Hatchi - A retro virtual pet
Description of App
Hatchi is a retro-looking iPhone app sure to get the nostalgia burning for all those who cared for a virtual pet back in the 1990s when they were at the height of their popularity. Just as with the keychain-sized pets of the 90s, iPhone users now will feed, clean, play with and generally look after their pets to ensure they grow up to be healthy, happy little Hatchis. He needs YOU!
“Say goodbye to your productivity. Say hello to your new friend.” Gizmodo.com
“It's hilarious, but I really, really, really don't want Big Poppa Pump (his Hatchi monster) to bite the dust. I've somehow bonded with the thing” TouchArcade.com
Your Hatchi monster will go through several stages of growth, and will develop differently depending on the quality of care the player provides. A successfully raised Hatchi monster will be smarter, happier, and require less attention.
Version
Free or Paid
Compatibility
Device(s) App Was Tested On
Accessibility Comments
This app is now accessible to voiceover, you can do everything including feeding
the pet, cleaning,
even playing some games. there's tic tac toe, rock paper scissors and
two more games, whac a mole and one more that you must press 2 buttons
to try to collect food for the pet, these last 2 games are partly
inacessible because i believe you must rely in the things you're seeing,
but i still managed to score some points in the two games by turning
voiceover and experimenting, try it. in the whac a mole game when you
tap it it will change it's location. and speaking of the tic tac toe
game, the buttons are unlabeled but here playing with the ipad it wasn't
a problem, there's 9 buttons corresponding each space, there's 3 in a
line. when you play your piece it will say ttt@2x, and when the computer
plays it says ttt@1x. i've reported this issue to the developers and it
might be fixed, but it isn't a problem for me. also in the minigames
menu if you flick to the right of each game you will see that there's a
submenu button, you can change the difficulty of each game specificaly.
VoiceOver Performance
Button Labeling
Usability
Other Comments
I enjoyed playing with the pet, I had one of these when I was a kid(7 or so) and
of course I didn't knew what I was doing(feeding, playing, etc), now I
know how it feels!
by playing the minigames and doing more things with your pet you will get coins which you can spend to get food
and some more interesting items/upgrades, it will take some time though,
if you're interested you can also purchase the coins with real money,
but everything can be achieved by just playing.
After taking care of a pet for 7 days you can release it, and when you
do it I believe you get a lot of coins.
The developer is awesome, they responded so fast to my voiceover suggestions that it
didn't even take a month between my e-mails and the release of a new
version, it shows that they care about accessibility of this app for
the blind! if you still think it can be improved, contact them as well
going to info / help and choosing the feedback button in the app.
Comments
#1 Developer Responds once again! - Guaranteed vo improvements
Hi everyone!
Two things: First, if you're confused on how to proceed when you
open this app for the first time, you will have to double tap a button
for 3 times in order for the pet to be born from an egg, then you can
give it a name and choose the "submit" button to start playing with it.
Second, The developer promptly responded again to my e-mails in which
i asked if voiceover support could be improved even more to work
better with more parts of the app, becoming 100% usable, here comes the
reply!
Hi Matheus,
Thanks for taking the time to email us. We're glad that you like the improvements. We really appreciated your comments on applevis. The minigames and the stats
screen
are the next things we will be working on with respect to voice over so stay tuned for future updates.
Thanks for being a Hatchi Parent!----------------------------------------------
#2 mm this could be
mm this could be interesting,
I definitely remember the little keychain virtual pets from the 90s when I was at school lol, to think people thought they were cool back then.
I remember getting a furby wen they came out, most annoying toy I ever had,
anyone else remember those?
I wonder if you can get a furby app for the iPhone.
At least this app doesn't need an internet connection or mean I have to do stuff on the now ubiquitous facebook, never saw the point of those various apps where plants flowered and such like, at least this will have a few different things to do.
#3 The Virtual Pet I Always Wanted.
