Best Tamagotchi in the UK

This is one of the models produced by the Bandai company themselves. Being manufactured by the original creators, this Tamagotchi Digital Friends virtual pet is a high-quality original toy with a variety of perks about it.

The most prominent innovation within the functionality here is an extremely fun "Bump" feature. It is somewhat similar to the NFC technology we now use in our smartphones but a little bit different. The similarity here is that it also connects the toy to others with the same function by touching, or 'bumping' them together. Upon this, you will be able to message your friends via the Tamagotchi, send them gifts, and even let your virtual pet visit theirs! It is quite fun and actually results in cute bonuses like snacks or virtual jewellery. However, there are a couple limitations to the function, like the short operation range, the 24 characters per message limit, and the limit of five 'bumps' per day. Nevertheless, it is still an awesome feature, in our opinion.

Among other interesting points we consider major benefits: the toy has a plastic finish that is soft and pleasant to the touch and the new technology in the display makes the animation of your pet's life much more fascinating.

Bandai had issued six colour options for their Tamagotchi model with an innovative Bump feature, this Pink Heart is one of them. By bumping this toy with any of the other in the family, you can connect to them, raise your friendship meter, and make your virtual pet a friend whom they can visit and exchange messages or gifts with (though, messages are limited to 24 characters and the bumps are limited to five a day). It's a new level of the toy we once knew.

Back when the first wave of the Tamagotchi craze was in full swing, we did not consider the following a problem but, as it often happens, one believes something is good until they stumble upon something better. We're talking about the image quality here. In the 1990s, we didn't have the technology we have now so even the simplest animation fascinated us. Today, Bandai went to some lengths to provide the nostalgic users and their spoiled-by-tech-progress kids with the same old toys but better. The display of the Tamagotchi Friends is the same monochrome but, thanks to the modern level of digital technology, it now shows animation with more details and versatility. These days, encased in the soft plastic body, your fosterling can have some details to their room and to themselves. It is still tiny but it's not at all boring. The new plastic is also better protected against damage if dropped.

As you open the box with this purchase, you will find a case for your Tamagotchi first. And this case looks like a dinosaur egg! And your new digital pet is inside. It's like it's hatching from the egg even before you turn it on and choose your pet. Children just love the whole process, it's so much more fun than taking the toy out of a regular box. The eggs are offered in seven different colours: blue, green, pink, orange, purple, red, and white. What is your or your kid's favourite colour? Have an egg in it.

Another surprise awaits the new owner upon turning the toy on and is in the selection of possible pets as there are over 49 of them. Chances are your kid won't put the thing down until they raise all of them successfully. The game is totally addictive, the little pets are almost as cute as the live ones and demand quite the same amount of attention if not more and kids just love them. Besides, virtual pets only leave virtual disaster on the carpet and none of that in reality. This is one of the best ways to teach your children to take care of their pets before you buy them a real kitten or a puppy: digital friends need to be fed, bathed, cleaned after, played with, etc. The Tamagotchi has sounds to alert the owner that the pet needs something, too.

First things first, this very cheap Tamagotchi has no less than 168 pets to choose from. That's a... wow. Like, really. A lot. Probably, enough for a lifetime of raising them and caring about them. No need for real pets.

Seriously, though, 168 selection options are really a lot. On the not so bright side, the animals are rather primitive-looking compared to some of the other models and the animation might seem strange but at the price of not even £3, you probably don't expect much at all. It is the best model in the cheapest segment. Having made a difficult choice among those 168 pets, you get the pretty much standard selection of options like feeding, playing, cleaning, and sleeping with a somewhat unexpected (again, for a toy of this price) addition of dancing and a couple other features. It is a very nice cheap way to relive your childhood obsession. The Tamagotchi is even small enough to carry in your pocket or hang on your messenger bag with the attached keyring. And when you are not on-the-go and, say, working, you can set the virtual pet on your desk like a little mascot—upright, since it has legs for that. It will bring you a lot of fun at little cost so if you're in doubt whether to spend money on a child's toy for the pure sake on a bit of nostalgia, this is your perfect option, you won't regret it.

Now this one is the actual 20th-anniversary mini Tamagotchi model issued by Bandai for the sake of celebration. Twenty years is quite a term! Oh how the time has flown, really.

So what's here for us? This little game is literally very little, it's maybe half the size of the original virtual pet we adored so much. It also looks cuter than it used to, all bright and colourful, blue with yellow clock-like numbers and black arrows. It is a concept of that very time flow we're talking about. It also has a colourful background on the display, pink and blue and yellow, although the virtual pets themselves are the same 8-bit monochrome. Due to the smaller size of the egg toy itself, the display has also become smaller and the functionality simpler, making it a perfect model for those of us who are always busy and have little to no time to take care about a larger, more functional, and more expensive Tamagotchi but want to experience that feeling from years ago nonetheless. You will still hatch the egg and will have to feed it meals and snacks and clean after it, tend to it when it falls ill, and turn its lights off when it needs sleep. Mostly, just like the original with its basic options. This is probably the best present you can give to a fan of the virtual pets, be it yourself or any of your friends. And if you're looking for a simpler toy to hook your kids, this one is also a good place to start.