‘Tamagotchi’ Will Return As Mobile App For iOS, Android

Those who missed the Tamagotchi craze back in the mid-to-late 90s will be able to experience the joys of virtual pet ownership in the very near future.

Since it’s now old enough to be considered retro, Bandai is hoping folks will feel nostalgic for the pet simulators that were extremely popular back in the day. According to Cinema Blend, the company intends to unleash the virtual pet app later this year.

Bandai intends to release Tamagotchi L.I.F.E. for iOS and Android, allowing scores of people to experience the joy and irritation of having to care for a demanding simulated animal. Those who owned these electronic devices often spent more time trying to remove the batteries than actually satisfying the virtual creature’s many needs.

Digital Spy reports that Bandai will upgrade the Tamagotchi for its mobile debut. In addition to getting a fresh coat of digital paint, the virtual pets will now present their owners with a host of minigames to play. The website also reports that users will be able to save their progress.

However, old school Tamagotchi fans can relive the early days of simulated pet ownership by checking out the so-called “Retro Mode.”

Bandai said in a recent statement:

“The original ‘Tamagotchi’ was first released 16 years ago and took the world by storm. Everyone had a ‘Tamagotchi’ and loved taking care of their digital pets. The new ‘Tamagotchi’ app will feature the same gameplay you know and love with a number of exciting new features.”

Unfortunately, the company has yet to set a release date as of this writing. However, Bandai said the virtual pets will be available for download “soon.”

A very odd introductory video has been included below. An entire series of webisodes centered around the app have recently been uploaded to YouTube.

Did you own a Tamagotchi back in the day? Are you planning to download the new Tamagotchi L.I.F.E. app when it hits Google Play and the App Store?