When keychain pets were in vogue I was madly envious of my friends and wanted one so much. I had furbies but Alex is right, they could get extremely annoying. When I saw the post about Hatchi I struggled with myself for all of five seconds before giving in and buying it, and I'm just so glad I did.
I have the virtual baby games from X2line, which are fine, but I have to say this is easier to play and just as addictive. I'm really pleased that all the games are playable, and even the most expensive item in the shop can be saved up for by looking after Hatchi. A big hats off to the developers for making this game so accessible. It's great to see a wider choice of games becoming available to us now, even graphic based and real time games.
#4 Alian hatchi Sounds more
Alian hatchi Sounds more interesting to me than the regular one. Do you know if it's voiceover accessible to?
#5 I suspect the alien one is
I suspect the alien one is probably just different graphics to this one,
I looked at it briefly, some of the reviews were less than impressed, saying you couldn't do much with the app etc, so I decided not to buy it.
One feature I think it would be cool if this app had would be a way for your hatchie to fight someone elses hatchie.
I remember with some of the actual ones on keychains if you didn't feed them properly or something they could turn aggressive and when in range of someone elses pet virtually attack them.
#6 I bought this game for my
I bought this game for my kids, but I just can't stop playing it. Someone call a shrink! I also emailed the developers and ask them to make alien Hatchi, which sounds to me even more interesting than the original, accessible. I hope they do, and soon! Back to playing tic-tac-toe with Hatchi now…
#7 My pet indicated that it
My pet indicated that it wants something but how can i tell what it wants?
#8 Look At The Stats.
Hi.
At the top of the Hatchi screen there are a bunch of stats, all given as percentages, E G hunger, hygene, smarts, energy and so on. before I do anything with Hatchi I always check them so that I can see what it needs. As it happens I don't think I've had a push notification yet, but if you're unsure, you can easily see what it needs by looking at the stats. If the percentage on hunger, for instance is low, you know it needs feeding. Hope that helps.
#9 What animals are there?
Hi people. This game sounds great even from what you have described. Before I get it I would like to know what animals are there to choose from?
#10 ausom app! love it!
i love this app so mutch now i need to remember to check it! lol once you buy the evolution guide and try and use it your run into problems its not accessable i have contacted devs about this and also i have tested alian hatchi is not as yet accessible i have left comments to do with this matter to i hope to here back from them soon nd will post in reguards to the animals the origenal virtual pets that these are bassed off of were just random little monster things they change form as they grow or evolve have fun and thanks for reading! contact me if you need ahand
#11 Hatchi Is Hatchi
A Hatchi is a kind of an invented creature, you cannot choose different animals. When your Hatchi hatches from its egg you are told if it is a boy or a girl and asked to name it. During all the stages of its evolution you will be given good descriptions of what it looks like. At least, I think so. Mine is only two days old but I know what it is like.
#12 Virtual Pets
I was wondering if anyone knew of any other virtual pet games that are accessible. I have the x2line games and Hatchi, but I'm looking for others. i'm just like the commenter who wanted to play with those keychains.
#13 question about medicien button and active sat
Whenever i double-tap the medicein button, my pet always get medication and its happiniss decreases. Is this normal and should the medicen button work all the time/ What does the active stat mean?
#14 Horses, or Hatchis, for courses! Smile.
I have also tried the medicine button with the same result as you, but I think you will not get any results except a decrease in happiness if your hatchi is perfectly fit and well. I would think if a hatchi is left unattended, unfed and uncleaned it will get sick and need medicine. Maybe then it will be useful, but I don't really intend to experiment, I like to keep mine happy. The activity stat is pretty self-explanitory. You will find it increases after you play with your Hatchi or play the mini-games. The more your hatchi is played with and stimulated, the smarter, more active and happier it becomes. I hope that helps. Smile.
#15 easier way to play hatchi catchi
Hi guys.
