{"id":35734,"date":"2026-08-10T03:46:41","date_gmt":"2026-08-09T22:46:41","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/?p=35734"},"modified":"2026-08-10T03:46:41","modified_gmt":"2026-08-09T22:46:41","slug":"30-years-after-tamagotchi-this-new-virtual-pet-is-the-best-of-all-time","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/?p=35734","title":{"rendered":"30 Years After Tamagotchi, This New Virtual Pet Is the Best of All Time"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><script>\r\n  atOptions = {\r\n    'key' : '644b717812d811d6a1c1fc5b6ccd6fa6',\r\n    'format' : 'iframe',\r\n    'height' : 90,\r\n    'width' : 728,\r\n    'params' : {}\r\n  };\r\n<\/script>\r\n<script src=\"https:\/\/www.highperformanceformat.com\/644b717812d811d6a1c1fc5b6ccd6fa6\/invoke.js\"><\/script>\r\n<br \/>\n<\/p>\n<div>\n<p>Every &#8217;90s kid remembers <em><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/screenrant.com\/tag\/tamagotchi\/\" target=\"_blank\">Tamagotchi<\/a><\/strong><\/em> &#8211; the tiny, egg-shaped digital pet that lived in your pocket and needed you to feed it virtual snacks, clean up its virtual waste and administer virtual medicine to avoid its permanent virtual demise (albeit with the ability to hatch a new egg and try all over again.)<\/p>\n<p>    <!-- No AdsNinja v10 Client! --><!-- No AdsNinja v10 Client! --><\/p>\n<p>As a kid, I only ever got to play with friends&#8217; <em>Tamagotchis<\/em>, experiencing the potential rather than the reality. That inspired a lifelong fascination with digital pet sims: from Dreamcast&#8217;s surreal <em>Seaman<\/em> to <em>Sheep.exe<\/em> on Windows 95 and Radica Games&#8217; <em>Skannerz <\/em>(for which I only ever had the instruction manual &#8211; arguably more thrilling than the barcode-scanning gadget would have been to actually play with.)<\/p>\n<div class=\"body-img landscape \">\n<div class=\"responsive-img  image-expandable  img-article-item\" style=\"padding-bottom:56.25%\" data-img-url=\"https:\/\/static0.srcdn.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/tamagotchi-being-the-king-of-digital-pets.jpg\" data-modal-id=\"single-image-modal\" data-modal-container-id=\"single-image-modal-container\" data-img-caption=\"&quot;&quot;\">\n<figure><picture><source media=\"(max-width: 480px)\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/static0.srcdn.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/tamagotchi-being-the-king-of-digital-pets.jpg?q=49&amp;fit=crop&amp;w=500&amp;dpr=2\" srcset=\"https:\/\/static0.srcdn.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/tamagotchi-being-the-king-of-digital-pets.jpg?q=49&amp;fit=crop&amp;w=500&amp;dpr=2\"\/><source media=\"(max-width: 767px)\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/static0.srcdn.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/tamagotchi-being-the-king-of-digital-pets.jpg?q=49&amp;fit=crop&amp;w=800&amp;dpr=2\" srcset=\"https:\/\/static0.srcdn.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/tamagotchi-being-the-king-of-digital-pets.jpg?q=49&amp;fit=crop&amp;w=800&amp;dpr=2\"\/><source media=\"(max-width: 1023px)\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/static0.srcdn.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/tamagotchi-being-the-king-of-digital-pets.jpg?q=49&amp;fit=crop&amp;w=825&amp;dpr=2\" srcset=\"https:\/\/static0.srcdn.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/tamagotchi-being-the-king-of-digital-pets.jpg?q=49&amp;fit=crop&amp;w=825&amp;dpr=2\"\/><img width=\"1650\" height=\"928\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" alt=\"tamagotchi being the king of digital pets\" data-img-url=\"https:\/\/static0.srcdn.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/tamagotchi-being-the-king-of-digital-pets.jpg?q=49&amp;fit=crop&amp;w=825&amp;dpr=2\" src=\"https:\/\/static0.srcdn.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/tamagotchi-being-the-king-of-digital-pets.jpg?q=49&amp;fit=crop&amp;w=825&amp;dpr=2\"\/>\n        <\/picture><figcaption style=\"display: none;\">tamagotchi being the king of digital pets<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p>Sadly, the &#8217;90s proved to be the golden age for this very specific form of technology&#8230; or so I thought, until the recent release of the <em>Bitzee Aquarium<\/em>.<\/p>\n<p>    <!-- No AdsNinja v10 Client! --><\/p>\n<h2 id=\"bitzee-aquarium-is-everything-tamagotchi-made-you-dream-of\">\n                        Bitzee Aquarium Is Everything Tamagotchi Made You Dream of<br \/>\n               <\/h2>\n<div class=\"body-img landscape \">\n<div class=\"responsive-img  image-expandable  img-article-item\" style=\"padding-bottom:56.25%\" data-img-url=\"https:\/\/static0.srcdn.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/bitzee-aquarium-toy-and-creatures.jpg\" data-modal-id=\"single-image-modal\" data-modal-container-id=\"single-image-modal-container\" data-img-caption=\"&quot;&quot;\">\n<figure><picture><source media=\"(max-width: 480px)\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/static0.srcdn.