Good News Guys, Tamagotchi Toys Are Making A Comeback

With Aladdin in the cinema,the Spice Girls touring and Motorola releasing the Razr, 2019 is a big year for nostalgia - making it the perfect time for the much-loved Tamagotchi to make a comeback.

The egg-shaped digital pets - that were of a chore than a toy, really - are on sale on Amazon and are exact replicas of the ones we knew and loved in the 90s.

The description online reads: "The Original Tamagotchi digital pet you loved back in 1997 is back with the original programming!

Amazon

"Feed it, turn lights on/off, play with it, give it medicine, flush after it's used the bathroom, check it's health and discipline your Tamagotchi if he bothers you when he's happy, fed and all cleaned up."

See what I mean about it being a chore?

The description continues: "Raise your Tamagotchi from egg to child to adult and how you take care of it will decide which of the seven adults you'll get." Fancy.

Created by Japanese company Bandai, Tamagotchi were first released in 1997 and quickly became one of the most popular toys of the 90s. They taught us some basic responsibility, or more accurately, how avoiding responsibilities can result in the death of your pet.

Unlike with a living, breathing animal, though, you could just push a pin into the reset button in the back of your Tamagotchi and it was reborn and ready to go again. What more could you ask for?

Speaking to LADbible a couple of years back, toy expert Peter Jenkinson said: "It was the first truly 'real time' toy - you didn't need to make it do stuff, it did stuff that you then had to react to. It was always on, always with you, you had little/no control over it and it was without doubt the first truly virtual pet that behaved like it had its own personality/destiny. In a way, a very early example of how AI might pan out.

"It was ahead of its time and although tech has evolved hugely this past two decades, our love of nostalgia hasn't diminished."

So, there you go.

If you're keen to relive your childhood, there's a bunch of colour options available online, with prices starting from £20 - that's inflation for you.

Topics: Technology

Claire Reid

Claire is a journalist at LADbible who, after dossing around for a few years, went to Liverpool John Moores University. She graduated with a degree in Journalism and a whole load of debt. When not writing words in exchange for money she is usually at home watching serial killer documentaries surrounded by cats. You can contact Claire at [email protected]

@ClaireReid19