Q 01/05

Which 1995 Nintendo system displayed its games only in red and black?

A) Super Game Boy

B) Virtual Boy

C) Nintendo 64

D) Game Boy Pocket

Answer · why

B) Virtual Boy

The Virtual Boy flopped so fast that Nintendo dropped it in Japan within six months of its 1995 launch.

Q 02/05

The name Tamagotchi combines the Japanese word for 'egg' with which English word?

A) Watch

B) Catch

C) Pet

D) Hatch

Answer · why

A) Watch

Watch is the English half of the name, and Tamagotchi's success soon drew rival virtual pets such as Giga Pets.

Q 03/05

Tamagotchi's two creators won a tongue-in-cheek 1997 Ig Nobel Prize in which field?

A) Biology

B) Psychology

C) Economics

D) Peace

Answer · why

C) Economics

The Economics prize honoured Tamagotchi's creators "for diverting millions of person-hours of work into the husbandry of virtual pets."

Q 04/05

Which 1997 keychain pet was Tamagotchi's battling counterpart for boys?

A) Giga Pets

B) Digimon

C) Nano Baby

D) Pokémon Pikachu

Answer · why

B) Digimon

Digimon soon spread from keychains to video games such as Digimon World, released in 1999.

Q 05/05

Which company created the Furby?

A) Tiger Electronics

B) Playmates Toys

C) Fisher-Price

D) Milton Bradley

Answer · why

A) Tiger Electronics

Tiger Electronics' Furby was so scarce at Christmas 1998 that resellers got hundreds for one.