No, the Digivices [0] were a completely different toy: It lacked the caring aspect and used a pedometer to make progress in traveling the world, where on occasion you'd get an alert about encountering an enemy digimon. If you ignored it your Digimon would be injured and you'd have to heal it.
In addition, to get in on the craze, other companies made their own products that played identically to tamagotchis. Tiger Electronics had the Giga Pet brand [1], for example, from which I had the alien.
Quick edit: Ah wait maybe you meant these [2], which were before the Digivices. I never had one, don't know if they were more like tamagotchis.
[0] https://wikimon.net/Digivice_Toy
>don't know if they were more like tamagotchis.
They were and are! (They're still releasing new models, at least in Japan.)
But yes, the Digimon v-pets were definitely marketed as basically "tamagotchi for boys" and the gameplay is very similar.
Re:The Tamagotchi Cemetery
by dugditches on Monday April 26, 2021 @08:03AM
(#26941621)
They were basically battling tamagotchi.
Unisex but over time skewed towards what seem like a more feminine market.
Can still buy the old school versions and they feel very unisex to this day.
Later models seem geared towards younger kids in general.
IIRC, the boy version was Digimon. Basically the same toy, but you could battle them.