Tamagotchi
In 1997, there wasn’t much technological entertainment, especially compared to what we have today. That’s one of the reasons Tamagotchi was such a big hit. Akihiro Yokoi and Aki Maita designed the Tamagotchi almost for the goal of it being a toy pet. We’re not sure exactly what inspired the Tamagotchi, but it’s assumed that the idea was inspired by a commercial that featured a boy with a pet turtle, who wanted to take it on a trip, but he wasn’t allowed to. That’s where Tamagotchi, the portable pet came into play (Mental Floss).