Something unexpected happened as 2018 came to an end. Brace yourselves, because an odd Tamagotchi was released outside of Japan. A year after its Japanese debut, the Gudetama Tamagotchi ended up getting an English release in North America. This is simultaneously odd and novel, which means we are going to look over what this strange little device is and why it is such a cool thing to have.

There tends to be a trend among Tamagotchi toys. Each one seems to have a different focus that shows the evolution of the product line. The original Tamagotchi was notable simply for existing. It was the first virtual pet. Tamagotchi Angel took place after a character had died, following them into the afterlife and reassuring younger players that it was okay if they “lost” the main game ten times in a row. Tamagotchi Connection allowed two users’ characters to interact and perhaps even breed. The newer models, after 4U, even have NFC technology for connections and additional content.