| ←Mori de Hakken! Tamagotch | Tamagotchi Ocean | TamaOtch→ |
|---|---|---|
| This article is about a Tamagotchi Release | ||
| ← Tamagotchi Angel | Tamagotchi Ocean | Tamagotchi Connection Version 1 → |
|---|---|---|
| This article is about an English Tamagotchi release. | ||
The Tamagotchi Ocean (海で発見！たまごっち, Umi de Hakken! Tamagotch, meaning Ocean Discovery! Tamagotchi, also known as the Oceangotchi and Umino Tamagotchi or Umi No Tamagotchi) is an ocean life-themed Tamagotchi released in Japan in March 1998 and later on in the spring internationally. The Tamagotchi featured a motion sensor, similar to the Tamagotchi Angel, which was used to scare underwater predators away.
The device features Sakanatchi, water-dwelling Tamagotchi that are based on a number of aquatic lifeforms that previously debuted in Game de Hakken!! Tamagotchi 2, and features a drastically higher difficulty than any other vintage release - Bandai has stated that they had made it so that players normally should not be able to raise their Tamagotchi beyond childhood.
Bandai ceased production of Tamagotchi toys in America shortly after the Ocean was released, cancelling the planned Tamagotchi Garden and making the Tamagotchi Ocean the final English Tamagotchi toy before the brand was rebooted in 2004.
Features
Water Quality
Water quality is found under the stats icon and is depicted by four skulls. When the skulls are all white, it means the water is perfect quality. The more skulls that are black, the dirtier the water is, and the player must clean it by using the flush icon. When all four skulls are black, the Tamagotchi's water will turn black as well, requiring the water to be flushed four times.
Predators
The Tamagotchi Ocean has touch sensitivity used to ward off polar bears, which come almost every hour while the Tamagotchi character takes a nap during the day. When the polar bear arrives, the attention beep will alert the player, and they must press A to select the Discipline icon (depicting two hands) and touch the casing to scare it away. The Tamagotchi will then wake up. If the polar bear isn't scared away in time, it will attack the Tamagotchi which leads to injury. The Tamagotchi will be seen covered in bandages and must be cured with the medicine icon. It can potentially die if attacked by a polar bear, although it cannot die at the baby stage, nor will it be attacked.
Food
Once out of the baby stage, feeding too many snacks may cause it to become more vulnerable and die more easily. While difficult, it is possible to raise a Tamagotchi to adulthood without ever feeding it.
The meal on the Japanese edition is oden, and fish food on the English version. The snack on both versions is an ice cream cone.
Game
This is a guessing game in which the player has to guess which of the two chests the treasure is hidden in by pressing A or B. The player has to guess five times. If the player gets at least 3 right they win the game. Occasionally there is an octopus hiding in the chests that squirts ink, ending the game. The ink dirties the water and empties all of the happy hearts.
Discipline
When the Tamagotchi character misbehaves, this icon must be selected in order to improve its training. This icon also has to be selected in order to scare polar bears away, and will automatically be highlighted if the A button is pushed when the scenario arises. The discipline meter is the main deciding factor in what character the Ocean will evolve into. The meter must be at least 6/7 full in order for the Ocean to evolve to the next life stage.
Medicine
Depicted by a jar of medicine, this is for curing a Tamagotchi when it becomes sick or healing it after a polar bear attack. If the character gets sick or injured more than four times during a life stage, it will die instead of evolving. While most Tamagotchi on vintage releases usually get naturally sick once prior to evolution, multiple daily natural illnesses on the Ocean are not uncommon.
Lights and Daylight
The sun and moon icon is used for turning the lights on and off. The screen is also lit by natural light during daytime hours, from 6 AM to 7 PM. This means that even if the light is set to "Off", the screen will still appear to be lit. While this means the lights can be left off during the day, they must be turned back on for teen and adult characters who sleep later than 7 PM.
Trivia
- The promotional flyer and instruction manual for the English release promote a different set of growths from the Japanese version, and three additional secret characters. However, there are no changes in growths or characters on the English version, and Ningyotchi remains the only secret character.
- In the Japanese version, Koinoboritchi will appear on the screen at 5:05am and can be seen if the lights are on. Regardless of version, the device cannot be interacted with for a full minute once the easter egg starts.
- This is the second Tamagotchi release to not take a nap during the baby stage, the first being Tamagotchi Angel.
- Despite its reputation as being difficult to raise, it is in fact possible to raise a Tamagotchi Ocean to adulthood without ever feeding it or playing the game. Only discipline and medicine are required to progress, along with scaring away all polar bears. However, it is impossible to get Keropyontchi or a healthy adult this way.
Gallery
