Tamagotchi was one of the most popular fads of the 1990s. The hallways of elementary and middle schools were full of kids taking care of their virtual pets or, in many cases, lamenting their tragic ends. Like most fads not named Pokémon, Tamagotchi’s popularity failed to survive the turn of the century, but ’90s nostalgia is big business right now, so it’s little surprise that Tamagotchi is making a comeback in the form of My Tamagotchi Forever for iOS and Android.
The upcoming mobile game gives the creatures a long-needed makeover with improved visuals for extra cuteness. The original versions of the Tamagotchi were fairly simplistic and limited in scope, but the upcoming game is expanding things a bit by taking place in Tamatown. The brightly-colored townscape will play home to similar creatures that players can befriend and interact with, in a variety of ways. If you’ve ever played Nintendo’s Animal Crossing: Pocket Camp, then you probably have a good idea of what this game will be like.
As with the original game, users will be tasked with ensuring their digital pets are fed, clean, and in bed on time. As it is a free-to-play mobile game, we expect to get daily push notifications reminding us to take care of the creatures. In addition to those aspects, the game will also feature mini-games that allow users to earn currency in order to unlock costumes, food, and other items. Of course, since this a free-to-play game, you’ll be able to pay real money to unlock those items. On the bright side, at least this one doesn’t cost $60.
Touch Arcade has reported that My Tamagotchi Forever is already available in Canada, but the rest of the world will have to wait until 2018. In the meantime, interested users can register on the game’s official website for “chance to become the inspiration for a brand new Tamagotchi character, which will be added to the game for everyone to enjoy!”
This is actually the second Tamagotchi game to come to Android through the first one didn’t fare so well in retrospect. Hopefully, the new coat of paint and modern features will make My Tamagotchi Forever a bit more fun.
