The Keychain

The key chain (or gap in the plastic hardware, where a key chain may be added) is an essential component of the original Tamagotchi. The chain allows the device to hang from items carried around by an individual, such as a backpack, purse, or set of keys. The presence of the key chain allows the Tamagotchi to be conveniently transported by the owner. The owner is given the capacity to play on the go, perhaps during a commute, or while in school.

The key chain transforms the device from a mere toy to a token, an object meant to be displayed to others. This display triggers feelings of nostalgia, by allowing viewers to experience a device that has barely changed since its original inception (Marcus 224). Marcus notes, “Nostalgia is an emotion triggered by a sense of loss from changes in location or the passage of time,” (224). The design of the Tamagochi allows the user to briefly return to the ‘90s, and the keychain allows that feeling of nostalgia to expand beyond the user.

Hardware can become more than the sum of its parts. A spiral-bound notebook does not convey the same thing that a Moleskine does. A cracked iPhone tells a bigger story than how it came to be that way. The key chain links the Tamagotchi gameplay to the external community; visibility makes the device an object of nostalgia.

Figure 1. the front of a Tamagotchi device, showing the keychain, screen, and buttons

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