I've just discovered that you can play hatchi catchi with voice over on, all you have to do is move your finger around the screen and you don't have to worry about hitting other Icons. Also, if you swipe or have it read all, you might just catch a few.
#16 A Couple Questions About Hatchi
I've been thinking about getting this for my iPod Touch, as it sounds like an interesting app, and I like the fact that the developers are interested in making a virtual pet accessible. However, I tend not to take the iPod everywhere I go, though I use it on a daily basis. Do you have to have the device with you at all times and constantly monitor the hatchi, or can you load the app whenever's convenient to take care of it? Also, do you need an Internet connection for it to work? I ask because sometimes I go to visit my family who don't have the Internet at their place.
#17 natchy
Hi, the game has push notifications, so it will alert you when the pet needs something. However, i open the app a few times a day to check on mine. You do not need to be connected to the internet to play.
#18 Because of you Lulu
I got the hachey app and I absolutely love it. He's so cute. this is a very accessible app.
#19 hatchey catchey
Ah ha thanks I did notice the swirling action worked, thanks for the tip
#20 Another Question
Thanks for answering my questions. Is it possible to deactivate the game temporarily so you don't get the push notifications at certain times? I ask because I sometimes need to use my iPod during gigs to play some instrumental files, and wouldn't want Hatchi to interrupt the flow of the music with a reminder to feed it.
#21 keeping hatchy quiet
The easyist way i've found to keep hatchy quiet is to double-tap the button that says, light switch. When you double-tap this, the pet will go to sleep and stay asleep until you wake it up again by double-tapping the same button.
#22 Click Don't Allow.
Hi, Kelly.
I don't know about temporarily de-activating push, I haven't seen that kind of setting, but there is an easier way. At the start of the game you will be asked if you will allow push notifications to be sent to you from this ap. You can simply click don't allow and your problem is solved. To be fair, if you make sure and turn off your pet's light so that he sleeps before closing the ap out he should be ok for several hours. I had to leave mine for at least four today and she was fine, I had no outstanding notifications, but you can choose not to have push if you need to be on the safe side.
#23 notifications
Even when your pet is sleeping, eventually, you will get notifications, so go into info, settings, and ajust it there.
#24 Had to get this and a question
Hi,
I saw my sister playing with this app a few weeks ago and wishing then it was accessible.
Once i found out it was, i had no hesitation.
I was wondering where you go to name it etc and what the light switch was for, now i have the answers.
Only one question, i double tapped the hatch button and now i have something saying egg there, have i done the right thing?
How long do they take to hatch?
Can you take care of other people's pets?
Thanks smiling
#25 a cool idea
Yes it's a great game if ya have some downtime every day.
I accidently left my first hatchi sleeping for 24 hours and it was still alive the next day and wasn't even sick. :)
I had this idea ages ago that it'd be cool if we could get out hatchis to interact with each other if we want. It's not an online game, but if we wish, it'd be great if we could get them to play together and talk, just interact would be great. :)
#26 That Would Be Very Cool.
I am now on my third Hatchi and completely hooked. The idea of our Hatchis interacting is a brilliant one, although I think we might need to do it on a website, or maybe on Facebook. There is a Hatchi Facebook page but it is one of the most difficult to deal with I have ever come across. It is definitely worth contacting the developer with any ideas or feedback. They do take a while to get back to you, but get back to you they do. While I am here I have been discussing the mysterious eggs which one can buy for a cool six thousand coins. People are wondering if, when you buy and hatch one, they will be accessible. I Emailed the developer and asked this, and the answer is yes. I am saving hard for my egg!
#27 hatching your pet
Once you double-tap the hatch button, you must do that three times. Once your pet hatches, give it a name and double-tap the submit button.
#28 Single-Player games and pet socialization
I would like to mention that you do not get coins for raising Hatchis. There are options for one-time and daily ways to get coins, like sharing your current Hatchi on Facebook/Twitter or liking the FB page. You do get coins from all the games. At least, for the single-player ones. More coins for higher difficulty setting.
