Tamagotchi CD-ROM is an English language virtual Tamagotchi program created in 1997 for Windows 95 computers. It was developed by 7th Level and Bandai Digital Entertainment and is heavily based on the Classic Tamagotchi. The program is entirely separate from the Japanese Tamagotchi CD-ROM.
Story[]
The game begins showing Maskutchi and Zuccitchi heading to planet Earth on a UFO. After voicing their opinions on the planet ("It looks very 'wet'," says Maskutchi), they argue over whose turn it is to clean the cabin (a large poop can be seen), which quickly escalates into insults and violence. They stop fighting when they realize nobody is piloting their ship, and it begins to fall to Earth at drastic speed. They are able to stop the ship just in time, floating over a tropical island. They drop an egg to the land to explore for them, and promise they'll be back later to "pick the egg up."
Functions[]
Whenever a new Tamagotchi is hatched, the game randomly selects Babytchi or ShiroBabytchi and then continues on with their respective growth charts from the original Tamagotchi. Much of the Tamagotchi CD-ROM resembles the Classic Tamagotchi, with updated graphics and interface (for example, the Hungry meter in the Health menu is represented by bread instead of hearts). Characters are fully illustrated in their Bandai America style, and include voices and music during two of the three games. In addition, the options menu allows for the user to input their name, (re)name their Tamagotchi, adjust the volume levels for music and voices, and change the background to one of ten options. Available backgrounds include a city, a beach, a house, a field, and so forth.
One of the notable aspects of the CD-ROM are the unique voices and animations for each character - they will alternate between standing in the middle of the screen and walking around, chattering to themselves, and will occasionally perform a unique animation when their hunger and happiness are full. While there are some options available to multiple Tamagotchi, the meals and snacks differ from character to character.
Clicking off of the game's window will skip any ongoing animations, and while sound will not play altogether if the window is inactive, minimising it instead will allow most sound affects to play. The options menu also allows for the game to act as the current screensaver, showing the Tamagotchi's screen surrounded by one of several borders similar to what the window looks like maximised.
Attention Icon[]
If the attention icon lights up, the game's window and taskbar segment will begin to blink until the Tamagotchi has been properly taken care of - additionally, the program will use one of the computer's error/warning sounds as an audio alert if the window is inactive, and discipline calls can be identified by a squeak that accompanies the icon activating. These effects will not occur if the Tamagotchi is in the Care Center.
Games[]
Three games are available to play on the CD-ROM. They can all be exited at any time by clicking the red X button in the corner or hitting Esc.
- Left-Right Game - the classic game from the original Tamagotchi. The user clicks an on-screen arrow or presses an arrow key on the keyboard to guess which direction their pet will look. The game lasts for five rounds, of which at least three must be won to make the Tamagotchi happy.
- Shell Game - the character hides under an egg shell, and it is shuffled around with two other shells. The user must guess which of the three shells the character is hiding under, either through clicking on the shell or tapping the left, up/down and right arrow keys respectively. The game goes on for 6 rounds, and due to the low odds of winning, only 2 successful rounds are required to win.
- Gotchi Ball Game - the Tamagotchi gets into a small spaceship and clears meteors (green) and alien eggs from the screen. You have three lives, with the ball launching once the mouse is clicked. As the levels progress, the targets may require to be hit 2 or 3 times - the ball will gradually speed up every time it ricochets off something, and will slow down when a block is destroyed or a life is lost. From the child stage onwards, the spaceship becomes smaller with every evolution. The game is very similar to the classic game Breakout.
Playing any one of these games - win or loss will reduce the Tamagotchi's weight by 1lb.
Care Center[]
The care center
Users can send their Tamagotchi to a "Care Center" though the Light icon if they are busy or will be absent from their computer for an extended period of time. The Care Center is not a pause function; rather, the Tamagotchi continues its life and the Care Center tends to its calls. A Tamagotchi can be in the care center for a maximum of 72 hours. Clicking the clock shows how much time is remaining, while clicking the red X button brings the Tamagotchi home. A Tamagotchi will look sad instead of happy to indicate that they need attention.
85% of the time, the Call Center will feed, administer medicine and clean up poo as needed. Discipline does not count towards this. While a Tamagotchi's weight won't change while they are at the Care Center, their hunger or happiness will only be attended to after they run empty. Every 24 hours, the rate will decrease by 5% until the 72 hour Care Center limit is reached.
Alarm[]
The user can choose to wake up Tamagotchi before its scheduled wake up time, which is generally 9-11 AM. This is possible by selecting "Alarm" (from the Light menu) any time after 6 AM. If the Tamagotchi is woken up, it will then go to sleep earlier than normal, by the difference of exactly how early it was woken up. This however, will not be applicable if the Tamagotchi evolves on the day it is awoken early, in which case the Tamagotchi will still go to sleep at its scheduled hour, which will generally be 9 PM for teens and 10-11 PM for adult and special characters. The Tamagotchi will then wake up at its scheduled hour the next day unless the alarm is used again. The alarm cannot be used on a baby Tamagotchi.
Scrapbook[]
The Scrapbook option is located in the Options menu, acessible from the check meter icon. The My Tamagotchi screen captures and displays the current Tamagotchi’s statistics. If a Tamagotchi returns to the Tamagotchi Planet, their scrapbook page will add a letter written to the user before they leave. The contents of the letter depend on the Tamagotchi's breed and why it went back home, with each character having five "went home" letters and three "sent home" letters.
Departure[]
Tamagotchi in the game do not die, unlike the original vintage releases. When the end of their lifespan arrives or they are sent home through the options menu, a UFO will descend onto the screen, pick them up, and depart for the Tamagotchi Planet, leaving behind a constellation-like angel in its wake. While the angel is normally with blue highlights and smiling, it will have purple highlights and be frowning if the user sends their Tamagotchi back home manually.
Unlike the original devices, a Tamagotchi is capable of waking itself up and departing - this can happen if it is sick or has been neglected. If the Tamagotchi is in the Care Center when it is due to depart, it will exit on its own before playing the animation. Similarly, the program will wait until after the computer has been turned before letting a Tamagotchi leave if they are supposed to while it is shut down.
Upon returning to their home planet, the Tamagotchi will leave a farewell letter to the player to express their gratitude for their parenting and to explain why they left. They can be viewed either by going into the scrapbook on the options menu or clicking on the angel.
Gallery[]
Background options[]
Goodbye Letters[]
Trivia[]
- Although heavily based on the Classic Tamagotchi, there are differences that exist between the two. Asides from different sleeping times and life expectancies, some of the major ones are that the babies' naps last for about an hour rather than five minutes, and that Zuccitchi and Pochitchi have their position swapped - meaning only Pochitchi can evolve into Zatchi.
- Kuchitamatchi and Hashitamatchi can only evolve into Nyorotchi or Tarakotchi and Kusatchi or Takotchi respectively.
- The game lacks an evolution animation; a twinkly cadence will play right before the Tamagotchi's sprite is abruptly replaced with that of the new one.
- The animation style and character voices are the same as the ones in Tamagotchi Video Adventures, a cartoon produced by this game's developers.
- The game came with stickers of the Tamagotchis and a UFO.
- The game is known to have issues retaining a save file on versions of Windows newer than Windows XP, and will lose all progress when the computer shuts down. This can be circumvented by using a registry editor to export the registry files from the game's Active and Scrapbook sections prior to shutdown, then reimporting them after rebooting the computer.