Tamagotchis are back with enhanced features and more cuteness
As with Furbies and My Little Pony, Tamagotchis have seen several cycles of hiatus and rebirth. If you were a 90’s baby like myself, then odds are you’re acquainted with Tamagotchis – computerized pets you can take on the go. The digital craze went into effect for the first time in 1996 thanks to the initial release by WIZ and Bandai. Egg shaped computers housing a critter in black and white pixels, Tamagotchis were introduced as an alien species who left their babies on Earth to explore the terrain and learn the culture. The longer you hopefully kept your pet alive, he or she experienced the life cycle; growing from a baby to a child, teen and adult as long as you kept its hunger, happy, bracelet and discipline meters full.
Tamagotchis could also get sick, poop and play games with you on an hourly basis. But that lead the way for problems, since youth around the world were distracted during school hours because Tamagotchis would die if left unattended for too long; thus forcing you to resume your maternal nurturing from the very beginning. The next wave of Tamagotchis were equipped with a clock you could pause, which eliminated the one and only problem the digital pets created. Further versions allowed you to name, gender and classify your alien, followed by the addition of skills, careers, travel, in-store purchases through earned Gotchi Points and marriage. Yes, you read that correctly – marriage.
We currently live in a world that loves to stay connected, and so the most recent version of Tamagotchis allow you to link with other users and play games, build relationships and go on adventures. Not only that, but you can download a smartphone app that serves as further Gotchi Play and a social media platform of sorts. It should also be noted that the Tamagotchi brand became a franchise right after its initial launch; now representing 20 games spread across various platforms, three movies and an anime series. While it may not be as popular today as it was from 1996-2002, it still remains a part of our childhood and I’m delighted to see an updated adaption is still in GameStop and Target and on Amazon.
Despite old school models selling for an average of $30 and new models – now renamed Tamagotchi On – selling for an average of $60, sources have pegged Tamagotchis as selling roughly 1,000,000 egg shaped critter homes a year. Who would have thought? I certainly didn’t until I came across one in GameStop two weeks ago. Now, I’m invigorated enough to go back to the store and pick one out for myself. Personally, though, I like the simpler, old-school Tamagotchis over the revamped Tamagotchi On. I understand that times change and kids need higher quality toys to keep them entertained, but sometimes you just can’t beat the original! Time to walk down Nostalgia Lane.
Did you have a Tamagotchi when you were younger? How do you feel about the Tamagotchi On?
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