All single-player games are accessible, but not all can be played well because some are visual merely due to the object of the game. Catching food, avoiding medicine, and whacking Hatchis.
I really enjoy the food matching game. It's where you need to match the same foods and avoid skulls. I've gotten all matches on the hardest difficulty before, but not very often. Usually, I hit skulls before I can match everything. But if you get far enough, you get more coins than Tic Tac Toe. By the way, the only thing that's not very accessible is that at the end of each game, the amount of coins you got for it briefly appears at the top of the screen but disappears after some seconds, so it is hard to read reliably. You don't get many coins per game, so it is more efficient to buy them with real money, but at least the care of Hatchis is actually free. You don't have to spend a single coin to keep your pet happy and healthy.
I have found the developers to be very polite and responsive. They've done a great job with access and keep improving it with each new release. Last I checked, Alien Hatchi is still not playable with VoiceOver. Perhaps they'll announce it when they've fixed it.
I would love for Hatchis to be able to interact. There is now a rudimentary battle arena, so maybe hatchi interaction is in the works. Would like either Hatchi breeding, to get different evolutions, or just friendship/romance without the breeding. I don't go for the battling, but from what I heard, it's kind of visual so I have not tried it. It uses the Internet so I didn't want to test it against real people.
I am trying to get all evolutions. My achievements say I'm about halfway there. I haven't tried the mysterious eggs yet. Going to attempt to work through the regular ones first. I also have my sights set on keeping a Hatchi for a year, but I'll wait until it's at a stage that sounds cool. Partly, though, the fun of raising Hatchis is having them evolve.
I've always enjoyed virtual pet games so hearing about this for the iPhone made me very happy. I used to really want those Tamagotchis, so I'm glad I have one now. Are there any more of these types of games that are accessible with VoiceOver for me to try?
#29 Alien Hatchi has limited
Alien Hatchi has limited accessibility, but I'm sure that if we all ask portable pixels to make it accessible they will. I think it's a lot more interesting than the regular Hatchi personally. They had free downloads of it over Christmas, so I've been messing with it some. Instead of little beeps when you feed the Hatchi, it actually hear it eating in Solon. I like it a lot better.
#30 Alien Hatchi
Hi Ken,
Is the alien Hatchi found in this app, or is that in a different app?
Thanks,
Michael
#31 Andromache, thanks for your tips for getting more coins.
I've used the Facebook/Twitter posts to get more, but I didn't know that playing games got you more coins, too. I also didin't know about the number of coins you got flashing on the top of the screen. Thanks for that info.
I'm horrible at keeping my Hatchi's alive! I think I've killed three already! I'm a horrible Hatchi parent! Lol time to try again! I think I'll release one of mine out into the wild when it gets old enough. I'd kind of like to get through all evolutions, though. I've gotten as far as the octopus with tentacles, I think. Have fun discovering all the evolutions!
Thanks,
Shersey
#32 Michael, Alian Hatchi is a different app.
If I remember correctly, it's between 1-3 USD.
Thanks,
Shersey
#33 Cute app
Having loved playing a Tamagotchi when I was a kid, my interest was peaked when I heard of this app.
Overall, it is decently accessible. Other than the player vs player and some of the Hatchie games, I've encountered no frustrating moments.
Lastly, what's also great about Hatchie is that I can play with the sighted niece and nephews, whom, I might add, love fighting over who gets to feed, clean and play with the Hatchie. Lol.
#34 Hatchi
Got hatchi today.
Downloaded it to iPhoneand Ipod touch.
The iPod is not connected to Internet.
Love this game
. 1 problem, cannot name Hatchi on iPod.
When I do, the name does not show up on game.
It did on iPhone though.
Put
#35 The app is fully accessible
The app is fully accessible with VoiceOver, or be it a little slow to navigate at least on my device.
Just look after your virtual pet and have fun!