History VideoGame / Tamagotchi

* ButNowIMustGo: If you don't feel like watching your Tamagotchi die of old age, you can have the professor send them back to their home planet instead.

* ButnowIMustGo: If you don't feel like watching your Tamagotchi die of old age, you can have the professor send them back to their home planet instead.

* SoundTest: In ''Game de Hakken!! Tamagotchi 2'', the player can access a sound check menu to listen to background music and sound effects by interacting with the boombox in Mikachu's room in overworld mode.

* ThreeQuartersView: The overworld mode in ''Game de Hakken!! Tamagotchi 2'' is portrayed in this perspective.

''Tamagotchi'' (''Game de Hakken!! Tamagotchi[[labelnote:note]]literally "Found in the Game!! Tamagotchi"[[/labelnote]] in Japan) is a 1997 [[VirtualPet virtual pet]] game released for the UsefulNotes/GameBoy. An adaptation of the original Toys/{{Tamagotchi}} virtual pet toys, the game is closely modeled after the gameplay of the physical toys, with the player raising a Tamagotchi from an egg to an adult while feeding it, playing games with it, giving it discipline, healing it when it is sick, and attending to its bathroom needs. The Game Boy game features all of the characters from both the P1 and P2 generations of the Tamagotchi toys, and Tamagotchis can freely evolve from characters of one generation into another.

A sequel, ''Game de Hakken!! Tamagotchi 2'', was released for the Game Boy in Japan four months after the original, featuring new Tamagotchi characters based off insects and marine animals. The player controls Mikachu as she explores the overworld in search of Tamagotchi eggs and items while working for Professor Banzo. The new Tamagotchi species would get their own toy releases in the ''Tamagotchi Ocean'' and the ''Mori de Hakken!! Tamagotchi'' devices. ''Game de Hakken!! Tamagotchi 2'' was never released outside Japan.

Another sequel, ''Game de Hakken!! Tamagotchi Osutchi to Mesutchi'', was released for the Game Boy Color in Japan in 1998. This game was based on the ''Tamagotchi Osutchi'' and ''Mesutchi'' toys, which were the first Tamagotchi devices to allow players to connect toys together to have their Tamagotchis marry and produce babies. This game was also never released outside Japan.

[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/tamagotchi_5.jpg]]
[[caption-width-right:350:[[{{Tagline}} Digital Friends of the World.]]]]

Tamagotchi is a series of handheld toys created by [[Creator/BandaiNamcoEntertainment Bandai]]. The handhelds are {{Virtual Pet}}s that the player can play with; the pet starts out as a little baby and can grow into a variety of different adult types from there depending on how much the player takes care of it.

The first toys were sold in Japan on November 23, 1996. The company didn't expect much, and produced them in small number. But the toys became a big fad overnight. By the time they were producing enough to meet demand, the popularity had died down and Bandai ended up suffering financially. In 2004, they relaunched the toys with new infrared technology, allowing two Tamagotchi toys to communicate, letting them play games, exchange gifts, and even marry and produce children.

The relaunch has proven to be successful, spawning an [[Franchise/{{Tamagotchi}} entire franchise]] of ''Tamagotchi''-related media. Despite remaining a CashCowFranchise in Japan, its popularity internationally has fluctuated, never reaching the same notoriety from 1997.

The ''Franchise/{{Digimon}}'' franchise was Bandai's effort to create a SpearCounterpart to ''Tamagotchi'', in order to tap into the male market. It... [[MorePopularSpinoff succeeded, shall we say]].

For other ''Tamagotchi'' media, including the {{Animated Adaptation}}s, see [[Franchise/{{Tamagotchi}} the franchise page]]. Also see the [[Characters/{{Tamagotchi}} character page]].

