Sony Funbbit Pet-F7

The Funbbit, released by Sony circa 1998, is a virtual pet that feeds on music! The mochi rabbit dances along while you listen to music, lest they idle and gain weight. The Funbbit comes in three colorways - white, blue & yellow as a collab with Whoopee!. The device works on any audio source that accepts 1/8in headphone jacks and work on modern devices like laptops or smartphones (you may need an adapter depending on your phone - I use one for my iphone8 and it works great!). I've never tested this out using a speaker so mileage may vary. You can find these on ebay or Japanese proxy sites but they are rare. I've seen these go around $60-120 depending on whether or not it comes boxed. Information on these pets are limited, but the gameplay is rather simple!

• Manual
• Background
• Shells
• Sprites

Manual

The full manual can be found HERE. The english instructions are as follows:

FUNBBIT is a sweet-toothed music lover and a rabbit from the moon. Share music with him on your Walkman - he'll dance for you in his collection of costumes. Leave him without music, and he'll munch on his favorite sweets until you have to put him on a diet!

As you read, refer to the illustrations in the Japanese text.

TO PLAY WITH FUNBBIT:

1. Pull out the tab (illustration A), and press the reset button (B).


2. Play your music, and watch FUNBBIT dance (C).


3. Without music, FUNBBIT gains 1 gram per hour (D).


4. DIET mode: With the music on, press the SELECT button. Work him out by pressing the DANCE A or B button until "TIME UP!" appears (E).
   Note: To check his weight, press the SELECT or DANCE A or B button with the music off. To reset, press the button again. (minimum weight:10G, maximum weight:100G)
   Author's Note: There isn't a technique to this ~ it really just involves button mashing LOL.

TO CHANGE THE BATTERY:

1. With a #0 driver, remove the screws and open the lid on the back of the body (F).


2. Replace the battery with the + and - ends in the correct place (use a button-type lithium batter CR-2032) (G).
3. Close the lid and screw it on as before.
   Note: Be sure to press the RESET button after changing the battery.

TO RESET THE FUNBBIT

• To reset, press the RESET button (H).

PRECAUTIONS:

• When no sound is heard for several seconds while music is being played, the display may return to its no music mode.
• When no soun is heard for several seconds during the diet mode, "TIME UP!" may be displayed.
• This device should be used with portable audio equipment such as a Walkman.
• To avoid distortion of the picture, do not put pressure on the liquid crystal display.
• When using the strap, do not pull hard on it.

NOTES ON THE BATTERY (button-type lithium battery CR-2032):

• Be sure to keep the battery out of children's reach. In case of ingestion, consult a doctor immediately.
• Never put the battery in a fire or heat it. Never short-circuit it, or take the battery apart.
• Use only the specified type of battery.
• Make sure that the + and - ends of the battery are placed in the device correctly.
• To avoid connection trouble, wipe the battery with a dry cloth before you change it.
• Be sure to remove the battery when it wears out, or when not using for a long period.
• In case of fluid leakage, wipe off the fluid inside the battery compartment and replace with a new battery. If the fluid contacts the skin, wash it clean with water.

DIMENSIONS:

• Approx. 67 x 73 x 20mm (w/h/d) including projecting parts and controls

MASS:

• Approx. 46g including battery

The funbbit gains 1g every hour when idle, and their sprite changes at these weight intervals:

• 20g
• 50g
• 70g

Background

The lore behind our lil mochi friend! Auto-translated and comic taken originally from HERE.

Shells

The shells came in a white, blue, and yellow variant.

A bit more about the Whoopee! shell - Sony released a series of brightly colored transluscent electronics that included the Funbbit, as well as a cassette player, CD player & speaker, FM radio, IC recorder, and the Street TV. (p.s. can we bring this trend back??)

Sprites

All the character sprites! I am glad to be able to have archived them all! Next I plan to make gifs of them dancing, since it's not in any sequential order. So... it's a work in progress. :] The pink background indicates the screen size, but the placement of the sprites may not be accurate since they tend to move back and forth and flip around on the screen a lot.