Tamagotchi has never completely disappeared, but only played in a few back streets in Asia. – Now one of the biggest fads of the 1990s has had its renaissance. – The egg-shaped toy that houses a virtual pet is now back in full swing.
After several attempts to revive the brand over the years seems to have paid off for the owner Bandai Namco.
Global sales more than doubled between 2022 and 2023, the company told the BBC, and Tamagotchi has now opened its first UK store – something it didn’t even do when it was 1996’s hottest gadget.
The Tamagotchi shop has a display with a massive tamagotchi in the back, and many of the devices on many shelves
The London store, based in Camden Market, is a hub of nostalgia with seemingly countless units for sale
Not surprisingly, the modern Tamagotchi is not the same one you would have bought in the 1990s.
It still looks the same – a crazy colored egg with a small digital screen and buttons – but the toy itself has a lot more functionality. “Now you can connect with friends, you can play on Wi-Fi and download different items, and it really fights that feeling of fatigue that you might have had with some previous models,” Tamagotchi brand manager Priya Jadeja told the BBC .
The virtual pet was officially relaunched in the UK in 2019 and has grown ever since – with a perhaps surprising mix of young and old players.
“When we relaunched, we thought it would be a very millennial-focused relaunch,” says Jadeja.
“But it’s being introduced to kids who have never had this kind of device before — it’s really exciting to see them embrace it.”
Unlike in 1996, there are now many other virtual pets on the market.
For example, Bitzee, made by Hatchimals, uses a flexible screen that responds to your touch, responding to tilt-based gestures.
Meanwhile, Punirunes has a popular feature where you can place your finger inside the toy to “stroke” the virtual pet on the screen.
And there are also virtual pets from Digimon – another throwback from the 1990s – although these are also owned by Bandai Namco, and were originally designed as Tamagotchi for boys.
Despite the gender lines being withdrawn today, Jadeja says there doesn’t seem to be any real difference in who buys the toys now.
For the Tamagotchi fans we spoke to, nostalgia plays a big role.
EmmalutionYT A young woman with dark brown hair and glasses holds several Tamagotchis in each handEmmalutionYT
Emmalution often vlogs about Tamagotchis on her YouTube channel
“I got my first Tamagotchi back in elementary school, my best friend had one back then, and I have fond memories of playing with them together,” says Emma, known on YouTube as Emmalution. She says she “began to long for a bit of that nostalgia”.
She didn’t keep her old Tamagotchi and got a modern one last year, she says.
“This started an obsession, absorbing loads of information about all the releases that had come out since my first ever Tamagotchi,” she said.
“I started a collection, curious to know what I had missed while I was too busy growing up.”
Koby has been a fan since he was much younger
Koby, known to fans on YouTube as Lost in Translationmon, agreed.
“When I play with my virtual pets from Digimon or Tamagotchi, I get a little snapshot of what it was like when I first played with my virtual pets as a child.
“There’s also a wonderful sense of community in sharing photos and stories online with others.”
And for Emma, there is another big factor – escapism.
“With the way the world is at the moment, and the way it’s been for the last few years, it’s nice to just look down at your little pixel pet every once in a while, forget everything for a moment to give it a little snack or play a little game , and remember a much simpler time.”
