Tamagotchi grows up! Revamped 90s nostalgia toy can now marry and breed with other virtual pets – provided you can keep it alive for long enough
- The classic Tamagotchi is being reinvented more than 20 years after its release
- It can now be married to other Tamagotchis and even have children
- Three buttons controls the device which has the nostalgic pixelated screen
- The gadget has other updates to help it compete with other toys as it is smartphone compatible and much larger than its predecessors
The classic Tamagotchi is getting a make-over for the 21st-century as the digital pet makes a comeback 22 years after it was first released.
Bandai America announced the release of the digital pet and say it can now be married to other Tamagotchis and even have children.
The gadget has other updates to help it compete with other toys as it is smartphone compatible and much larger than its predecessors.
It is missing its iconic keychain but the latest version, dubbed the Tamagotchi On, has the same vibrant colours and pixelated display as it did in the 90s.
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The story-line of a Tamagotchi is that an egg containing an utterly reliant creature from a distant planet (Plant Tamagotchi) falls into the hands of the customer. They are incapable of doing much of anything themselves and therefore need to be fed, watered, entertained and loved by their owner
It is considerably more expensive than the nostalgic millenials will remember, retailing at $59.99 and not the $17.99 that it cost in 1996.
The digital pet still requires a lot of care and attention in order to keep it alive and the firm behind it hopes the nostalgic aspect will be enough to overcome inevitable inconvenience of the constant supervision.
It comes with just three unmarked buttons on the display and in a range of colours in a bid to stay as true to the aesthetic of the original as possible.
The story-line of a Tamagotchi is that an egg containing an utterly reliant creature from a distant planet (Plant Tamagotchi) falls into the hands of the customer.
They are incapable of doing much of anything themselves and therefore need to be fed, watered, entertained and loved by their owner.
It is missing its iconic keychain but the latest version, dubbed the Tamagotchi On, has the same vibrant colours and pixelated display as it did in the 90s
The digital pet still requires a lot of care and attention in order to keep it alive and the firm behind it hopes the nostalgic aspect will be enough to overcome inevitable inconvenience of the constant supervision
WHAT IS A TAMAGOTCHI?
The story-line of a Tamagotchi is that an egg containing an utterly reliant creature from a distant planet (Plant Tamagotchi) falls into the hands of the customer.
They are incapable of doing much of anything themselves and therefore need to be fed, watered, entertained and loved by their owner.
If left alone for any length of time they may have defecated or died.
It is a game first released in the late-90s and attached to a key chain.
The three unmarked buttons and pixelated screen were simple and appealed to the young audience.
A new version is due to be released which will cost far more than the original $17.99 and be far bigger.
The Tamagotchi On is $59.99 and can connect to a smartphone as well as allowing access to other Tamagotchis.
They can now get married and have children.
This is the latest re-brand from Bandai in a bid to bring in new customers.
A 2007 version was aimed directly at the now grown-up customers who had them originally and was as small and cheap as it was two decades ago.
Tara Badie, Bandai America’s director of marketing, said the anniversary edition was an attempt to appeal ‘directly to the millennials as a nostalgia thing’.
Tamagotchi On will feature a more connected feel compared to the isolated game that inspired it.
Users can connect to other Tamagotchi’s for playdates, trips or as gifts. They can also get married and raise children.
A total of 16 generations can exist at any one time.
‘The new experiences and social connections raises the fun-factor and provides users with endless hours of entertainment,’ said Ms Badie.
‘We wanted to keep aspects of the original Tamagotchi gameplay but make it more relevant for today’s users by adding a coloured-digital screen, new ways to connect and millions of different characters.’
There is an app that will be released later in the year and is currently still in development which will sync the handheld device to a smartphone and allow users around the world to play with one another.
It has shunned the modern obsession with in-app purchases and instead the currency of the Tamagotchi world is acquired by playing mini-games.
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