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!!The Tamagotchi toys provide examples of the following tropes:
* AbortedArc:
** The US release of the Morino Tamagotchi (a vintage Tamagotchi product) called Tamagotchi Garden was cancelled after the fad ended.
** A successor to the ''Music Star'', called the ''Music Star: World Tour Edition'', was meant to feature raising a Tamagotchi, forming a band, and then travelling around the world to become internationally famous. It was planned for a fall 2009 release, but never materialized.
* TheAlcoholic:
** Oyajitchi is obsessed with sake, which was replaced with coffee for international versions.
** Also applies to Horoyotchi, who is fashioned after a gourd of sake, carries around a ''sakazuki'' glass, and has red cheeks and squinty eyes.
* AmericanKirbyIsHardcore: From the Tamagotchi Ocean to the Tamagotchi Connection.
* AnimateInanimateObject:
** All of the buildings, trees, and most objects on the Tamagotchi Planet are ''alive'', or have a face at the very least.
** A lot of the Tamagotchis themselves also fall under this, such as Crackertchi (a party cracker), Yakantchi (a tea kettle), Mousetchi (a computer mouse), Belltchi (a bell), and Shelltchi (a clam shell).
* AntiFrustrationFeatures:
** The Smart is the first toy with a rechargeable lithium-ion battery. No more burning money on cycling out watch batteries!
** The Smart also features a "House-sitting" function that allows the Tamagotchi to take care of itself during the daytime, just in case you're not available to dedicate time to it. It does, however, require you to check back in by nightfall or else the Tamagotchi's Fondness meter will decrease.
* AntiPoopSocking: Tamagotchis sleep at night (falling asleep as late as 11 P.M.), so there's no point on checking on the toy again until morning.
* AnyoneCanDie: It's grim, but a Tamagotchi can die as a teen, child, or even as a baby should the user neglect it enough. Adults can in certain versions as well, though many of the modern toys and games instead have them run away or go off on a journey instead.
* ArborealAbode: Kuchipatchi and his family reside in a house fashioned from a big tree. The building has a hot spring at the top, since Patchi Forest (where the house is located) is known for hot springs.
* ArtEvolution:
** In Japan, the artwork used to be cruder and had black outlines. Beginning in 2004, the artwork looked better, but had blue outlines and several older characters who originally had black body parts had said parts recolored to match the new blue.
** In the USA, the artwork looked even cruder than the original Japanese artwork, looking like it was colored in by a preschooler. In 2004, they later received the 2004 Japanese style, but later switched to the anime designs with the ''Tamagotchi Friends''.
** While the original black-and-white ultra-simple displays remain the most iconic versions of the Tamagotchi and are still produced to this day, newer models of the toy have full-color, 16-bit-esque sprites with vastly expanded functionalities, such as touch screens, microphones, and ''cameras''.
* BackFromTheDead: On the Keitai, Akai, Entama and Uratama toys, the user can summon the soul of a previously deceased Tamagotchi (if one had died before) to save their current Tamagotchi from death.
* BankRobbery: Several of the handhelds feature a burglar who occasionally steals some of your Tama Points. He's brought up in the newspaper you receive at mail call, with one of two possible stories with him being that he's robbed Tamatown's bank.
* BenevolentAlienInvasion: The Tamagotchi invaded Earth by accident (fleeing their drunk planet and having their [=UFOs=] suffer engine problems and crash), but both humans and Tamagotchis ended up benefiting from the incident. The Tamagotchi deliberately returning to Earth later on is a more straight example of this.
* BigEater: Kuchipatchi is the most notable breed characterized as this - others include [[SweetTooth PetitChocotchi and Kuishinbotchi]].
* BindleStick: Nazotchi is always seen carrying one.
* BreakTheCutie: When you don't take care of your Tamagotchi (giving it medicine when sick, feeding it, making it happy, cleaning up the poop), and if you don't do something about it quick, [[KillTheCutie it might die]].
* BrotherSisterIncest: The Mesutchi and Osutchi had no restrictions on who they're allowed to marry, so the user could potentially marry the same two units over many generations with no consequence. Doubles as {{Twincest}}, as the two babies are identical and born at the same time. The modern releases until the 4U made it so both babies are the same sex.
* CantHoldHisLiquor:
** The Tamagotchi Planet, which itself is a living Tamagotchi. It's roughly the same size as Earth, but ''one sip'' of of a regular-sized bottle of sake is enough to get it drunk.
** On the Keitai and Akai toys in Japan, the player can give sake to teenage characters. One sip makes them immediately get dizzy and throw up.
* {{Cap}}: The Keitai and Version 2 toys, which introduced money to the toys, capped the money at 9999. The cap got higher for each succeeding version, with the Music Star's cap at 9~ billion. Meanwhile, prior to the release of the Tamagotchi On, generation and age numbers, meanwhile always capped at 99. This can cause problems on releases where evolutions are dependent on the generation being odd or even.
* CartoonBomb: Bakutchi is a black-colored, round bomb Tamagotchi with a fuse on the top of his head.
* CatNinja: Okugatatchi, the mother of the ninja Gozarutchi, is a ninja herself and has the pointy ears, whiskers, and tail of a cat.
* ChildhoodFriendRomance: Two Tamagotchis who have known each other since they were babies can then later get married and have kids when they're adults.
* ChocolateOfRomance: On the Entama and Uratama toys, a chocolate heart can be purchased in February. Consuming it temporarily greatly accelerates the rate at which the Tamagotchi builds a relationship with another Tamagotchi.
* ConfusedQuestionMark: Giving a Tamagotchi certain toys can invoke this.
* ControllableHelplessness: On the earlier 2000-era Japanese toys, if the Death Spirit appears and you're not prepared with the right item to send it away, you'll be stuck sitting and waiting for your Tamagotchi to die.
