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R2-D2 is now a Tamagotchi you’ll forget about
You can play holochess with the Star Wars droid starting on November 11th.
My Tamagotchi Pix is drowning in poop and it's not my fault
The new Tamagotchi Pix has a camera but that's not the problem with it.
'Call of Duty: Modern Warfare' has a Tamagotchi that's hungry for kills
Companion pets are a fairly standard feature in a lot of games – from Fortnite to Skyrim, you've got the option to have a furry friend accompany you on your adventure. And now Call of Duty: Modern Warfare is joining the fray. Don't expect any cute and cuddlies, though. Your operator's companion comes in the form of a Tamagotchi -- or in this case, a Tomogunchi. And you feed it with death.
Tamagotchi On is connected, cute and cacophonous
Beep. Beep. Beep! The constant refrain of an unhappy Tamagotchi. Or any Tamagotchi, really. '90s kids learned to both love and dread that sound when the egg-shaped Japanese toy hit American shores over twenty years ago. And, while Tamagotchi never really went away, most people left it behind in favor of more robust smartphone simulations like Pokémon Go and Neko Atsume. Now Bandai has a new creature built for the smartphone era, one that stays true to its roots as a single serving device but also includes a boatload of connectivity, so you can get super social with your virtual pets.
Say hello to Hatch and Fugu, your new virtual pet friend
There's something about virtual pet apps that just draw you in. You get introduced, spend a few minutes with your new BFF and you're hooked. We've seen this phenomenon happen en masse with the Tamagotchi, but we haven't had a similar hit on the iOS platform -- until now. The latest entry in the world of digital companions is Hatch, a collaborative effort from Impending and RealMac. If you are a virtual pet type of person, then you are going to love the app and its Fugu pet. When you launch Hatch for the first time, you are told the history of the Fugu egg and are introduced to your sidekick, Max, who will help you along your journey. You are also prompted to pick a color for your egg, which will hatch in a short time after you go through these initial steps. Once your egg hatches, you can name your new pet and start your adventure together. Fugu is a cute, blob-like character that purrs when you pet it, kisses you, waves at you and otherwise interacts with you in a loving way. It's a cutesy interaction and not an overblown type of affection. As an owner, you are required to feed your pet on a regular basis, play with it and clean up after it poops. And yes, it does its "business" in a loud and boisterous way that'll delight any juvenile in the room. It also sleeps when when you plug in your phone to charge at night and wakes up in the morning --sometimes crying for food and attention. The background image cycles along with the day -- it's light when it's daytime and dark at night. Food, like apples, oranges and grapes, can be harvested from the trees and is plentiful. Just grab one a fruit and drop it in your Fugu's mouth. If it is hungry, it will chomp down. When your Fugu doesn't want to eat that luscious piece of fruit, you can store the food in a bag for later or place it in a donation bucket that earns you acorns or hearts from Fugu. Besides feeding, your Fugu pet requires attention. To pet your Fugu, just rub it with your finger and it will purr and roll over in delight. You can also poke its tummy to make it laugh, bark or blow kisses. Every once in a while, your Fugu will be so happy it will jump at you and give you a big, wet kiss. It makes my two-year-old and the kid in me go "awww." Fugu also does a happy dance, which will earn you a cornucopia of fruit. Other rewards in the game include starfruit, acorns and stickers. The starfruit can be harvested from trees and is also hidden in the environment of the app. These turn into gold coins when you harvest them. You also need to search for stickers and acorns . Hatch supports the parallex effect of iOS 7 so you can tilt your phone to change what you see in the background. Sometimes you really have to drag and tilt the background to search in every nook and cranny. Stickers can be stored in a notebook and shared with others via social networks or messaging. Acorns and starfruit, though, are the currency in the app and can be used to purchase blankets, bags and other items for your Fugu pet. The store is manned by your sidekick Max during the day and closes every night. There are no in-app purchases -- you have to earn every acorn or coin in your coffers. The best purchase is the camera, which allows you to take photos of your Fugu pet with you or another object in the background. You can then share the pictures with your friends. I had a great time with my daughter, who was also playing with the app. She and I would share pictures of our Fugu pets doing wild and crazy things. Rewards are not only earned, they are also given as a gift from your Fugu pet. These gifts are not only rewards for taking care of the Fugu, they also serve to remind you to interact with your pet throughout the day. The gifts are small, but fun. Sometimes Fugu will give you a piece of fruit that you can feed to it. Sometimes you will get a sticker or a handful of acorns. If you are really fortunate, you will get a gold coin. Rewards are not overly bountiful, but there are enough of them to keep you and your Fugu satisfied. Taking care of the Fugu pet is the perfect level of difficulty -- it is not too hard to pet, feed and play with it regularly. It takes just a few minutes every few hours to provide a level of care that keeps your pet happy. Unlike other virtual pet apps that require you to monitor a variety of metrics to gauge the happiness of your pet, you can tell how happy your Fugu is just by how it behaves. Is it sulking or crying? Then you need to play with it or feed it. Does it jump for joy when you launch the app? Then keep doing what you are doing as your Fugu is happy. If you need a more concrete gauge, there's a trust level that starts at 60 and increases up to 100 as you take care of your pet. One interesting thing I noticed about Hatch is that it is not a scripted experience. I installed Hatch on my phone and on my daughter's phone and our in-game experience was very different. She received different stickers than I did and was offered different items in the store. Not everyone travels down the same path with their Fugu pet, which adds to the overall experience and makes playing the game with others much more enjoyable. There are a few little shortcomings in Hatch that could use some polish. I found it too easy to slip into the store when scanning the environment for stickers and acorns. The store is accessed by grabbing the background and swiping from right to left. This same motion is used to move the background when you are looking for treasures. At least a few times a day, I would end up in the store when I was looking in a corner instead. I also found myself wanting more interaction with my Fugu pet. There are a handful tricks it can do, but it basically stays stationary on its mat. I would love to have it move around and be more interactive. The same applies to the store, which is filled with blankets and bags for storing food. After a few weeks of playing with the app, I already own nine different blankets, a bag that holds infinite pieces of fruit and a camera. I have enough coins and acorns to buy out the store, but I'm not interested in buying yet another blanket. How about some hats or scarves to put on my Fugu? Lastly, there are a few glitches, like food getting stuck in the bottom left corner and sound cutting out. Anytime these occurred, a simple force close of the app (double-tap the home button and swipe the app off the screen) fixed the problem. And for the kids out there who think they can cheat at the game by setting the iOS clock forward, don't do it -- you will throw off the internal time of the game, which will have unexpected consequences. I would expect some of these hiccups to be addressed in future versions of the app. Overall, though, these problems were minimal and did not effect my enjoyment of the app. In summary, Hatch is an excellent launch app from Impending and RealMac. You can tell the Hatch team spent a lot of time getting the app right. There is more than just the engaging interaction with your Fugu pet -- the backgrounds are delightfully colorful, the animations fit in with the lighthearted nature of the game and both the sound effects and music are just perfect. Without a doubt, kids are going to love the Fugu. Adults, too, will find themselves enamored of their little pet, even if they might be a little embarrassed to admit they woke up at 5AM to feed their pet before it got too hungry. You can download Hatch today from the iOS App Store for US$1.99. It is compatible with the iPhone running iOS 6.1.1 or greater.
Tamagotchi coming back as an iOS app
Truth be told, I was just a little too old to land in the middle of the Tamagotchi craze: My childhood was more full of Trapper Keepers and Game Boys than the famous Japanese virtual pets. But of course I saw them all over the place back in the '90s, as did everyone, really. And now the original toy is returning on iOS, as an upcoming app called Tamagotchi l.i.f.e. Now, there already is an official Tamagotchi app on the App Store, but it's more of a remake, with newer graphics and a little more social spin. This new app is designed to look more like the old version, presumably, playing a little bit more off of the now-retro vibe of the old craze. It's supposed to be on the App Store soon, so we'll keep an eye out for it. In the meantime, as you might imagine, there's no shortage of virtual pets apps on the App Store, including the very Tamagotchi-like Pet Monster, and even a virtual puppy. But Tamagotchi is the original creature you could kill by not feeding it enough -- hopefully Namco Bandai nails the feel of the old toy with this new app. [via AppAdvice]
Rise and Shiny: Taikodom
I should have known something was up. I just should have trusted my gut and avoided this game, but no. No, instead I have to be the one who gives into curiosity and says, "Hey, I wrote about that game on my blog almost four years ago... what's it been up to lately?" There's something potentially dangerous about playing a game that has had an identity crisis for so long. Then again, I'm a huge Ryzom fan, and that game has been through the ringer more times than I can remember. Taikodom is now called Taikodom: Living Universe. I'm not sure when things changed without comparing back to that old blog post, but the changes are obvious. No more avatars? OK then. A different UI? That's fine. But -- and this is where my older gamer memory starts to get the best of me -- I distinctly remember Taikodom being sort of fun back then. The version I played this week was anything but fun.
Daily iPhone App: Ozgood is a lovable piece of puppet tech
Ozgood is an interesting little iPhone game from a few developers who've worked for bigger game companies, and have recently gone independent. Most iPhone games deal with the platform's hardware by either just going with 2D graphics or trying relatively simple 3D -- it's usually only bigger developers like Epic Games that can really use an engine like Unreal to wring really colorful graphics out of the iPhone. But RunWilder, the developers of Ozgood, took an entirely different tack: They took video of a real life puppet, and then put it together with 2D backgrounds and 3D items to make this virtual pet game. The result is a very unique kind of wonderful. Ozgood is a crazy little guy full of personality, and the app (which is free right now) is full of content. There's a "story" you can play through by feeding Ozgood certain things and interacting with him in certain ways, there's a "studio mode" where you can use him to make messages to send along to friends, and there's an ongoing metagame as well, where you can feed Ozgood a fake soda called Chugg and even share six packs of it with your friends online. The app is silly -- it's very kid friendly, and Ozgood can sometimes be crass with his burps and various bodily functions. But even for adults, it's wild to see how these developers used a puppet to make this app, and there's clearly a lot of skill in how it's all put together. Ozgood is a free universal download that's definitely worth checking out.
It puts the dog food in the basket or else it gets the hose again: Ubisoft announces Petz World
Several MMOs, such as Free Realms, flirt with the concept of virtual pet ownership and conditioning, but it looks like Ubisoft is ready for a full-fledged commitment to the concept with Petz World. Gamasutra reported that Firma Studio is developing the free-to-play MMO, which will be published by Ubisoft in 2011. Based on the popular Dogz and Catz virtual pet simulators that date all the way back to the stone age of the internet (1995!), Petz has since expanded the franchise to include a wide variety of animals including hamsters, tigers and horses. In these games, players "adopt" a virtual pet of their choice, provide for their needs, and train their behavior through repeated actions. Repeated actions -- that sounds right up an MMO's alley, doesn't it? Ubisoft hopes that Petz World will bring parents and children closer together through the gameplay. The MMO will involve a large variety of collecting, achievements and unlockables as players scour the world for cool pets and conquer special challenges. Ubisoft's Chris Early thinks there's enough to appeal to a wide demographic: "This game is a unique way for children and parents to play games together." This is the latest move by the publisher to expand into the casual MMO landscape, following other titles like Might and Magic: Heroes Kingdoms.
Sony's 360-degree RayModeler 3D display brings its glasses-free act to LA, plays Breakout (video)
Sony talked up its cylindrical no-glasses 3D 360-degree prototype display last fall, and now it's showing off the tech, dubbed RayModeler 3D, on US soil at SIGGRAPH 2010 through tomorrow. A major bonus of that showcase is an English language video -- embedded after the break, plus a hands on including a game of Pong Breakout from Core77 and our videos from the Japanese exhibition -- showing how it all works, including the eight-camera rig and turntable that capture objects in 45-degree separations before they are interpolated to create a continuous 360-degree motion image. Sony claims this is the first of its type capable of high quality images, full color and interactive live motion -- check it out and imagine keeping a tiny 3D pet or floating, disembodied head on your bedside table, where it can respond and react to your every gesture. We wouldn't want our blip-verts any other way.%Gallery-76236%
DSiWare game has entirely too many sharks to love
We're gonna need a bigger boat. Developer Teyon (responsible for games like 101 Minigolf World, Hubert the Teddy Bear Winter Games, and ... Heavy Fire: Special Operations) wants to introduce you to a hundred and one special little friends: 101 Shark Pets. (What is it with Teyon and groups of 101?) "Choose from over 101 baby sharks or simply adopt them all!" the game's website reads. In the most terrifying of virtual game pets, you are given responsibility for feeding, training, and even cleaning as many baby sharks as you can handle. You can enter your sharks in pageants, play minigames with them (like having them chase your boat!), and mix up special recipes of chum, using hundreds of different ingredients, to satisfy each shark's specific cravings. Okay, we made that last one up. 101 Shark Pets will circle the DSi Shop on July 5 (circle that on your calendar). %Gallery-96627%
Preview: Monster Tale
Developer Dreamrift, a company formed by the creators of Henry Hatsworth and the Puzzling Adventure, has partnered with Majesco for its next game, a DS title called Monster Tale, intended for younger audiences. The core Hatsworth concept of performing one action on one screen to affect the gameplay on the other screen remains, but the hyper-British Empire theme has been swapped out for an exaggerated version of childhood, complete with villainous neighborhood bullies. More importantly, the bottom screen, which hosted a falling-block puzzle game in Hatsworth, is now home to a "virtual pet" called Chomp. At least, that's how Majesco puts it. I think the use of the term "virtual pet" does a disservice to the game. People who are into virtual pet games would likely find the interactions with Chomp too limited and the platformer on the top screen too distracting; and while those who like action-platformers would probably really like the upgrading system Chomp provides, they might never know it due to their instinctual evasion of pet sims. %Gallery-92883%
Tamagotchi renamed TamaTown Tama-Go, no change in amount of attention it requires
That's right, grab the tissues and take some time to mourn the death of the Tamagotchi as we knew it. The guys at Bandai have gone and totally revamped the beloved virtual pet, giving it the new name of TamaTown Tama-Go to match that of the already existing Tamatown.com virtual world. Though there have been very minimal changes to the purpose of the toy -- you still have to remember to keep your little character well fed and rested -- the $20 pocketable keychain has morphed into an Easter egg shaped device with a slightly larger and higher contrast four-grayscale display. Why make a portable device larger than before? Well to accommodate attachable collectible figures, of course! Obviously sold separately, the $7 TamaTown figures attach to the top of the Tama-Go and are preloaded with two character specific games and goods. We understand that these sorts of changes are better processed in images (and dreams), so hit the gallery below for more miniscule figures than you can (probably) handle. %Gallery-85485%
Sony's 360-degree 3D display prototype makes virtual pets more lifelike, expensive
In case you missed it, Sony's got a thing for 3D with big plans to push the technology into your living room next year. While the first application will be applied to the flat screen TV, Sony's obviously thinking about other displays judging by this tiny prototype set for reveal at Tokyo's Digital Content EXP0 2009 on Thursday. The 13 x 27-cm device packs a stereoscopic, 24-bit color image measuring just 96 × 128 pixels viewable at 360-degrees without special glasses. If the prototype ever hits the assembly line then Sony envisions its commercial use in digital signage or medical imaging -- or as a 3D photo frame, television, house for your virtual pet, or visualizer to assist with web shopping in the home. We'll be on-hand for the unveil on Thursday with live coverage and hands-on, check back then for more.[Via Impress]
Aeria Games licenses Grand Fantasia
Aeria Games has recently announced their acquisition of a new game license to publish for our territories -- Grand Fantasia. Grand Fantasia's twist on the traditional MMORPG model is a focus on a virtual pet model of pet management in addition to the standard combat fare of MMOs. All players are given access to "sprite" companions that serve a variety of functions in the game, from things like crafting to accessing areas.The game is done in a strong cartoon/anime style, with magical fantasy being the driving theme. The closed beta for the game hasn't been announced yet, but the teaser website is up and showing initial trailers and screenshots for the game. But, why travel so far away when you can just watch our embedded version of the trailer in this very post! Just hit the continue reading button, and watch Aeria's latest game in motion.
Virtual pet robot demonstrated in PlayStation Home
How would you like a pet robot? Y'know, the kind that doesn't try to murder you? The PlayStation Home team showed a work-in-progress pet robot that can befriend you in your virtual apartment. According to IGN, the robot would be able to freely move around the environment and respond to your calls.The prototype (seen above) won't necessarily make it to the service, but it's something that Home is considering for future updates. This emotive box-robot was made in just five days, and given more time we're certain the Home team can come up with something really creative.[Thanks, Jack!]
Yuruppy virtual pet ready to make you feel guilty for not taking good enough care of it
Takara Tomy's taking the virtual pet territory most famously inhabited by Bandai's Tamgotchis to the next level with Yuruppy. Yuruppy's just like any other fake pet -- you need to slave away to keep it alive for seemingly little reward other than the knowledge that it will "live" to "see" another day. This one's got a touchscreen however, so that you can actually pet your needy little buddy, on top of training and feeding. Fun! Sure, it seems insane to pile fake responsibilities on top of all the actual ones we humans have to deal with... insanely awesome. Regardless, the Yuruppy also comes in kitten and chicken varieties (yeah, we don't know), and it'll be $21 when it's available in Asia, and a deluxe version with a larger screen will run $38. [Via CNET]
iPuppy brings the cute, forgoes the mess
iPuppy 3D Pet [App Store link] is currently going for $.99 on the App Store. Is it worth it? Well, it depends on how much you really need a 3D puppy on your iPhone. The concept conjures images of Dogz for the Nintendo DS. While the dogs may look the same, the functionality is vastly different. Currently the Chihuahua is your only choice of breed within the app, although there's currently a free Husky puppy [App Store link] available. I picked up the Chihuahua weeks ago when it was free.The puppy is cute enough, and the animations are quite good. Left to herself (taking a guess on the gender), the puppy will trot around a small room, scratch the floor, bark a little and generally be a puppy. Once in a while it'll get bored and yawn in a very cute manner. According to MASQ Interactive, you should have control of the camera, but all I could do was spin the camera. There's not very fine camera control in swipe/panning or pinch/zooming.Aside from loose camera controls, the app is quite simple. You can tap the puppy to make her sit, lie down, stand up. I was able to make her sit, then a swipe made her roll over. I was then able to "rub" her belly, causing little hearts to pour out in a blatant attempt for more affection. I couldn't find much more interaction outside of these simple tap-and-rub actions and the three on-screen buttons. There's a button for "washing" the puppy (a gentle rain appears and afterward the puppy shakes it off). There are buttons for changing outfits, although you're just tapping through the options, not choosing them directly as in SuperPoke Pets [App Store link]. Lastly, there's a food button which makes a dish of slop appear. The puppy is a noisy eater, be prepared. Oh, there is one more thing: you can shake the iPhone and flowers fall around the puppy. It's pretty pointless.So is all this worth $.99? If you're looking for a simple diversion for kids or you just can't resist having a Chihuahua in your pocket, then yes. If you're looking for a virtual Furby, then probably not. At least, not now. MASQ seems quite intent on (as they say in their description) releasing updates every two to three weeks until "everyone are 100% satisfied" (sic). Perhaps in a few weeks you'll be able to put a leash on the thing or whack it with a virtual newspaper. Until then, it's a very simple, if cute, "pet" app.%Gallery-42305%
Tamagotchi Connection V5: oh no, now the family's involved
Say it ain't so! As if keeping one Tamagotchi healthy wasn't tiresome enough, now Bandai is out to prove whether or not you could legitimately handle quadruplets. The Tamagotchi Connection V5 maintains the same addictiveness charm found in prior iterations, but also allows humans to focus on "raising multiple characters simultaneously." Supposedly, this will somehow enable kids (um, only kids?) to "experience family values," but we can't envision it doing much more than sucking away even more precious hours of our life. Ready to cave? If so, you can reportedly find these nationwide right now for $14.99, but the "refreshed" edition -- along with the Tamagotchi Pedometer, Tama-watchi, and redesigned Gotchi Gear lineup -- won't be landing until July.
Tamagotchi movie to prove whether kids really will watch anything
Sure, we all feared this day might come, and while we had certainly hoped that the ten-year anniversary would mark the close of a craze that should have never happened, it looks like Bandai is going to milk this thing one more time. Of course, we saw new life in Tamagotchi land earlier this year, but in a new movie set to debut this December, several of the Tamagotchi characters will be thrilling youngsters and annoying parents by "befriending a human girl who shows up at their virtual home on a star." The animated picture will be distributed by Toho Company, and while we're not certain if this flick will actually make it to US soil, let's hope for all of our sakes that it stays fairly contained.
