Digital Monster, the Original Digimon Virtual Pet

Bandai rocketed Digimon to fame in the late 1990s, after toy tycoons identified a gap in the market for a battle ready, player-vs-player digital pet. Unlike the Tamogotchi, Digimon captivated 90s kids’ imaginations by enabling them to train and battle against others to evolve.

The “Digital Monster” or Digimon was released in 1997 by Bandai – the same Japanese toy company behind the Tamagotchi-craze. Much like its predecessors, Digimon was a massive hit (over 14 million units sold worldwide to date). From caring for these tiny digital monsters to preparing them for battle, 90s Digimon players were immersed in the franchise that would lead to an anime, toyline, comic, and trading card game.

The Digimon lifecycle

Original devices all begin with a Baby Digimon. Once hatched, it was time to train, care for and evolve the fantasy creature to prepare it for battle with other players to see who was better. 

Throughout Digimon’s life, the pets will develop into more powerful, more vital creatures as they age. When a Digimon dies, it respawns as a Digi-Egg; once the egg hatches, the Digimon goes through its life cycle again.

The concept was marketing gold in the late 90s. Players were hooked on the gameplay loop of seeing their Digimon evolve into stronger, more powerful creatures they could battle their friends with.

Buy Digimon Digivice on Amazon

90s Digimon commercial

Best Digimon starting characters

It was all about getting special characters like Teddymon, the famous puppeteer, Darkmon the Evil Digimon, Devimon clad in the jet-black cloth, Meramon the Flame Digimon, and Monzaemon – which is an Ultimate Level Digimon. The higher up in the ranking, the more vital the Digimon will be. You can get these unique Digimon entities by growing or evolving. The more often you play, the better your chances to become a more sought-after Digimon.

Gameplay basics

If you can’t remember how to tend to your virtual pets, here’s a mini-guide on keeping your Digimon happy and healthy. The original product has three buttons: the A button scrolls, the B button activates the selected function, and the C button cancels out whatever is on the screen. Similar to Tamagotchi, the reset button can be reached with a pen or other sharp object.

Check out the gameplay categories below. Any good virtual companion owner will know it’s about avoiding an early grave with these tiny creatures. Before battles, you have to make sure they’re in tip-top shape.

• Status Checks – The game always begins by checking the pet’s age, weight, strength, hunger, and energy on the status screen. That’s how you determine what the pet needs to prepare for battle.
• Feeding  – Of course, you have to feed the pet devices; otherwise, they wouldn’t survive.
• Training – The training function is used to lose weight and increase strength.
• Cleaning Up – Yes, this is another one of those toys you have to clean up after. When a Digimon poops, you have to clean the droppings, so they don’t become ill.
• Healing – If a Digimon gets injured during battle, you have to nurse them back to health before they fight again.
• Battle Mode – This is where you can link to another owner’s Digimon and begin a battle.
• Toggling – When a Digimon sleeps and the lights remain on, the virtual monster can’t get enough energy for a high-power evolution. It turns out this pet needs a dark space to get some rest.

Digimon device versions

Not surprisingly, Bandai released upgrades, updates and new devices throughout the late 90s to the early 2000s to keep fans interested.

The company came out with various versions like the Pendulum, which is the second in the series.

The Pendulum series generated other Digimon series, including the Pendulum 3.0, Nightmare Soldiers Pendulum, Wind Guardians Pendulum, and more. Bandai also created the Pendulum X series, Digimon iC, Digimon Mini, and WonderSwan (WonderSwan is a handheld entertainment console by Bandai). We also had the Digimon Digivice, which was an interactive device that looked like an egg. It was a smaller version based on the Digimon Adventure anime.

Digimon 20th anniversary edition

Bandai came out with a 20th-anniversary edition in 2017. This special edition toy was only released in Japan and allows players to choose an egg type from the first five versions of the original toy, plus a few new ones you can unlock. The rest of the world got their hands on the gadget when Bandai released the Digimon 20th anniversary virtual pet worldwide in 2019.

If you’re in the market to buy, you’ll be glad to hear they’re relatively easy to come by.

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Peeps Asked!

Who created Digimon?

Digimon creator Akiyoshi Hongo is actually an alias composed of three separate people. Bandai created the pseudonym to recognize three of the minds behind the franchise.

When did Digimon first come out?

Bandai released the Digital Monster in Japan in June 1997. On December 5, 1997, it was released in the US.

How many Digimon are there?

There are currently over 1400 Digimon characters.

How much is Digimon worth?

One stat says the franchise has a net worth of $6,036,000,000. That’s including the TV show, books, video games, and other merchandise.

Is Digimon a rip-off of Pokémon?

This is a touchy one. There are definitely quite a few comparisons to Pokémon, but it’s not considered a complete rip-off. Nintendo and Bandai were in a battle to reach the top of the marketing world. Bandai focused on creating a handheld for boys with similar superficial elements that reference Pokémon, but the resemblance was never enough for a lawsuit.

Is Digimon a Tamagotchi?

Not exactly. Although the two are similar, Digimon devices can battle each other, whereas Tamagotchi was more focused on caring for the digital pet and creating that quintessential bond or Tamagotchi connection.

What came first, Digimon or Tamagotchi?

The Digimon line was second. Tamagotchi kicked off the virtual pet trend.

What is a Digimon Digivice?

Digivice is an English play-on-words for “Digital Device.” It’s a small handheld version based on the original product. The Digimon Digivice looks very similar to Giga Pets.

How do I turn off my Digivice?

Don’t interact with your Digivice for about a minute, and the screen will turn off. Press any button to turn the screen back on.

Is overfeeding a fatal mistake in Digimon?

Nope, neither is injury or sleep disturbance.

What is the Megalithic Mainframe?

This is where a Digimon’s life cycle begins. The creatures hail from a heaven-like virtual universe called the Megalithic Mainframe.

How long does it take for Koromon to evolve?

Koromon evolves from Botamon after six in-game hours have passed.

How many seasons of the TV show are there?

As of 2021, there have been a total of 10 seasons of the TV show, including X-Evolution.

Is Digimon Survive canceled?

Digimon Survive is the tactical RPG that takes place in the Digimon universe. The game was planned for a 2019 release, but it was postponed to 2020 and then again to 2021.