* TheCorruption:
** Severely neglecting an Angel can result in it turning it into a Deviltchi.
** On the Pac-Man Tamagotchi, letting ghosts stick around for too long causes glitches to appear. Leaving those for too long will overwhelm and kill your Tamagotchi.
* CreatorCameo: The Bandai logo can be obtained as a toy on the Music Star.
* CreatureBreedingMechanic: Most of the post-2004 models feature infrared connection. If two adult Tamagotchis of opposite genders are connected, they can "marry" and lay eggs that will eventually replace them. This allows players to begin the Tamagotchi life cycle over again. The Osutchi and Mesutchi were only vintage release outside of video games that used this feature, performed with the metal prongs used on the ''Digimon'' virtual pets several months prior.
* CriticalAnnoyance: The toys completely disable any interactions and constantly flash a warning symbol on their screen if they run low on battery power, and will continue doing this until the battery runs out or is replaced.
* {{Crossover}}:
** Prominently with ''VideoGame/{{Aikatsu}}'' and Creator/{{Sanrio}}. The Tamagotchi P's has several add-on that feature ''Aikatsu'' and Sanrio characters, while ''Aikatsu'''s Datacardass game features a ''Tamagotchi'' stage; and there's an entire m!x version dedicated to Sanrio characters.
** The 1997 Mothra Tamagotchi, released as a tie-in to ''Film/RebirthOfMothra2'', allows the player to raise various {{kaiju}} such as Film/{{Mothra}} and Franchise/{{Godzilla}}.
** There's also the toy [[Manga/{{Doraemon}} Doraemontchi]] and the functionally-equivalent Doramitchi.
** Tamagotchi Nano is a series of miniature devices that feature a number of prominent crossovers. These include [[Ride/DisneyThemeParks Tokyo Disney]] Easter mascots Usatama and Usapiyo, [[Creator/{{Sanrio}} Gudetama]], [[Franchise/{{Pokemon}} Eevee]], ''VideoGame/PacMan'', ''Anime/NeonGenesisEvangelion'', ''Manga/DemonSlayerKimetsuNoYaiba'', Franchise/HelloKitty, VideoGame/FateExtra, VideoGame/TwistedWonderland, WebAnimation/BT21Universe, and Franchise/StarWars.
* CrystalBall: Gypsytchi the fortune-telling Tamagotchi has one.
* {{Descriptiveville}}: Several towns and villages on Tamagotchi Planet are named for what family of Tamagotchis one can find there. For example, Mame City is populated by the Mame family and Patchi Forest is populated by the Patchi family.
* DistaffCounterpart: As of the V5, many characters have a counterpart of the opposite sex (for example, Mametchi and Chantotchi).
* DemographicDissonantCrossover: In 2020, Bandai started releasing ''Tamagotchi'' virtual pets based on a number of anime and video game properties, some of which are in line with ''Tamagotchi'''s target demographic of kids (such as with ''VideoGame/PacMan''). Others, like ''Anime/NeonGenesisEvangelion'' and ''Manga/DemonSlayerKimetsuNoYaiba'', not so much.
* ADogNamedDog: There's a character that looks like a Tamagotchi...and his name is Tamagotchi.
* DoWellButNotPerfect: Because the critter your egg grows into is based on how you care for it, getting a specific creature can be a tricky task. The second-best characters on vintage releases are reputedly the hardest to get.
* DominoMask: Masktchi wears a black domino mask.
* {{Dualvertisement}}: Around the time of the release for ''VideoGame/PokemonLetsGoPikachuAndLetsGoEevee'', a special [[NoExportForYou Japan-exclusive]] Eevee version of Tamagotchi was released. Fittingly, the evolutions that the Eevee Tamagotchi can undergo are the same as from the series it hails from (Flareon, Vaporeon, Jolteon, etc.).
* DownloadableContent: The Smart takes after the Digimon Vital Brace's DIM Cards with the "[=TamaSma=] Cards", which are memory cards with a plastic, egg-shaped end. By inserting the [=TamaSma=] Card into a port on the right side of the toy, you can add additional characters, bonus items, cosmetic clock faces, and an extra minigame to your Tamagotchi. Not only are the bonus items free, feeding the special food and snack items to your Tamagotchi during the toddler and child stage increases the odds of it growing into one of the "special" Tamagotchi added through the card. Each toy can only have one [=TamaSma=] Card data loaded at a time, and [[RevenueEnhancingDevices to keep money flowing]] each [=TamaSma=] Card has a hard limit of 4 unique devices it can link to.
* DubNameChange: The most bizarre change was for Flowertchi. She debuted on a Japanese toy and was recycled for the American V2, except they had already named a character on it "Flowertchi" (both were originally debug-exclusive characters on the Connection/Plus). So Flowertchi was renamed Korotchi, then Leaftchi, and finally Violetchi, which has stuck. Come the anime dub, it reverted back to Flowertchi, but a number of the English-release devices continue to use Violetchi.
* DudeLooksLikeALady: In the Tamagotchi M!x and On, [[PatchworkKids when breeding]] it's possible to get a male Tamagotchi that inherits more parts from the mother than the father, and thus looks extremely feminine, [[LadyLooksLikeADude and vice versa for female Tamagotchi.]]
* EarlyInstallmentCharacterDesignDifference: In North American releases of the original 90's Tamagotchi toys, Mametchi was a blue-colored female rather than a yellow-colored male like in modern releases. The Japanese versions of the 90's releases avert this, as they made him a yellow-colored male right from the start. His name was also pronounced "muh-MEET-chee" instead of "muh-MEHT-chee", at least in ''WesternAnimation/TamagotchiVideoAdventures''.
* EatingContest: On the first few Connection versions, this was one of the games played when two Tamagotchis connected.
* EdibleCollectible: From the Keitai (Japan) and Version 2 (worldwide) onward, different foods could be collected, many of which don't do anything special when consumed.
* EndlessGame: The 2000 era toys can be played for as long as the player can keep the pet alive and make sure it marries and starts a new generation.
* EverythingsBetterWithPlushies: The Tamagotchis have had a variety of plushes made out of them. Considering the characters are purposefully made to be cute and cuddly, this makes sense.
* ExpansionPack: The Tamagotchi P's in Japan feature USB-like items called a "pierce", which downloads new characters, items, destinations and backgrounds into the toy. The Tama-Go in the US had a similar thing with the "Gotchi Figures"; when plugged in, they added new games and items.
* ExposedExtraterrestrials: Zig-zagged. There are plenty of Tamagotchis that don't wear any clothing at all, but also plenty that do wear clothes (the latter type is more common in the modern releases). One of the series mascots, Mametchi, wears a black cap but no shirt or pants, while his friends Memetchi and Kuchipatchi completely lack clothing; Lovelitchi, on the other hand, does wear a shirt.
* ExposedEyeballsAsEyes:
** Donutchi is a [[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin donut]] with exposed eyeballs near the top of his head.
** Hatenatchi is a question mark with these.
** Okutchi is block with a large, open mouth and eyes on top.
* TheFaceOfTheSun: Sunnytchi is a living Tamagotchi sun with a face that floats around the planet.
* FacePlant: On the Version 1, failing at the "Jump" game will make the Tamagotchi trip over a hurdle. Many of the adult characters on other Connection releases also face plant as they walk across the screen in their idle animations.
* FamousNamedForeigner: Bill is modeled after American foreigner stereotypes, and is named after Bill Clinton, US president at the time the Tamagotchi toys launched.
* FatSlob: Debutchi (on the Mesutchi and Osutchi toys) drools in its sleep.
* FatteningTheVictim: There's nothing stopping the player from overfeeding their Tamagotchi until their weight reaches 99, though some of the toys have consequences.
** On the Mesutchi and Osutchi, doing this will turn the Tamagotchi into Debutchi, and if the weight's not shed off in 24 hours, it dies.
** On the Tama-Go, the characters will visibly fatten up and become lethargic. Giving them medicine makes them crap out a massive pile of poo and lose 10 points off their weight.
* {{Flatline}}: Part of the death sequences of most vintage releases. The heart rates gradually slow down before the flatline occurs, so it's not as bad as most examples in media where the change is instantaneous.
* FluffyCloudHeaven: A commercial for Tamagotchi Angel takes place here with two girl angels.[[note]]Although one of them might be a girl devil...[[/note]]
* FrothyMugsOfWater: Oyajitchi's sake addiction is replaced with coffee for US toys.
* FunnelMouthedCephalopod: The predator octopus on the Tamagotchi Ocean has a funnel-shaped mouth.
* GRatedSex: When two Tamagotchis are about to mate, they kiss and then the screen turns black. Fireworks will appear on the screen, and when the light comes on again, the babies appear.
* GadgetWatch: The ''Smart'' is a Tamagotchi as a smartwatch.
* GameOver:
** The death screen serves as the Tamagotchi's game over screen. On certain modern releases, certain progress like items and amounts of money are kept when restarting the game by pressing A and C to get a new egg.
** In the Pac-Man Tamagotchi, either touching a ghost in the maze game or touching 3 in the direction game will show part of the Pac-Man maze with "GAME OVER" flashing in the ghost box.
* GeniusLoci:
** The Tamagotchi Planet and its sun are Tamagotchi themselves.
** Land formations and buildings are also living Tamagotchi, and are part of the broader group called Gaiatchi, which includes all living things on the Tamagotchi planet.
* TheGoodKing: The Gotchi King.
* GottaCatchThemAll:
** The 2010-era toys keep records of the different Tamagotchi you raise, and some give rewards for raising a certain number of different characters.
** The L.i.f.e. and Classic apps reward you with new shell and background designs for raising numbers of characters and their color variations.
* TheGrimReaper: The Grim Gotchi, which appears when the Tamagotchi is about to die[[note]]Starting with the ''Keitai Kaitsuu Tamagotchi Plus'' in Japan, and internationally starting with Tamagotchi On[[/note]]. It looks like a small, black ghost with horns.
* GuiltBasedGaming: If you don't tend to your Tamagotchi, it will ''die''. On later versions, extra animations appear if the Tamagotchi is left alone for too long (sulking in the corner, begging for food, etc.).
* HauntedHouse: One is in the park in the Tamagotchi & Earth EXPO. On the Plus Color, a theme park with a haunted house can be visited.
* HumanAliens: Most Tamagotchis avert this by being HumanoidAliens at most. However, Rolatchi, who is a Tamagotchi version of the Japanese model Rola, actually does look exactly like a human.
* IdleAnimation: They move back and forth across the screen, whether by walking, hopping, dancing, or flying. In later generations, their animation ties to their mood.
* ImprobablyHighIQ: Mametchi and Mimitchi are characterized as having [=IQs=] of 250 and 200, respectively. While they are shown in multiple media to be genuinely of above-average intelligence and capable of creating devices humans have yet to, it may be justified as their IQ is measured among other Tamagotchis, not humans.
* InsectoidAliens: The Mushitchi (a subspecies of bug Tamagotchi) resemble many conventional Earth bugs. There are a number of normal Tamagotchi who resemble insects as well.
* ItemCrafting: The Entama and Uratama have a cooking system. Ingredients can be purchased on the E-Tamago site or the toy's shop, and can be combined to create new foods.
* KillTheCutie: When you don't take care of your Tamagotchi.
* KilledOffForReal: Your Tamagotchi when it dies. Interestingly, this trope and KillTheCutie were [[AvertedTrope subverted]] by the later release of [[http://tamagotchi.wikia.com/wiki/Tamagotchi_Angel the Tamagotchi Angel.]] Your care would determine whether they ascend to the higher heavens, or [[TheCorruption become Devilgotchi]].
* KissingCousins: Could happen if you're attentive enough. It requires a long explanation, but try to keep up. If you have two Tamagotchis mate with each other, the mother will give birth to two babies, one of which goes to live with the father. Both will always be of the same sex (probably to avoid any [[BrotherSisterIncest squicky possibilities]] once possible with the Osutchi/Mesutchi). Later, you will raise the babies and eventually they will grow up and have their own kids. If their babies are a boy and a girl, respectively, they can mate.
