Tamagotchi (Japanese: ????? Tamagotchi) is a handheld electronic toy created in 1996 by Aki Maita and sold by the Japanese toy company Bandai. It features a Tamagotchi that must be cared for and looked after to keep it happy. The user must primarily "feed" and "play" with their Tamagotchi, which is done symbolically by selecting the appropriate options using buttons.