Welcome to the World Video Game Hall of Fame, Tamagotchi! Launched in 1996, Tamagotchi bridged toys and video games. The handheld, electronic game created a digital pet for its owner to nurture and raise by the press of a button. Tamagotchi spurred the popularity of the pet simulation genre of video games, yielding popular games such as Neopets, Nintendogs, and many other social media and app-based games. | The Strong Museum