* LittleGreenManInACan: They live inside their plastic digital egg, as they can't survive Earth's atmosphere [[GameplayAndStorySegregation in some media]], primarily the vintage age ones.
* LuckBasedMission:
** The left/right game has a coin flip decision as to which direction your Tamagotchi will face.
** Obtaining Lucky Unchi-Kun on the Tamagotchi Angel is pure luck - it is decided if an Obaketchi 2 can evolve into it the very moment it is born. Unless of course, you get Sabotenshi/Kitsutenshi's rare farewell screen or you completely ignored your angel for a solid week from birth to uhh... Pooifying. Not even neglect. You have to [[YouBastard completely ignore the poor little guy and press no buttons throughout its entire life]].
* TheManInTheMoon: Tamagotchi Planet's moon has visible eyes and a mouth.
* MarketBasedTitle: The Tamagotchi Meets, as it is known in Japan, was released in the West as the Tamagotchi On. The Korean version goes by the name Tamagotchi Some (in Korea, the term "some" is used as a euphemism for an ambiguous romantic relationship between two people; it's a shortened form of "something", which is used to ask if a given couple are romantically affiliated with each other).
* MatingDance: The Mesutchi and Osutchi dance around when they connect to marry and reproduce.
* {{Meido}}: Maidtchi is, as implied by the name, a maid who works to keep her house nice and tidy.
* MirrorMatch: A non-violent example; it's possible to connect two toys that have the same character, and have them compete with each other in a minigame.
* MissionPackSequel: Many releases are basically additions to the previous version's base. The 4U+ is the most prominent example, being a straight-up upgrade to the 4U.
* MoodWhiplash: One minute, you're playing with your Tamagotchi, the next minute, [[TearJerker you get to watch it die.]] This is especially bad on the first Game Boy game, as a perfectly healthy Tamagotchi that has never been neglected may suddenly die.
* MustHaveCaffeine: Oyajitchi (in the US).
* MythologyGag: The Bugs or Glitches caused by ghosts in the Pac-Man Tamagotchi are a reference to the Map 256 Glitch of the original ''VideoGame/PacMan'', which caused half of the map to be replaced by gibberish. In ''Pac-Man'', it was referred to as a KillScreen because there weren't enough dots to eat to win and the only thing to do was let the ghosts kill the player. Here, it's a screen that will literally kill your Tamagotchi.
* NeverSayDie:
** In most English toys, the Tamagotchi is referred to either as "returning to its home planet" or "running away", and the gravestone and ghost from the Japanese version is replaced with a UFO and stars (or a letter reading "Goodbye"). The sequence leading up to the screen, however, was left completely unchanged (a slowing heart rate with a skull), making it clear that the pet was dying.
** This was averted on the original Connection models; the Tamagotchi is outright stated to die, turning into an egg with wings. However, it was played straight again on the English Version 5 models, where they get angry and fly away in a [=UFO=] instead. This was done again on the Tamatown Tama-Go and the Friends models along with the color versions from the [=iD=] to the 4U, where they run away instead of dying.
** This was averted with the 2017 rerelease of the Tamagotchi Mini and the 2019 Tamagotchi On, both which keep the original death screen (a grave and a ghost), and the instruction manuals plainly mention death.
** The Pac-Man Tamagotchi can die if not fed or if Game Bugs are left unattended for too long. Otherwise, running away happens if nothing actually kills the Tamagotchi but it's unhappy for too long. They won't die of old age, though, since their age is never shown in-game and instead leave to go on a journey.
** The [[Anime/NeonGenesisEvangelion Evatchi]] also averts this, and when it dies, the screen shows a cross-shaped explosion.
** Similarly, ''Manga/{{Demon Slayer|KimetsuNoYaiba}}'' Tamagotchi can die if neglected, with their death screen showing Demon Slayer Corps soldiers performing clean-up duty. They can die if their injuries from Demon attacks are not treated, or if they sustain too many injuries.
* {{Ninja}}: Gozarutchi, his family members and most breeds originating from Gozaru Village all dress and act like ninjas.
* NintendoHard: Bandai have personally stated that they purposefully amped up the difficulty of the Tamagotchi Ocean compared to other vintage releases, so that one should not normally be able to raise their pet beyond the ''childhood stage''. Besides that, your pet gets sick multiple times in a single day (compared to other vintage releases, where it gets sick once per life stage, anywhere from half a day to a full day before evolving), and it has predators that can kill your Tamagotchi if you don't play close attention.
* NoCelebritiesWereHarmed: Bill is a WaddlingHead version of former U.S. president Bill Clinton, complete with his love for playing the saxophone.
* NoMouth: Gozarutchi and Knighttchi both have their mouths obscured, the former by his ninja hood and the latter by his knight helmet.
* NoSmoking: Several characters have been seen smoking, which have been censored later on. Helmetchi (Morino Tamagotchi) is missing his cigarette in ''Tap & Hatch''. Memetchi's father, Memepapatchi, had his cigar replaced with a cup of coffee.
* NoSuchThingAsAlienPopCulture: Initially played straight, as Tamagotchi life was much simpler before meeting humans. Completely averted after visiting Earth, as much of the planet changed to resemble Earth, including a massive influx of pop culture, and several breeds came into existence as a result of mimicking the planet's cultures.
* OfficeRomance: On the Music Star, the Tamagotchi may fall in love with and marry one of their bandmates.
* OffModel: For a long time, Mametchi was depicted in LCD form with BlackBeadEyes instead of the larger, almond-shaped eyes he has in official art. This was eventually fixed in later models.
* OneGameForThePriceOfTwo: The Osutchi and Mesutchi came in male and female units, and had to be connected in order to breed. Aside from a few limited edition packs, they were originally sold separately, and players were encouraged to seek out people who owned the unit opposite theirs. Averted in the Osutchi and Mesutchi’s [[SpiritualSuccessor Spiritual Successor]], the [=TamagoChu=], which were only sold as a set.
** ''Heavily'' used in the Tamagotchi On/Meets era, with characters and items being split up between ''seven different versions,'' four of which are Japan-exclusive.
* OneHourWorkWeek: The Entama/Uratama and V4/V4.5 all have the Tamagotchi growing up and getting a job, but the Tamagotchi can only go when you tell them to. Furthermore, they'll only be there a few minutes, and on the English toys, the job is a minigame and the daily pay depends on how often this minigame is played.
* OneSteveLimit: [[AvertedTrope Nope.]] Granted, the sheer amount of characters throughout the franchise made this inevitable.
** There are two Tamagotchis named Masktchi, a WaddlingHead one from the original 1996 virtual pet and a more humanoid one that debuted later. The former is usually referred to in modern materials as "Maskutchi".
** Cosmotchi from the Tamagotchi P's isn't the only Tamagotchi with that name. Way back in 1997, ''WesternAnimation/TamagotchiVideoAdventures'' featured a different Cosmotchi as a main character.
** Before the introduction of the more popular Kuromametchi in 2006, there was actually another Kuromametchi who appeared in the 1998 LicensedGame ''Hoshi de Hakken! Tamagotchi''. The ''Hoshi de Hakken!'' Kuromametchi looks a bit like WesternAnimation/MickeyMouse due to his black suit with mouse-like ears.
* OneWordTitle: ''Tamagotchi'' is only one word.
* OurMermaidsAreDifferent: Ningyotchi from the Tamagotchi Ocean is a simple mermaid with no ability to shapeshift into a human. She does long for a handsome prince, though.
* {{Paparazzi}}: Paparatchi and Scooptchi, two Tamagotchis that always carry around cameras and try getting the latest scoop on celebrities. The V5 Tamatown site even shows them trying to hop the fence of the Gotchi King's castle just for a photo op, ruining a parade.
* ParentalAbandonment: For each new generation, the parent from the previous one simply leaves, with no explanation - from the Plus Color onward, the parent doesn't even stick around for more than a couple of minutes. Averted for the Version 5 series, where the parents do stick around.
* PatchworkKids: The main gimmick of the m!x and On.
* PinkGirlBlueBoy:
** The Mesutchi (girl) and Osutchi (boy) toys initially came in pink and blue, respectively.
** On the m!x, since all of the teens are available in both genders they have the same sort of coloration patterns in their base forms.
** The Pix’s baby forms, nearly identical except for their color.
* {{Portmantitle}}: A bilingual one, interestingly enough. The title ''Tamagotchi'' is a combination of the Japanese word "tamago", meaning "egg", and the English word "watch", which is rendered as ''watchi'' (ウォッチ) when written.
* PottyEmergency:
** On ''My Tamagotchi Forever'', your Tamagotchi will send you a warning saying "I have to go to the toilet. Quick!" when its toilet meter is low. If you ignore this message after two hours, the Tamagotchi will poop on the floor (though sometimes the accident will occur beforehand).
** A similar Japanese game, ''Discovered on LINE! Tamagotchi'' also uses this feature, with your Tamagotchi sending you a message via LINE that it has to go to the bathroom with a unique phrase, ranging from phrases shared among characters like "I'm gonna have an accident!" (which just so happens to be the most common one) and "I want to use the bathroom now" to character-specific ones like Violetchi's "It's not gonna smell like flowers soon...".
* PottyFailure: If you don't catch your Tamagotchi squirming when it has to go to the bathroom, this will happen.
* PowerCreep: Older toy models can still link and play with newer toy models that are able to communicate with each other. However, since the newer toys are generally not compatible with the older toys due to newer mechanics, this is reflected by the newer toys ''always'' beating the older ones in PlayerVersusPlayer.
* TheProfessor: Papamametchi and his colleagues. On the Earth, Professor Banzo, who developed the Tamagotchi device.
* RaisingSim: It's a simulation of raising a pet.
* RealPersonCameo:
** The band GLAY appears on a limited edition version of the Tamagotchi Plus.
** The two Hanerutchi releases feature characters based on the hosts of Japanese variety show ''Haneru no Tobira ~You knock on a jumping door!~''.
** The band Exile appears on a special version of the Tamagotchi Plus Color.
** Rolatchi is based on the actress of the same name.
* RegionalSpeciality: For the Keitai and Akai toys, food from different regions of Japan could be collected.
* RejectedMarriageProposal: If you choose to propose to one of the Tamagotchis you meet with Tamagotchi On, there's a 50/50 chance this will happen. Generally they're more willing to reject if their friendship level isn't high enough.
* RhythmGame: The V4/V4.5 and Music Star feature these.
* {{Retraux}}: Bandai raffled away special "25th Anniversary" versions of the Smart prior to its release. In addition to being patterned monochrome (unlike the standard or [=NiziU=] editions), it comes with a unique [=TamaSma=] Card that adds the "classic" versions of certain characters in all their black and white glory, despite the Smart being a full-color model.
* RidiculouslyCuteCritter: The original releases may say that neglect can cause a Tamagotchi to grow up to become ugly, but at worst the characters are UglyCute. Nonetheless, most Tamagotchi are no more than two feet in height and are usually very friendly creatures.
* RuleOfThree: The V5 and V5 Celebrity allow you to raise up to three pets at once.
* TheRunaway: On later English versions of the Tamagotchi starting with the Music Star, instead of dying, the Tamagotchi would get fed up with your mistreatment and run away from home. This eventually became the case for the Japanese versions as well, though the original death sequence returned with the M!X. A fully-grown Tamagotchi would get fed up and try to run away, and catching it before it goes gives you a chance to win their love back.
