A Virtual Pet Celebration – “TAMAGOTCHI: Party On!” Parties on Wii
by Louis Bedigian 

“It doesn't have a learning curve. You can pretty much pick up the Wii remote and have fun with it.” 

Nintendo’s decision to include four controller ports with their Nintendo 64 console proved to an advantageous move, both for gamers and for developers. Before its release, split-screen first-person shooters were virtually unheard of. Party games – a mainstream multiplayer genre – did not exist before the 64-bit console was released. 

Fast-forward 11 years and party games are fairly common. Most series have fallen victim to Mario Party’s wrath, but there are a few diamonds that have managed to survive. 

The newest competitor for the Mushroom Kingdom legacy is TAMAGOTCHI: Party On!, four-player, motion-controlled mini-game collection for Nintendo Wii. Built exclusively for Nintendo’s innovative console, TAMAGOTCHI: Party On! is an original property that greatly differs from the other Tamagotchi titles. 

“There are a variety of mini-games, up to 15,” said Melody Pfeiffer, PR Manager at Namco Bandai Games. Gameplay is tied solely to the Wii remote, which is “utilized in all of the mini-games.” 

As far as specifics are concerned, Melody commented, “There’s a driving mini-game where you use the remote to drive the car. There’s an ice cream scooping mini-game where you actually use a scooping movement with your hand. You can feed squirrels by jumping up and down on a trampoline and throwing nuts at the screen. And you can shake hands with little Tamagotchis in the city using kind of a shaking motion with the remote. [These are] just a couple examples of how you can use the Wii remote for different mini-games.”  

TAMAGOTCHI: Party On! features the traditional board game setting, allowing players to compete in a familiar – and Tamagotchi-influenced – environment. “You pick up to four players using either one Wii remote or four Wii remotes,” she continues. “Each player will roll the dice using the remote. You [then] move around the board just like you would in any board game, from stage to stage. There are a variety of different spaces on the board, from mini-game spaces to Gotchi game spaces. You can hit a store space, bump into a friend, or hit an event space where different events will occur.” 

Since all party games are instantly compared to Mario Party, Melody explained how this game differs from that series. For starters, Mario Party does not have any customization elements. 

“That’s something that Tamagotchi has,” she says. “You can customize your characters. You can also customize your campaign headquarters along the way. Also, you can’t be President in Mario Party. And there are no Tamagotchis in Mario Party. So if you’re a fan of Tamagotchi you’re going to be a fan of this game.” 

She adds, “With the items you unlock, you will be able to make your character look more and more Presidential as the game goes on. You can add a hat, tie, or suit. Or a mustache. You go from a cute, little Tamagotchi to a serious leader of Tamagotchi Planet.”  

TAMAGOTCHI: Party On! sounds like a popularity contest. Tell us about this and how it translates to gameplay. 

Melody Pfeiffer: It’s a very unique and original concept for a video game. You’re actually running in an election [to be] Tamagotchi President on Tamagotchi Planet. Just like in any real election, the more popularity you have, the more currency you have, the more likely you’ll be voted in as President. What you’re trying to do during this game is gain as much popularity and as many Gotchi points as you can in order to ultimately become President of Tamagotchi. 

The Wii doesn't have a microphone, at least as far as I know... So what will the "public speaking skills" mini-game be like? 

MP: There is actually not a public speaking mini-game in the game. But there is a campaign space that you’re trying to get to at the end of each stage. The person that gets to the campaign space first wins about 250 popularity points. Once you get there you shake hands with the mayor and with everyone in that town. It shows the Tamagotchi giving a speech but you don’t participate in a mini-game to get there. 

How does the leveling system work, and what can you say about the Gotchis you collect? 

MP: You can’t level up your character in this game. But you can customize your character using items you unlock throughout the game. 

Tamagotchi titles are often targeted toward a younger audience, but Wii has a way of infiltrating gamers of all ages – with any kind of game. How has this influenced the direction taken with TAMAGOTCHI: Party On!, both in development and in promotion?

MP: It’s an easy, fun, pick-up-and-play type of game. It’s geared toward families coming together to play this game. Grandparents and grandchildren can play this game together. Teens can get together and play this game – it doesn’t have a learning curve. You can pretty much pick up the Wii remote and have fun with it. So I think it appeals to a lot of different ages.