Q 01/05

Which Japanese game designer told a 1999 conference that Mario 64 had lost to the tiny Tamagotchi?

A) Satoru Iwata

B) Gunpei Yokoi

C) Hiroshi Yamauchi

D) Shigeru Miyamoto

Answer · why

D) Shigeru Miyamoto

Shigeru Miyamoto was giving a keynote at the Game Developers Conference, marvelling that a keychain with pictures of just 10 or 20 dots had outshone h...

Q 02/05

Which owl-like robotic toy, launched in October 1998, replaced Tamagotchi as the must-have holiday craze?

A) Bop It

B) Furby

C) Poo-Chi

D) Skip-It

Answer · why

B) Furby

Furby seemed so able to pick up human speech that America's National Security Agency barred it from its property, fearing it might repeat classified t...

Q 03/05

Which spoof science award did Tamagotchi's creators win in 1997 for diverting work hours into virtual pets?

A) Darwin Award

B) Golden Raspberry

C) Ig Nobel Prize

D) Pigasus Award

Answer · why

C) Ig Nobel Prize

The Ig Nobel Prize for economics went to Akihiro Yokoi and his partner at Bandai, who were hailed as the father and mother of Tamagotchi.

Q 04/05

Which places in China, Thailand and the US banned Tamagotchi in 1997 because the pets beeped for constant care?

A) Schools

B) Cinemas

C) Hospitals

D) Airlines

Answer · why

A) Schools

Schools acted because an early Tamagotchi had no pause button and might die within half a day, so pupils smuggled the needy pets into lessons.

Q 05/05

In which Pixar film, set in 2002, does Mei Lee name her Tamagotchi after a member of her favourite band?

A) Inside Out 2

B) Toy Story 4

C) Turning Red

D) Incredibles 2

Answer · why

C) Turning Red

Turning Red gives Mei a pet called Robaire Junior because director Domee Shi had longed for a Tamagotchi of her own when she was younger.