. When an adult pair connected, they could breed and have children. 31 characters each. The physical docking mechanic would resurface 28 years later in the Tamagotchi Paradise.
Tamagotchi Garden / Mori de Hakken! Tamagotchi (1998)
An insect-raising device set in a forest environment — a precursor to the Jade Forest shell’s thematic sensibility. Featured a cocoon stage where players controlled a temperature dial to influence evolution. Offered two egg types: a standard white egg and a spotted egg that always hatched into a stag beetle you could grow as large as possible. Planned for international release as “Tamagotchi Garden” but never reached Western shelves.
Tamagotchi Ocean / Umi no Tamagotch (1998)
Set entirely underwater in an ocean made of juice and soda water — the lore was always wonderfully absurd. Famous among collectors as one of the hardest Tamagotchi devices ever made. Required near-constant attention, included a water quality meter that needed regular cleaning, and featured a polar bear predator that could attack your Tamagotchi at rest. You had to physically tap the unit or make noise to scare it away. The teen character Otototchi from this device finally became an adult in Tamagotchi Paradise in 2025 — 25 years later.
Devilgotchi / Devilutch no Tamagotch (Japan only, 1998)
The dark companion to the Angel. Players raised mischievous devil characters and encouraged bad behavior rather than good. A genuinely strange and wonderful piece of franchise history.
Why It Mattered
The original Tamagotchi didn’t just sell well — it created an entirely new category of toy and launched a virtual pet genre that spawned imitators across every platform. It forced players to care about something that couldn’t care back in the traditional sense. It made death meaningful in a toy. It made maintenance emotional.
Every feature in every Tamagotchi device released since — the shop, the connection mechanic, the breeding system, the skill development, the secret characters — traces its DNA back to the three buttons and twelve pixels of a 1996 keychain toy.
Are the Originals Worth Getting Today?
Yes — unequivocally. The rereleased Oritama (Gen 1 and Gen 2) is still in production and available at toy stores and online retailers. It is the purest version of the Tamagotchi concept, stripped of every modern addition, and it remains one of the most emotionally engaging toys ever made. The 2025 rerelease of the Tamagotchi Angel means all three original generations are currently available new.
For a taste of the 1998 era, the Ocean and Garden are collector’s items — expensive, hard to find in good condition, and demanding to raise, but deeply rewarding for dedicated fans.
At a Glance
| Device | Year | Region | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Generation 1 | 1996 | Worldwide | Still in production (Oritama) |
| Generation 2 | 1997 | Worldwide | Still in production (Oritama) |
| Tamagotchi Angel | 1997 | Worldwide | Rereleased 2025 |
| Mesutchi & Osutchi | 1997 | Japan only | Collectible |
| Tamagotchi Garden | 1998 | Japan only | Collectible |
| Tamagotchi Ocean | 1998 | Worldwide | Collectible |
| Devilgotchi | 1998 | Japan only | Collectible |
For the franchise’s newest device, explore our complete Tamagotchi Paradise guides.
Individual Device Guides
Explore the original-era devices one by one: