Tamagotchi Classic - Gen1 - Zift App Advisor

Zift Advisory

The Tamagotchi Classic app is the smartphone equivalent of the original 1990s virtual pet craze. Tamagotchi Classic is available for iOS devices only and can be purchased for $0.99 in the App Store. Tamagotchi Classic is suitable for players of all ages and features no additional in-app purchases or advertisements. This app is safe for kids.

About Tamagotchi Classic - Gen1

What is Tamagotchi Classic - Gen1?

The Tamagotchi Classic app is the smartphone equivalent of the original 1990s virtual pet craze.

Tamagotchi Classic is available for iOS devices only and can be purchased for $0.99 in the App Store. Tamagotchi Classic is suitable for players of all ages and features no additional in-app purchases or advertisements.

Created by the makers of the original Tamagotchi keychain devices, the Tamagotchi Classic app was made by BANDAI NAMCO Entertainment, Inc. What this means is that the Tamagotchi Classic app is the real deal.

When players download and open the Tamagotchi Classic app, they’re taken to an “About” menu screen with the image of an old-school Tamagotchi front and center.

Menu options include:

Home Tab: navigates users to home screen
Play Tab: takes users to main Tamagotchi screen
Gallery Tab: takes users to gallery
Mode Button: allows users to switch between Toy Mode and App Mode
Share Button: enables users to take pictures of the Tamagotchis they’re raising and share on social media

Play mode is going to be important for those older players as users have the option to switch between Toy Mode and App Mode.

In Toy Mode, Tamagotchi Classic fills the screen with an old-school Tamagotchi device, replete with graphics. In the center of the toy, screen players will see the Tamagotchi they are currently caring for.

Older players will immediately recognize the control buttons as they’re the same on the screen image of the Tamagotchi device, down to the button used to scroll through the Care options and the buttons to either Select a Care option or Cancel a selected Care option.

The Call Signal icon will also appear in the bottom right corner of the Tamagotchi toy screen to alert players when their virtual pet is calling for them.

Tamagotchi Classic’s App Mode bypasses the sentimental design and turns users’ iPhone screens into the display. Front and center will be the user’s Tamagotchi, with icons at the top for completing Care actions.

App Mode may appeal to those users looking for a more enhanced Tamagotchi experience as the Tamagotchi changes colors as it grows.

The App Mode also features a mini-game in which players can play virtual games of Rock-Paper-Scissors with their Tamagotchi. The winner is declared from the best of five rounds, and the app explains to players that their “Tamagotchi will be in a good mood when it wins. Tied games are declared in favor of your Tamagotchi.” Apparently, the object of this mini-game is for players to lose to their virtual pet.

Is Tamagotchi Classic - Gen1 safe for my kids?

While it’s highly unlikely that a kid today is going to seek out an app that replicates the old technology of 1990s virtual pet craze, there may be a few kids out there who are into “vintage” games such as Tamagotchi.

It’s more probable that those kids’ parents -- perhaps children of the 1990s -- are the ones seeking to live one of their favorite childhood experiences and the Tamagotchi Classic app will not disappoint.

All-in-all, parents have nothing to worry about with the Tamagotchi Classic app, apart from it becoming a minor obsession for both their child and themselves. This app is safe for kids.

One final note, Tamagotchi Classic is compatible with Apple Watches so that adults can have an experience a little closer to that of their youth