​Get Ready For Ultimate Nostalgia As Tamagotchis Return With Modern Twist

Among all the lava lamps, Game Boys, alien slime, inflatable backpacks and the Nintendo 64, there's one 90s product that will always be the most iconic. We're talking, of course, about the almighty Tamagotchi, the digital pet that was originally released in Japan back in 1996. Watch the trailer:

Credit: My Tamagotchi Forever

Tamagotchi creators Bandai are now bringing the toy back to life and bang up to date, releasing an app called My Tamagotchi Forever.

From what the trailer reveals, it looks like the app will have augmented reality features, making it fairly similar to another classic game that was given a reboot recently - Pokémon Go. That one proved so popular that for some time you couldn't walk down a street without encountering someone catching 'em all. Kind of glad that's worn off now, but it was fun while it lasted.

Bandai's Aki Maita. Credit: PA

My Tamagotchi Forever will be free for iOS and Android from 2018, with players raising pets and mingling with others in 'Tamatown'. Staying true to the original toy, the app will let you do everything from feeding your virtual pet to cleaning up after it - all contributing to keeping them happy, healthy and, hopefully, alive.

But it will also include new features, such as extra mini games and special items that have to be unlocked.

This isn't the first time Tamagotchi have tried to revive the retro game - nor is it the first app, but this one will be the first that's free to play.

The company also relaunched the toy earlier this year to mark its 20th anniversary. It featured the "familiar egg shape, pixelated LCD charm, and, of course, the recurrent need for tender-loving-care that endeared fans in 1997 when it was first released," Bandai explained.

Credit: PA

You'll no doubt remember nothing but endless frustration from the original Tamagotchi, which just kept fucking dying despite literally every trick in the book. That reset button became your best friend - until that broke too.

But there were good times, too, and for many of us the Tamagotchi became the ultimate stand-in when savage parents across the world said we weren't allowed real life pets - despite the fact we asked for a dog every bloody Christmas. And let's face it, many of us still aren't ready for the responsibility of a dog or cat, so we guess it'll have to be Tamagotchi, again.