If you're a 90's kid, you're probably one of those who begged their parents to get you that adorable, egg-shaped toy that every kid in town talks about - "Tamagotchi." That's right! The one which makes you believe that you're actually really growing a virtual pet.
Apparently, the phenomenal toy that became a massive hit worldwide will bring back the 90's nostalgia as a new short movie about it will be released soon. Check out the details below.
"Tamagotchi" Once Again After Nine Long Years
On Tuesday, Bandai's official "Tamagotchi" website announced that a new short film will be released alongside "Kami-sama Minarai: Himitsu no Cocotama" (God Apprentices: Secretive Cocotama). The said short film will be called "Eiga Tamagotchi: Himitsu no Otodake Daisakusen!"(Tamagotchi the Movie: Great Secret Delivery Strategy) It will also mark the first movie for "Tamagotchi" after nine long years.
The "Tamagotchi" short film will premiere in late April to May, in time with Japan's Golden Week celebration. It will also commemorate the franchise's 20th anniversary. Fans can expect to see a lot of nostalgic moments that will sure to bring back 90's memories.
Let's Take A Look Back At The "Tamagotchi" Fever
The legacy of this handheld game started way back 1996 as launched by Bandai. It has then sold over 40 million virtual pets in its first batch alone. After a few years, the company revive the brand and sold more than 38 million "Tamagotchis" in 2004, 1.72 million of which were from the "Tamagotchi" iD line that launched in 2009. This year, the franchise has reached a total of over 81 million handheld games globally.
To refresh your memory, "Tamagotchi" is a keychain-sized virtual pet handheld game. The characters and storyline are pretty simple - you get an egg from a small alien and try to raise it into an adult creature. The game play might be a bit repetitive if you think about it today but back in the day, it left many fans hooked and up all night. Basically, the player needs to take care of the virtual pet - feed, bath, play and even teach. There are meters that will determine how happy and behaved your pets are. Your virtual pet will live depending on how you take care of it - it can grow to a healthy and smart one or die helplessly. It sure has given many players a lot of fun.
"Tamagotchi" Invades The Anime World
The unstoppable success of the addicting handheld game has reached the anime world as "Tamagotchi" got its first two TV anime adaptation - the "Anime TV de Hakken! Tamagotchi" in 1997-1998 and "Saikō! Tamagotchi" in 2007-2008.
The following year another animated version was released, followed by "Tamagotchi! Yume Kira Dream" in 2012. As if it were not enough, Bandai then launched the "Tamagotchi! Miracle Friends" anime series in 2013 and the "Go-Go Tamagotchi!" in April 2014. Lastly, the "Tamagotchi! Tama Tomo Daishū GO!" anime was released in April 2015.
Aside from the TV anime adaptations, the franchise was also turned into several short and feature films including "Tamagotchi Honto no Hanashi" short film in 1997, "Eiga de Tōjō! Tamagotchi Doki Doki! Uchū no Maigotchi!?" feature film in 2007 and "Eiga! Tamagotchi Uchū Ichi Happy na Monogatari!?" feature film in 2008.
Are you excited for the major comeback of "Tamagotchi?" Share your thoughts below.
