- In 1997 the Bandai toy caused the furore of the children for this mascot
- This unisex virtual toy imported from Japan cost about 2.000 pesetas and intended for children over six years
Every night he slept at his side. They lunched together and were, also together, to school. It gave him to eat, this bathing and healed it when I was sick. It will also regañaba if he did something wrong and was rewarded when he bore well. In a short time had become great friends. A compact sellaba infinite loyalty. 'Luisito', "we'll always be together", said you. But Luisito remained in silence, as if the sentence just pronounce the small Isabella was not with him. «I care for my tamagotchi years», "until that one day he died", recalls the now twentysomething girl sorry.
As Isabel, many children Spanish, asked in 1997 a tamagotchi, well in his letter to the Magi from the East or as a gift to the first communion. Small in size, and egg-shaped, This imported from Japan and sold by Bandai virtual pet won the affection of children over the age of 6 years, and became at the end of the Decade of the 90 in the most sought-after toy in the toy stores of all Spain. About 30.000 units were sold during the first five days of sale.
«I caught you love because you had games and looked it so you do not pass anything», says Elizabeth Ribes. "Even so it took me to school in the pocket or hung around the neck and in the courtyard we we exchanged them between friends of class". "It was the fashion".
About two years lasted the furor by this ' adorable egg’ – literal translation of tamagotchi- it cost around 2.000 pesetas – 12 EUR – and who left numerous imitators. A unisex toy which evolved with the years of black and white screen to others with more colors and more clarity, as explained the head of the Department of communication of the toy chain Diverdrack, Rafael Medina.
Another young Valencian enjoyed with this virtual toy was Neus Hernández. «My sister gave me for Christmas and looked it much», recalls. «When it pitaba», gave him to eat, this bathing, healed it or so beds. «It was as a live which had to meet at all times».
Daily tasks that this young woman considers that, on the one hand, "they encouraged responsibility" but on the other, "they were an important tie that ended up getting tired", and, at the end, in your case, He decided to remove the battery and store it in a drawer, According to remember.
Similar views have some mothers of these children who saw how their children were awaiting the 24 This dog needs hours. 'I think that it was to become a burden for my daughter but it helped him to take responsibility', point Isabel Navalón.
In the news, the official Bandai tamagotchi is not marketed in Europe since the toy released the latest version of the pet in 2009. On the other hand, imitations can still be found in the bazaars run by Chinese and the stalls selling toys and shooting of fairs.
Marcos has a street stop of toys. Runs Spain feria, fair and, among the range of toys that have exposed, they are the Tamagotchi's imitation of five euros. As he explains, It is a product that keeps because some parents ask about the mascot but its sale is «residual».
Rather cheaper are the ' adorable eggs’ of the Chinese bazaars. About three euros is the price on the 'Euro Xàtiva' establishment, where sources of it indicates that they have "a few and just sold».
The Valencian Ana Maria Moreno of 21 years, It retains one recently got in a shot from the fair of Xàtiva post. «My friend Emilio got it me to the second shot», highlights. «It has form of dinosaur», is red and sings, «He plays baseball and stone paper, scissors».
Despite the situation of oblivion in which is currently the tamagotchi, the commercial director of Toys ' R’ Us Iberia, Lorenzo de Benito, States that it is "very likely will see in shortly to a relaunch of this product with variations on which young people met for more than two decades".
On the other hand, El Corte Inglés sources underlined that, despite great current demand of electronic toys, There is a tendency towards derivatives licenses from Disney films or fashion singers and more traditional toys in children.