Game:

The Next Big Thing (2011)

Duration: 15:07

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Dubbed Tamagotchi 64, "Everyone Tamagotchi World" or "64 de Hakken! Tamagotchi: Minna de Tamagotchi World" is one of the few N64 imports I have and it's also the title I'm going to end the N64 run with after a set of racing games (and Shadowgate 64). Those familiar with Tamagotchi might be thinking "Oh boy... raising virtual pets... on the N64... laaaaame.", but there's more to this game than you might expect at a glance. Published by Bandai and developed by Hudson/AI in 1997 (with some cameos of Nintendo characters as well, hence their name in the credits), this game combines many of the prominent pet-raising qualities of Tamagotchi with a quality board/party game prior to Mario Party's debut in 1998. It is an entertaining game that up to four players can play and has enough variety to keep fans of this type of game happy while doing justice to the Tamagotchi name. Additionally, the rules of the game are relatively easy to understand and since the A.I. is fairly challenging, you don't need much knowledge of Japanese to enjoy this as you can learn a lot just by observing the computer.

In the game, Dr. Banzoo is shown on a bridge underneath the moon, down on his luck and thinking of what could be "the next big thing" within the world of Tamagotchi when a group of mysterious Space Tamagotchi begin to fly out of control (due to an argument over who deserved the last of the food). Lost in thought, the doctor monologues when his assistant (Mikachuu) is shown taking a walk outside, also lost in thought (as her work is tied with the professor). However, she notices a miniature UFO flying towards the doctor and tries to warn him by shouting out to him, but he doesn't notice in time and is knocked into the lake. Outraged, the professor screams at the alien Tamagotchi but also comes up with a great idea. Six days later, the professor rushes into his workshop proclaiming to Mikachuu that his new "Tamagotchi House" is finished and with it, Tamagotchi can enjoy fabulous fun and games that he's concocted while under their care at the same time and not have to worry about work.

The game is basically classified as another game of life in Japan or "Sugoroku", but with Tamagotchi as the center of attention. In the game, you roll die, move across the board (either in a set path, switched path, or you can choose at certain intersections), gain access to cards that can be utilized to turn the game around in the player's favor, play ten different multiplayer mini-games, six different fitness-related mini-games, and encounter a variety of other attractions on the game board, so you'll be doing more than it may appear at a glance. What seperates this game from other board games is the pet-raising aspect. There are 59 Tamagotchi to discover based on your raising methods from new borns and new Tamagotchi to mature forms of Tamagotchi. Each turn, every player is allowed to do various activities with their Tamagotchi which consume a certain amount of energy and build different areas from hunger to happiness. Like a real Tamagotchi virtual pet, they can disobey orders, get hungry, get mad, become ill, etc., and it's your job to take care of them. When the "P" bar is filled, a Tamagotchi will evolve and gain additional benefits (immunity to sickness, more energy, etc.). It's a fun and surprisingly well-executed concept, though the CPU is pretty cheap in some mini-games but are managable otherwise.

The graphics are quite nice for this kind of game, using many vibrant colors combined with bold and cartoony characters that almost pop out of their surroundings, and everything is nicely illustrated. The audio is also surprisingly good with even a bit of spoken dialogue and singing, not to mention catchy tunes and the quirky addition of using sound effects from the little handheld toys as well. The game is addicting and discovering all there is to see in the game requires a good deal of effort. It's a fun game that I recommend if you're into Tamagotchi or board games. This is a video of the game in action, showing various things. LET'S PLAY! Enjoy.