Digital Monster Ver. 4

Description

Digital Monster Ver. 4, originally released in Japan in May 1998, features 14 trainable Digimon. This version centres on “Insect” and “Plant” themed creatures, featuring Yuramon and Tanemon as its base forms and introducing iconic characters like Piyomon (Biyomon) and Palmon for the first time in the series. The device follows the established Five-Stage evolution cycle, beginning with a hatching egg and progressing through Baby I, Baby II, Child (Rookie), Adult (Champion), and finally the Perfect (Ultimate) stage.

Version 4 is distinguished by its unique “Power Meter” training minigame, a departure from the “luck-based” shadow boxing of earlier versions. In this version, players must time a button press to stop a rapidly scrolling number at exactly 100 to destroy a rock and achieve a successful training session. To reach the highest evolutionary forms (such as Megadramon, Piccolomon (Piximon), or Digitamamon) the pet requires rigorous management, including at least 15 battles at both the Child and Adult stages with a high win percentage. Like its predecessors, it retains the signature “Battle Connect” feature, allowing it to link via metal contacts to other original virtual pets for competitive combat.

This specific Digital Monster Ver. 4 variant is the official “Asian-English” export released for the East Asian and Australian markets around 1998. While it carries the #1858 model number consistent with Western releases, they are otherwise distinct. The packaging and documentation are localised by Bandai Hong Kong, featuring a distinct bilingual English and Traditional Chinese instruction sheet. The box showcases prominent artwork of Leomon on a yellow background, marking the introduction of “All New Monsters!!” like Piyomon and Palmon to the international line. This version also marks a transition in Bandai’s logistics; although it remains a localised Hong Kong product, it utilises the 4543112 barcode prefix associated with Bandai Japan’s global inventory system rather than the older 489 prefix found on earlier Australian waves.