Tamagotchis are virtual pets that were invented in the mid-1990s. I got my first Tamagotchi in 1997 when my best friend left hers at my house after a slumber party. I took care of it for her until she could come back and pick it up. To my surprise, she said I could have it, and I've loved Tamagotchis ever since. I've been collecting virtual pets for about 15 years. While I do own many brands of virtual pets, Tamagotchi-brand pets make up the vast majority of my collection.

 

Tamagotchis have been around since 1996. I've been collecting them since I got my first Tamagotchi in 1997.

 

The virtual pet craze of 1997 was started by Tamagotchis, and other brands of virtual pets followed the trend. My first virtual pet was not a Tamagotchi, but it sparked my interest in all virtual pets and eventually led to my obsession with Tamagotchis.

 

Not all Tamagotchis are the same. Different characters and programming give each type of Tamagotchi completely different gameplay and difficulty.

 

My favorites are medium-maintenance pets, while extremely difficult or easy ones are either too hard to enjoy or too boring to care about.