BANDAI JAPAN RE-RELEASING ORIGINAL TAMAGOTCHI

[tamapalace]

Don’t ever forget where you read this first, Bandai Japan is officially re-releasing the original Tamagotchi P1 & P2 devices on November 23rd to celebrate the 20th anniversary of Tamagotchi.

This. Is. Huge. The device that started it all is being re-released and we couldn’t be more excited! Both P1 & P2 from 1996, and 1997 respectively are being released! Bandai Japan has put up a webpage that goes over the differences between the P1 & P2 to give you a better idea of each device along with the different shell designs. Notably the P1 designs are the same shell designs the 2017 Tamagotchi Min features.

You’ll also see the character chart so you have a better idea of which characters are obtainable on each version. Other differences between the two models include the mini game and minor differences such as food and snack items.

“To celebrate the 20th anniversary of Tamagotchi release, a long-awaited reprint version of Tamagotchi fans has appeared!
Aside from playing such as raising rice, shedding down, getting sick, of course, Tamagotamagotchi, discipline function, mini game, and that nostalgic character will also appear.
Along with memories of those days, you can enjoy nostalgia and games!”

Did we mention how HUGE this is? If you’re a Tamagotchi fan in Japan, or even just a toy collector this is EVERYTHING! These devices are set to be released NEXT WEEK on November 23rd!

 

[Knighttchi's Ballad]

Whoa, this is fantastic! Also such a smart move on Bandai's part as I'm sure the people who may have mistaken the mini for the original would love to buy it. I hope this re-release, like the mini, will also make it over to the west and the rest of the world. It would be such a funny experience actually walking into a store in my country and buying an original Tamagotchi, as if I time-traveled ^_^ I have a feeling that might just happen as if the mini was good enough to bring outside of Japan, this definitely will be. The thing is, I hope I actually have enough money to buy another Tamagotchi as I have already bought two minis XD

 

[Jhud]

I do really hope this version will be sold in the west, and even in the countries that haven't seen the original P1 and P2 back in their release but had tamagotchis overall, like my country that started with the v3. I'd love to experience buying a tamagotchi in store again.

And I also hope that they will start releasing the minor versions as well as years go by, like the Ocean or Morino and maybe even Devilgotch.

 

[Knighttchi's Ballad]

And I also hope that they will start releasing the minor versions as well as years go by, like the Ocean or Morino and maybe even Devilgotch.

I would like that too! I'm not sure if they will do that if the P1-2 are re-released worldwide since the originals have more nostalgia. As all of the ancestors except the TamaOtch, Mothra, Genjintchi, and maybe Santaclautch are not special releases, there is really no reason why not to re-release them. Also in the case of re-releasing the other vintages, it probably wouldn't be too inconvenient for international Tamagotchi fans as I imagine we're all used to buying from Japan anyway.

 

[kuchikid]

I was a newborn when they first were released, so I never had one.

I need this to be released in Canada.

Where did you find this new, by the way? I can't seem to find it anywhere.

 

[psychotama]

I'm so happy about this I've already pre-ordered a few from HLJ (hobby link japan). I think most of the orders are closed now, but you can check and maybe snag one. I got the blue clock P1 and the white and blue P2. It's so awesome!

 

[Rococo]

Pre orders stopped for P1 and P2 from Hobby Link Japan but! They have pre orders on Ebay for around 50 dollars though!

 

[Knighttchi's Ballad]

Pre orders stopped for P1 and P2 from Hobby Link Japan but! They have pre orders on Ebay for around 50 dollars though!

It's probably best to leave those Ebay preorders alone as the price is no doubt inflated. Perhaps it will decrease with time. Additionally, since this is a re-release, buying the ones released in 1996-1997 would be just as good and there are definitely some in excellent condition.

 

[Igel-Fullmetal]

I think I will wait to see if these will be released worldwide. I hope they are.

 

[BlueDragonflytchi]

Any news, About where we can get these?!

Dragonflytchi =*|*=

 

[Penguin-keeper]

Any news, About where we can get these?!

Dragonflytchi =*|*=

They've already come and gone, it seems.

HobbyLink Japan, AmiAmi, and Japan You Want don't have any left, at least.

I got my Shuku 20 Shunen Tamagotchi P2 from Japan You Want recently, but it looks like they're all gone, now.

 

[BlueDragonflytchi]

Oh...

Dragonflytchi =*|*=

 

[Knighttchi's Ballad]

I think I will wait to see if these will be released worldwide. I hope they are.

Just to add my deduction that I never got to post earlier, I doubt we will get a worldwide re-release of the original Tamagotchi soon - if not never. As soon as Bandai America stopped mimicking Japan, we never get a better English release. There was a consistent release of connection models in Japan and then the English counterpart all the way up to the V5.5. But after that, the Music Star - another connection Tamagotchi - is released in English while Japan got the Plus Colour. Japan continues to get colour models while the only English releases are the Tama-go and Tamagotchi Friends, both in grey-scale. Now the circumstance here is that first Japan got the re-release of the Mini and so did the rest of the world. But what happens next? Japan gets a re-release of the originals but the only English release is another batch of minis.

Now while the Music Star is a full Tamagotchi version, a colour version is obviously better That same with the Mini, the original is obviously better. But Bandai America isn't giving what is better, it is giving what is profitable. The mini can still make money even if there is a better version because it is the only version physically available in-stores for those outside of Japan. Perhaps even some people who wanted the first wave and weren't able to get one might buy some of the second wave to satisfy that desire. Yet what would truly satisfy the desires of most people going after the Mini - who are already misguided enough to think it is the original - is the original versions themselves. I wonder how long it will take till Bandai America realizes that.

I hypothesize that the most positive yet sensible future might be Bandai America riding the wave of nostalgia with the Tamagotchi Mini, straining it to its breaking point, and then re-releasing the originals. But I wonder if by the time a third wave - if not the second wave - reaches the English-speaking world it will be met with apathy, thus discouraging any further development outside of Japan.

 

[Jhud]

I do think that the release of a worldwide P1 is possible, though- on a Digimon forum apparently Bandai is teasing an overseas release of the 20th Pendulums, which to my knowledge weren't even necessarily released in the West.

 

[Knighttchi's Ballad]

That's a good sign and I agree it is possible, just might be rather late in happening or superseded by something else (such as the release of a colour Tamagotchi or a new model in general).

 

[Penguin-keeper]

I do think that the release of a worldwide P1 is possible, though- on a Digimon forum apparently Bandai is teasing an overseas release of the 20th Pendulums, which to my knowledge weren't even necessarily released in the West.

That's a good sign and I agree it is possible, just might be rather late in happening or superseded by something else (such as the release of a colour Tamagotchi or a new model in general).

I'm hoping that all of this is an attempt at relaunching the Tamagotchi and Digimon brands in the West, in preparation for more down the line. There's clearly a market for them (and as I've said before, even those terrible 168-in-1 virtual pets have been selling out in the UK shops that have been carrying them - I think that that's telling).

I'm not the biggest fan of the Connection line and onward, which the colour models seem to have the most in common with from what I've seen, but even I'd be somewhat curious about an official English colour Tamagotchi model, whatever that might turn out to be.