* SantaClaus: Initially, the Tamagotchi Planet didn't celebrate Christmas. But Tamagotchis returning from Earth had picked up on Earth traditions, including Christmas, and wanted to celebrate it. A mayor of a snowy northern village, realizing there was no Santa Tamagotchi, decides to take on the role and evolves into Santaclautchi permanently.
* SeriesMascot: Mametchi, Mimitchi, Kuchipatchi, and Oyajitchi have all served this role.
* ShoutOut:
** A Franchise/HelloKitty doll is possible to obtain on the Keitai Tamagotchi.
** The Tamagotchi Meets Fantasy Version features versions of Yumemitchi and Kiraritchi named Yumemi Alice and Kirari Hatter respectively, both based on characters in ''Literature/AlicesAdventuresInWonderland''.
** Mariotchi is [[Franchise/SuperMario Mario]] as a Tamagotchi. There's also Waruotokotchi, who is based on Wario.
** Hanerutchi 2 is based on the comedy show Haneru No Tobira and includes several parody characters from the show's sketches, including [[Franchise/StarWars Piotchi]], [[Manga/CaseClosed Itanantchi]], [[Manga/AstroBoy Asobuchi]], and more.
* SimulationGame: A simulation of taking care of a pet, to be specific.
* SingleBiomePlanet: The levels in ''Tamagotchi 'Round the World'' are several different planets, each hosting their own unique biome.
* SmellyFeetGag: Tarakotchi is characterized as being infamous for having stinky feet.
* SoapOperaRapidAgingSyndrome:
** Chamametchi, Kikitchi, and several other teen characters were popular enough with the target demographic that Bandai bumped them up to adults, so that the kids could play with the character longer. Though now this means Chamametchi, who is a very young girl who always has her panties showing, ''can marry and have children''.
** Possibly subverted with Kiramotchi of Tamagotchi Friends, as she already starts out as an adult despite being a very young girl herself.
* SolidGoldPoop: The Angel Tamagotchis produce this. Lucky Unchi-kun and Super Unchi-kun are ''living'' variations.
* SpeciesTitle: A VirtualPet allowing the owner to raise cute aliens.
* StellarName: One character the player can get on some Tamagotchi devices is named Hoshitchi. "Hoshi" is Japanese for "star"; befitting of the name, the character resembles a shooting star.
* StockNinjaWeaponry: Gozarutchi's character artwork depicts him holding a shuriken/ninja star.
* StockSubtitle: ''My Tamagotchi Forever'' uses the "Forever" subtitle.
* StopMotion: [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eMEdyf3GS6s A Korean commercial for the Tamagotchi On]] depicts Mametchi, Lovelitchi, and a [[PatchworkKids m!xed child of theirs]] in this animation style.
* SugarBowl: The Tamagotchi Planet.
* {{Tagline}}: "Digital Friends of the World", which has been used since 2004 and appears on the boot screen of every color-screen model.
* TakeMeToYourLeader: Zuccitchi says this as a joke in the intro to the CD-ROM adaption. He never gets to say it to a human though.
* TechnicolorScience: Professor Flask, the teacher of Tamagotchi School's science class, has a big beaker of green liquid on his head and two more smaller beakers of red and blue liquid for hands.
* TemporaryOnlineContent: Many of the modern toys involve connecting with an online website or, in some Japanese cases, an arcade machine or cell phone game in order to obtain certain items. Without them, the unlocks on the toy are no longer available.
** The most jarring example is the Music Star toy. In order to earn the special items to get the toy's secret characters, the player needs to visit the Tamatown website, earn points, buy the items, and transfer it to their toy. The website was taken down in February 2013, making them impossible to get.
** Thankfully averted with the Japanese Entama and Uratama toys. While they did have the online website, logging in and out of it required a 14-digit number to be entered, generated by the toy. The patterns used to generate the login and logout codes was cracked, and now a freeware program known as Enwarehouse is readily available online.
** Averted again with the Family line of pets (Version 5, V5 Celebrity). While it does have web connectivity, each item has its own unique item number, and a list of the codes has been made available online.
** The 4U has certain characters that could only be unlocked via events in Japan involving a special NFC touchpoint. This is required to unlock Miraitchi and Cululutchi, for example.
* TheTetrisEffect: [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tamagotchi_effect Tamagotchi effect]].
* ThiefBag: On the Entama, Uratama, and Versions 4 and 4.5, the player's Tamagotchi can be robbed of Tama Points by a burglar whose sprite and official artwork depicts him carrying a big bag with him.
* UltimateJobSecurity: On the Entama, Uratama, and the Music Star, the Tamagotchi can never lose their career once they obtain it. Subverted on the V4 and V4.5, when the Tamagotchi automatically loses their job and retires if they reach the senior stage.
* UndyingLoyalty: In the earlier versions, the Tamagotchi would stay with you, no matter how badly you treat it, until it dies. In the later versions (Music Star, Tama-Go, Tamagotchi Friends), the Tamagotchi will get fed up with you and run away.
* VideoGameCaringPotential: This is one of the game's main selling points. Of course, you can go [[VideoGameCrueltyPotential the other direction and do horrible things]].
* VirtualPet: The hand-held virtual pet that set off one of a thousand fads in the mid-to-late '90s. They were often banned from schools for being distracting. This didn't stop a lot of kids from setting them on silent and checking on them between classes. It also had a number of video game adaptations, the first of which was on the UsefulNotes/GameBoy in 1997. [[GoodBadBugs They could also be "paused" by going into the menu and choosing the option to set the time, then leaving it run in that manner]].
* WaddlingHead: Too many to count, but Oyajichi from the Japanese and [[OddNameOut Bill]] from the internation versions of the original stand out. However, artwork and later versions of Bill show he has a body that's obscured by his enormous bonce.
* YearInsideHourOutside:
** Each day that passes is one year on the Tamagotchi.
** Averted with the Santaclautchi, which measures the days, and is the only Tamagotchi to do so.
----

