Pokémon is Older than Tamagotchi

I read an August 31, 2026 article in SoraNews24 titled Tamagotchi evolves into a ring for its 30th anniversary, preorders now open. I had a Tamagotchi at some point in the 90s, but I do not think it left a big impression on me. But this headline made me think. Pokémon celebrated its 30th anniversary on February 27 of this year. Is Pokémon older than Tamagotchi? I would have probably tentatively guessed “no” had I been asked before seeing this SoraNews24 article, but the headline suggests that Pokémon is older. Unfortunately, the SoraNews24 report did not note when the first Tamagotchi was released. Onto internet research. My search for an authoritative resource led me to the Tamagotchi history page on the official U.S. website. I quote:

Tamagotchi was released on November 23, 1996.

Tamagotchi (U.S.) History of Tamagotchi Page

The original Pokémon Red and Green in Japan beat Tamagotchi by just under nine months. However, Tamagotchi was released just before the first copies of the Japanese Pokémon Blue were mailed out. Since the international Pokémon Red and Blue are based on the Japanese Pokémon Blue rather than the original Red and Green (which had been released on February 27, 1996), I suppose we can make a case that Pokémon only wins a partial victory as far as international audiences go.

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