Get ready to explain the excitement for another 90s toy to the members of Gen Z in your life, as Tamagotchis, the digital devices that contain a virtual pet, are making a return.
The news of the Tamagotchis’s rebirth comes from a report from the BBC, which noted that Bandai Namco, the company behind the toys, has opened a brick-and-mortar store in the UK. With the new stores comes the return of the toys.
As the Tamagotchi returns, it comes with a few new upgrades that will offer users features they didn’t have nearly three decades ago.
“Now you can connect with friends, you can play on Wi-Fi and download different items, and that’s really combating that sense of fatigue that you might have gotten with some earlier models,” Priya Jadeja, the Tamagotchi brand manager, told BBC.
For those who have never owned one of the virtual pets, Tamagotchis requires users to take care of the digital animals in several ways. Not taking care of the pets can result in them perishing.
The toys first launched in 1996 and quickly became a hot toy for kids at the time. Now, BBC reports that nostalgia has played a role in their return, with many sharing memories of the toys on social media.
“I got my first Tamagotchi back in primary school, my best friend had one back then, and I have fond memories of playing with them together,” Emma, who goes by Emmalution on YouTube, shared with the New York Post.
She went on to say that with the current state of the world, the toys help remind her of a different time.
“With how the world is at the moment, and how it has been for the past few years, it’s nice to just look down at your little pixel pet every now and again, forget it all for a moment to feed it a little snack or play a little game, and remember a much simpler time,” she said.
The toys are now selling for around $19.99 at several online retailers, including ToysRUs, for those who want to feel the nostalgia to the fullest.