* {{Paparazzi}}: His name being a pun on "paparazzi" and all, Paparatchi loves taking photos in general, but especially celebrities.
%% ** Scooptchi is also one.

* {{Asexuality}}: The Osutchi and Mesutchi gives us Sutebotchi and Tsuketchi. They refuse to marry any Tamagotchi, no matter how old they get. Ojitchi and Otokitchi, who had debuted on this device as well, were also incapable of marriage until the ''Connection'' came out seven years later.

* AntiFrustrationFeatures: The Smart is the first toy with a rechargeable lithium-ion battery. No more burning money on cycling out watch batteries!

[[quoteright:250:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/tamagotchi.jpg]]

The relaunch has proven to be successful, spawning an [[Franchise/{{Tamagotchi}} entire franchise]] of ''Tamagotchi''-related media. Despite remaining a CashCowFranchise in Japan, it's declined in popularity internationally, though Bandai has attempted to bring it back worldwide.

* WereStillRelevantDammit: The Tamagotchi Smart is full of this, something Bandai admitted to in press regarding the device. The food and items are now ordered through an app instead of visiting a store, a new smartspeaker character tells the user about events and sales, the house is cleaned by a Roomba-like vacuum cleaner robot, and the Tamagotchi marries through a dating app.

* DubNameChange: The most bizarre change was for Flowertchi. She debuted on a Japanese toy and was recycled for the American V2, except they had already named a character on it "Flowertchi" (both were originally [[DummiedOut debug-exclusive characters]] on the Connection/Plus). So Flowertchi was renamed Korotchi, then Leaftchi, and finally Violetchi, which has stuck. Come the anime dub, it reverted back to Flowertchi, but a number of the English-release devices continue to use Violetchi.

* DummiedOut:
** Looking into a Tamagotchi's ROM or activating debug mode typically results in seeing characters that never made the cut to the final toy, but can still be accessed and raised if hacked.
** An absurdly extreme case on the Tama-Go; there are nearly as much characters dummied out as there are ones the player can actually obtain.

* DemographicallyDissonantCrossover: In 2020, Bandai started releasing ''Tamagotchi'' virtual pets based on a number of anime and video game properties, some of which are in line with ''Tamagotchi'''s target demographic of kids (such as with ''VideoGame/PacMan''). Others, like ''Anime/NeonGenesisEvangelion'' and ''Manga/DemonSlayerKimetsuNoYaiba'', not so much.

* WeirdCrossover: As of 2020, there is a Tamagotchi toy themed around ''Anime/NeonGenesisEvangelion''. You can now raise the Angels from this serious, dramatic, action-packed, and not-very-child-friendly anime on a toy that's part of a series that not only is child-friendly, but is much more cutesy and doesn't concern itself with as much action most of the time in comparison!

* SmellyFeetGag: Tarakotchi is characterized as being for infamous for having stinky feet.

** The Tamagotchi Nano model, introduced in 2010, has been reused for numerous crossovers since. These include [[Ride/DisneyThemeParks Tokyo Disney]] Easter mascots Usatama and Usapiyo, [[Creator/{{Sanrio}} Gudetama]], [[Franchise/{{Pokemon}} Eevee]], ''VideoGame/PacMan'', and ''Anime/NeonGenesisEvangelion''.

* NeverSayDie: In most English toys, the Tamagotchi is referred to either as "returning to its home planet" or "running away", and the gravestone and ghost from the Japanese version is replaced with a UFO and stars (or a letter reading "Goodbye"). The sequence leading up to the screen, however, was left completely unchanged (a slowing heart rate with a skull), making it clear that the pet was dying.

** The [[Anime/NeonGenesisEvangelion Evatchi]] also averts this, and when it dies, the screen shows [[DeathEqualsExplosion a cross-shaped explosion]].
** Similarly, ''Manga/DemonSlayer'' Tamagotchi can die if neglected, with their death screen showing Demon Slayer Corps soldiers performing clean-up duty. They can die if their injuries from Demon attacks are not treated, or if they sustain too many injuries.