Digital Monster facts for kids
A Digital Monster model (mini Version 2)
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| Type | Digital pet |
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| Company | Bandai |
| Country | Japan |
| Availability | 1997–present |
The Digital Monster is a cool digital pet created by WiZ and Bandai. It's super important because it started the whole Digimon world! Bandai first released it in Japan on June 26, 1997. It came out in North America a bit later, on December 5, 1997. This pet was made to be a boy's version of the Tamagotchi, which was more popular with girls. It was like other virtual pets, but with a fun twist: you could make your Digimon fight other Digimon!
The first Digital Monster toy, released in 1997, sold a lot! About 14 million units were sold worldwide by 2004. Most of these, 13 million, were sold in Japan. By 2005, over 24 million Digital Monster units had been sold around the world.
In 2017, a special 20th anniversary edition came out in Japan. This new version let you pick from many different Digimon eggs. It also had new eggs you could unlock! This anniversary edition was released worldwide in 2019.
Contents
How the Digital Monster Began
The idea for the Digital Monster came from people at WiZ and Bandai. They wanted to make a virtual pet that boys would enjoy, like the Tamagotchi for girls. At first, they thought of names like "Otokotchi" or "Capsule Zaurus." But they finally decided on "Digital Monster."
The monsters themselves were designed by Kenji Watanabe. He got ideas from American comic books and artists. The very first two Digimon he created were Tyranomon and Agumon!
Playing with Your Digimon
Playing with your Digimon is a lot of fun! Here are some things you can do:
- Check Status: See how your Digimon is doing. You can check its age, weight, strength, how hungry it is, and its energy.
- Feed: Give your Digimon food to make it full, strong, and energetic.
- Train: Help your Digimon get stronger and lose weight by training it.
- Battle: This is exciting! You can connect your toy with a friend's Digimon toy and have them battle each other.
- Clean Up: Digimon make messes! You need to clean up their droppings. If you don't, they might get sick.
- Turn Off Light: When your Digimon goes to sleep, remember to turn off the light. If you leave it on, your Digimon might not evolve into a super strong form.
- Heal: If your Digimon gets sick or hurt in a battle, you need to heal it. It can't fight again until it's healthy.
How the Toy Works
The original Digimon toy has three main buttons and one small reset button. The reset button is usually pressed with a pen.
- The top "A" button helps you scroll through the different options on the screen.
- The middle "B" button lets you choose the option you want.
- The bottom "C" button helps you go back or cancel something.
- If you press "A" and "C" at the same time, you can turn the sound on or off.
There's also a special metal part on the side of the toy. To make your Digimon battle a friend's, you just touch the metal parts of both toys together!
Changes for the US Market
When the Digital Monster came to the United States, some things were changed. For example, they added a "Megalithic Mainframe." This was to make it seem like Digimon didn't really "die." Instead, they would return to a special fictional world. Also, some Digimon names were changed for a short time, like Devimon becoming Darkmon. But later, the original Japanese names were used again in games and shows.
Digimon Pendulums
Original Pendulum Series
In 1998, Bandai released a new series called the Pendulums. These toys had even higher evolution levels! They also introduced a cool new feature called "Jogress." This lets you combine certain Digimon to create a new, stronger one. The Pendulum toys also had a special sensor that counted how many times you shook the device.
Pendulum X Series
The Pendulum X series came out in 2003. These toys mixed the pet-raising fun with RPG-like elements. This means your Digimon could earn experience points and level up! The Pendulum X line also came with a story called Digimon Chronicle. This story was told through text and short comics.
The Story of Digimon Chronicle
In the Digimon Chronicle story, a super smart computer named Yggdrasil controls the Digital World. Too many Digimon started appearing, and Yggdrasil couldn't handle it! So, it created a "New Digital World" with three layers: Urd (past), Versandi (present), and Skuld (future). Yggdrasil then tried to get rid of Digimon it didn't want using something called the X Program.
But some Digimon found a way to survive! They got a special program called the X-Antibody. This made them stronger, changed how they looked, and protected them from the X Program. Yggdrasil then sent out its powerful group of thirteen Digimon, the Royal Knights, to keep order.
Two human boys, Kouta and Yuuji, found their way into the Digital World. They met their partner Digimon, Dorumon and Ryudamon. Kouta and Yuuji decided to stand up against Yggdrasil and the Royal Knights. Years later, in 2019, a sequel story called "Digimon Chronicle X" was released. It showed the Royal Knights and the Seven Great Demon Lords fighting each other in their X forms.
Digimon Mini
The Digimon Mini toys look like the original pets but are much smaller! They have fewer Digimon characters and fewer functions. For example, you can't see a full status screen for your Digimon's hunger. You just feed it when it looks hungry.
The Mini also has a special connector that lets it link up with other Digimon toys like the Pendulum X. The third version of the Mini added even more Digimon to collect!
WonderSwan Game
Digital Monster Ver. WonderSwan is a game for the WonderSwan handheld console in Japan. It included all the Digimon from the first four virtual pet toys and the first Pendulum toy. In this game, you could have up to eight different Digimon at once! You could also battle computer opponents. The game could even connect to other WonderSwan consoles or to the original Digimon virtual pets using a special cable.
Digimon 20th Anniversary
Original 20th Anniversary Edition
On June 26, 2017, a special 20th anniversary edition of the original Digimon virtual pet was released in Japan. This updated version had cool new features like linking to the web and letting you train two Digimon at the same time! It came in original brown and gray colors. This version included many more Digimon than the first toys, with 134 you could train and 154 appearing in total. You could also get special Digi-Eggs by meeting certain conditions. Plus, you could get the powerful Omnimon by combining specific Digimon from the brown and gray versions!
Later in 2017, three new colors were released: Omegamon, Alphamon, and Zubamon colors. Each of these came with exclusive Digi-Eggs. If you connected a first-wave 20th anniversary toy with a second-wave one, you could unlock a Dorumon Egg on both!
The 20th anniversary edition was released worldwide in 2019. The English version came in five different types, each with several colors.
Digimon Pendulum 20th Anniversary
In June 2018, a 20th anniversary edition of the Digimon Pendulum series was released. This one is only available in Japan right now.
Digimon X
In March 2019, Bandai released the Digimon X. This is an updated version that mixes features from the 20th anniversary toy and the Pendulum X series. It has RPG-like gameplay, so your Digimon can earn experience and level up through battles! The English version came out in October 2021.
In November 2019, Digimon X Version 2 was released in Japan. This version had new Digimon, including the Seven Great Demon Lords. The English version came out in March 2022. There was a small problem with the English version where the wrong Digimon appeared, so Bandai America had to recall some products.
In March 2020, Digimon X Version 3 was released in Japan. This is the final device in the Digimon X series. It features the 13 Holy Knight Digimon and their big battle against the Seven Great Demon Lords. These devices are only available in Japan.
Digimon Pendulum Z
In November 2020, the Pendulum Z series was released. These toys are currently only available in Japan.
See also
In Spanish: Digimon Virtual Pet para niños
