By Ken Sakamoto, Star-Bulletin
How not to fry your cyber pet
By Kimberly Fu
Star-Bulletin"Don't feed it too much, or it'll die. Don't discipline it unless necessary, or it'll die. Don't blah blah blah, or it'll die." Death is a natural and necessary part of life. But in the case of a virtual death -- that of a virtual pet -- what can you do to prevent it?
Most people just restart the game. "It's the only thing you can do," said Jason Ng, a manager at Toys N Joys in Kaimuki. But several proud virtual pet owners were glad to share their pet-care tips with new virtual pet owners or baby sitters.
Cherie Okada, an 8-year-old with a wealth of pet- care advice, said her 1-1/2-year-old Nanobaby boy Aaron is easy to watch, which makes it easier for her mom to baby-sit when Cherie is in the shower or off on a class field trip.
Check your pet at least every 15 minutes, and clean up its messes, Okada said. The one no-no of being a pet owner is trying to make the pet sleep earlier or age faster, which can be done by manipulating the pet's time clock. "I think it's cheating," she said. "It's real humbug."
Ellen from Hakubundo Inc. said owners may try to age their pets to better compete with other virtual parents striving to raise the fastest growing "babies." It's an activity which can harm the pet. "It affects development," she said. If the baby has not developed limbs at the time the clock is manipulated, it will remain limb-less as well as grow older, she said.
"It'll mess up your computer system so the next time you try to start it up, it'll last two, maybe three days," said Lynn Nakayama, a Kay-Bee Toy and Hobby Store employee. She said the oldest virtual pet she knew of that aged without cheating is 26.
Christine Perez, age 9, did adjust her pet's clock and the trick worked for her. Her virtual puppy -- Daisy -- was going to sleep as late as 11 p.m., way past her own bed time. So she set the clock ahead two hours and now Daisy is asleep by 9. She gets up at 5 a.m., though, a problem Christine solves by putting her in a covered box so her early morning beeping doesn't wake up the household. The strategy has worked so far -- Daisy has reached the ripe old age of 39.
Alex Yen, age 7, said cheating was not an option for him. The owner of a 1-1/2-year-old Rakuraku dinosaur, Yen said feeding the pet is very important -- his pet died of neglect before he restarted it. The dinosaur was 6.
Feeding the pet can be confusing. Offered Yen: "When it shakes its head no, then go to treats."
Courtney Raymond-Arakaki, age 7, said all care should be done by the book. The proud owner of an 11-year-old Cool Doggie, Raymond-Arakaki knows what she's talking about.
"Play with it. Feed it. Clean up the messes," she said, adding that owners should only do what is necessary and not go overboard.
All pet owners said giving the pets too many snacks would allow it to get fat and possibly spoiled. But neglect could transform the pet into something resembling a monster, depending on the type of pet you own, and cause the pet to either become a bad pet or die.
Discipline is an important part of every child's life, including that of a virtual one. "When you discipline it, discipline it only enough or it'll run away," said Jennifer, a Kay-Bee Toy and Hobby Store employee. Animals will run or fly away, but virtual babies get ill and die, she said.
Keeping your pet happy means playing games with it. The object of the game depends on which pet you have. Some Nano pets want you to lose. The original Tamagotchis want you to win.
One Tamagotchi game involves predicting which way the pet will face once it's done flipping back and forth. Ellen advised counting the beeps as the Tamagotchi flips. An even number of beeps means the pet will face one way, an odd number means it will face the other. Tracking the beeps is hard, but it's the way to win, she said.
Ng, the owner of a Bird Watching pet, stressed that the pets should be transported with safety. "Try not to hold it in your pockets so much because it can loosen up the connections in the batteries," he said. Ng added that paying attention is the key to the pet's survival. By keeping a close eye on your pet, you will always be able to give it what it needs, he said.
Caring for someone else's virtual pet can be tricky, especially if you don't have one, yourself. So, what's a baby sitter to do? Keeping your pet sunny side up
Hang tough. Nine-year-old Marisa Borreca, proud mom of a Rakuraku Dinokun, graciously offered 10 tips to make baby-sitting virtual pets a snap.
Need a drink? Press the first button on the left.
If all else fails, call the nearest toy store with your problem and they will give you prime advice right away.
