If you're in your 20s or 30s, you almost definitely had a Tamagotchi 20 years ago when they were big. My daughters Allison and Beth were 5 and 5 back then and I remember they took them on vacation to Wyoming with us and those little electronic pets kept them busy on long car rides and kept them up well past bed time.
Note: Allison and Beth didn't have the real thing; they had a knock-off, but it worked just as well.
I'll admit I had one too. I can clearly remember the fascinating addiction of feeding, playing with and cleaning up the poop of my little fake friend.
Like anything, it went away, replaced by the next big fad and there's not a thing in the world wrong with that.
Now they're back! They arrive in stores Sunday, November 5th! Will I be going down to Target to get one? You bet I will! Will I love it and play with it? Yes, I sure will!
But there's a very good point made in the article below from someone who somehow snagged a new Tamagotchi before they were released. The thrill and novelty of managing an electronic pet that you keep in your pocket is short-lived.
It kinda makes sense. In 1997, it was ground-breaking. There was nothing else like it. A little pet that you raised, loved and fed that fit in your pocket and was electronic and therefore couldn't really die, bite or make a mess? Yes, there were electronic toys and games out before then. Remember electronic slots, electronic football and electronic poker? The Tamagotchi was different though. It was for kids who had never seen anything like it.
But in 2017 when your phone is loaded with games that are way more fun than a digitized pet, will we want to carry around one more thing to check on? Maybe not, as the article of this article argues.
Will I still run to Target tomorrow, hoping they haven't been sold out, then open it in the car like I'm 12?
You bet I will.
Dave