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Huge News For 90s Kids: Tamagotchis Are Back In 2017

By Stacey Cole
Published on: 05:32 PST, Apr 13, 2017

Tamagotchis, the hit toys that took over the world in the 90s, are being re-released in 2017 to celebrate their 20th anniversary.

Right when you thought the Tamagotchi that you left in your parents’ house back in the 90s had been forgotten, Japanese toymaker Bandai — the original forefather of the digital pet toy — says it’s bringing back its hit toy for 2017 kids.

The major toymaker, which changed the world of gaming with the release of its original Tamagotchi model in 1996, wants 90s kids to relive their childhood memories in 2017.

Bandai announced earlier this week that Tamagotchis will be making a huge comeback in 2017. The Japanese toymaker is re-releasing its retro egg-shaped virtual pet gadget to mark the Tamagotchi’s 20th anniversary.

The 2017 version of the Tamagotchi will not be identical to the one you used to play in the 90s, though. Bandai says the new Tamagotchis will be smaller than the original nostalgia-inducing tech gadget, according to Fortune.

Nearly a year after the release of the latest tech gaming craze – Pokemon GO – the toymaker is probably hoping to once again take over the world with the 2017 re-release of the Tamagotchi.

But it’s bad news for all the kids and adults living outside of Japan, as the re-release of Tamagotchis is only happening in Japan. There’s no telling if Bandai is planning to release the egg-shaped virtual pet gadget in other countries.

However, there’s still a way to buy a Tamagotchi for people outside Japan, as the handheld nostalgia-inducing toy is currently available to buy on Amazon Japan for 2,000 yen, which is equivalent to a little more than $18.

People outside Japan who want to feed and clean up after the newly designed Tamagotchi will have to cover shipping fees though – but it’s still much cheaper than getting a plane ticket to Japan to buy the re-released virtual pet gadget.

If spending $18 plus shipping fees sounds a lot, there’s a Tamagotchi app available for just $0.99.

The 2017 version of Tamagotchi is staying to true to its original style. With a slightly refreshed colorful design and being around half the size of the original Tamagotchis, the re-released toy features six of the original pets and boasts the same low-resolution graphics as the 90s handheld tech gadget craze.

Other design changes in the 2017 Tamagotchi include a square rather than rectangular LCD screen, and it’s missing some of the original icons that used to provide tips about the virtual pet’s status, according to Wired.

But what has remained unchanged by the Japanese toymaker is the ultimate aim of the game, which is to not neglect your pet and care for it every day.

So if you’re planning on buying the re-released 2017 Tamagotchi from Japan, prepare to carry the Tamagotchi along with your smartphone in your pocket. You might realize that it was so much easier for 90s kids who had no smartphones taking up valuable real estate in their pockets.

A giant avalanche of delightful comments has taken over social media in the wake of news that the Japanese toymaker is re-releasing the Tamagotchi in 2017.

While 2017 kids and teenagers seem to be interested only in high-resolution, digitally-advanced games, the re-released Tamagotchi will likely be a hit among 90s kids who want to relive their childhood memories.

Tamagotchi toys have seen the release of a video game and several arcade updates over the past two decades, but this is the first re-release of the toy itself.

[Featured Image by GingerArt/Shutterstock]

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