Prepare to not get any work done because Tamagotchi (たまごっち) is making a comeback.
First released way back in 1996 in Japan (and in 1997 for the rest of the world), Tamagotchi is a handheld digital pet that took the world by storm and became one of the biggest toy fads of the 1990s and early 2000s.
Housed in a keychain-sized egg-shaped computer with an interface of three buttons, Tamagotchis are a small alien species that deposited an egg on Earth and it is up to the player to raise the egg into an adult creature. The creature goes through several stages of growth and will develop differently depending on the care the player provides. If not cared for properly, the pet can “die” due to poor care, old age, sickness, etc.
The game gained such a huge cult following that in 2010, over 76 million Tamagotchis were sold worldwide.
And now, 20 years on, the Tamagotchi is being re-released in its original format, albeit with some small changes.
Its design is similar to that of the original 1996 Tamagotchi, but it’s much more compact than the original, a square LCD instead of a rectangle one. Just like its predecessor, it will come attached to keychains, featuring the same 6 original pets and colourful egg designs. Fans will also be pleased to know that Bandai Namco has stuck to using the familiar low-resolution graphics.
Watch the introductory video below:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YV_24hXdbOU
The revamped Tamagotchi retails at about the same price as the original Tamagotchi at 1,900 Japanese yen (about RM75). While it’s not available in Malaysia as of yet (it’s just a matter of time, we reckon), fans are already flocking Amazon Japan to get their hands on this cute piece of nostalgia.
Would you get yourself one? 😉
Source: Lowyat.NET, Bandai / Featured image: Video grab.
