One of the most popular toys from the 1990s is making a major comeback, complete with its own dedicated store in the UK.
For many, the Tamagotchi was their first virtual pet, and it remains an iconic piece of that era.
Over the years, there have been numerous attempts to revive the egg-shaped toy, and it seems that Bandai Namco, the Japanese company behind it, has finally succeeded.
The Tamagotchi relaunched in the UK in 2019 and has been steadily growing in popularity since.
Now, the Tamagotchi Official Shop has opened at the Bandai Namco Cross Store in Camden Market, London, marking the first time the UK has had a dedicated store for the brand.
Interestingly, no such shop existed in the UK even during the height of the Tamagotchi craze in the 1990s.
While the new version of the Tamagotchi retains much of its original 90s design, it has also evolved in significant ways.
The latest model includes features such as Wi-Fi connectivity, allowing users to connect with friends, play games online, and download various items.
This addition helps combat the potential boredom that earlier versions might have caused, according to Priya Jadeja, Tamagotchi’s brand manager, in an interview with the BBC.
“When we relaunched, we expected the appeal to be mainly with millennials,” said Jadeja.
“But it’s also being embraced by children who’ve never had this kind of device before, which is really exciting to see.”
Today, a wide range of virtual pets can be found on the market.
One example is Bitzee, created by Hatchimals, which uses a flexible display that responds to touch and tilt movements.
Punirunes, another popular virtual pet, has a feature where users can “stroke” their pet by placing a finger on the screen.
Digimon virtual pets, another 1990s throwback also owned by Bandai Namco, were originally marketed as Tamagotchi for boys.
Despite these gender distinctions in the past, Jadeja notes that today there’s no significant difference in who purchases the toys.