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/bitzee-aquarium-toy-and-creatures.jpg?q=49&amp;fit=crop&amp;w=500&amp;dpr=2\" srcset=\"https:\/\/static0.srcdn.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/bitzee-aquarium-toy-and-creatures.jpg?q=49&amp;fit=crop&amp;w=500&amp;dpr=2\"\/><source media=\"(max-width: 767px)\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/static0.srcdn.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/bitzee-aquarium-toy-and-creatures.jpg?q=49&amp;fit=crop&amp;w=800&amp;dpr=2\" srcset=\"https:\/\/static0.srcdn.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/bitzee-aquarium-toy-and-creatures.jpg?q=49&amp;fit=crop&amp;w=800&amp;dpr=2\"\/><source media=\"(max-width: 1023px)\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/static0.srcdn.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/bitzee-aquarium-toy-and-creatures.jpg?q=49&amp;fit=crop&amp;w=825&amp;dpr=2\" srcset=\"https:\/\/static0.srcdn.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/bitzee-aquarium-toy-and-creatures.jpg?q=49&amp;fit=crop&amp;w=825&amp;dpr=2\"\/><img width=\"1650\" height=\"928\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" alt=\"bitzee aquarium toy and creatures\" data-img-url=\"https:\/\/static0.srcdn.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/bitzee-aquarium-toy-and-creatures.jpg?q=49&amp;fit=crop&amp;w=825&amp;dpr=2\" src=\"https:\/\/static0.srcdn.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/bitzee-aquarium-toy-and-creatures.jpg?q=49&amp;fit=crop&amp;w=825&amp;dpr=2\"\/>\n        <\/picture><figcaption style=\"display: none;\">bitzee aquarium toy and creatures<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p>Recently released by Spin Master, the <em>Bitzee Aquarium <\/em>is a new digital pet that&#8217;s basically the tech I fantasized would one day exist back in <em>Tamagotchi<\/em>&#8216;s heyday. The &#8216;aquarium&#8217; lets you keep a variety of digital fish <a href=\"https:\/\/screenrant.com\/tamagotchi-meets-five-nights-at-freddys-in-tama\/\" target=\"_blank\">according to basic <em>Tamagotchi<\/em> rules<\/a> &#8211; you have to feed them, tickle them, clean their tank and break up fights. Keep up with your duties and they&#8217;ll evolve <em>Pok\u00e9mon<\/em>-style into adult forms. Fail, and they&#8217;ll ditch your tank.<\/p>\n<p><em>Bitzee Aquarium <\/em>is pitched young, with an age of five and up (though my three-year-olds are able to handle the controls with supervision), and boasts thirty unique pets to care for. Their designs are fun, ranging from cutesy turtles and starfish to a scuba-diving monkey and a hamster in a submarine.<\/p>\n<p>There are a few middlingly-compelling minigames and the ability to change fishes&#8217; color and the aquarium&#8217;s lighting, all bought with in-game currency you get from playing games and caring for your fish. However, what really defines the experience is the magic trick that the whole experience is built around&#8230;<\/p>\n<p>    <!-- No AdsNinja v10 Client! --><\/p>\n<h2 id=\"bitzee-aquarium-perfectly-harnesses-a-classic-optical-illusion\">\n                        Bitzee Aquarium Perfectly Harnesses a Classic Optical Illusion<br \/>\n               <\/h2>\n<div class=\"body-img landscape \">\n<div class=\"responsive-img  image-expandable  img-article-item\" style=\"padding-bottom:56.25%\" data-img-url=\"https:\/\/static0.srcdn.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/bitzee-aquarium-toy-3.jpg\" data-modal-id=\"single-image-modal\" data-modal-container-id=\"single-image-modal-container\" data-img-caption=\"&quot;&quot;\">\n<figure><picture><source media=\"(max-width: 480px)\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/static0.srcdn.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/bitzee-aquarium-toy-3.jpg?q=49&amp;fit=crop&amp;w=500&amp;dpr=2\" srcset=\"https:\/\/static0.srcdn.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/bitzee-aquarium-toy-3.jpg?q=49&amp;fit=crop&amp;w=500&amp;dpr=2\"\/><source media=\"(max-width: 767px)\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/static0.srcdn.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/bitzee-aquarium-toy-3.jpg?q=49&amp;fit=crop&amp;w=800&amp;dpr=2\" srcset=\"https:\/\/static0.srcdn.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/bitzee-aquarium-toy-3.jpg?q=49&amp;fit=crop&amp;w=800&amp;dpr=2\"\/><source media=\"(max-width: 1023px)\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/static0.srcdn.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/bitzee-aquarium-toy-3.jpg?q=49&amp;fit=crop&amp;w=825&amp;dpr=2\" srcset=\"https:\/\/static0.srcdn.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/bitzee-aquarium-toy-3.jpg?q=49&amp;fit=crop&amp;w=825&amp;dpr=2\"\/><img width=\"1650\" height=\"928\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" alt=\"bitzee aquarium toy 3\" data-img-url=\"https:\/\/static0.srcdn.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/bitzee-aquarium-toy-3.jpg?q=49&amp;fit=crop&amp;w=825&amp;dpr=2\" src=\"https:\/\/static0.srcdn.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/bitzee-aquarium-toy-3.jpg?q=49&amp;fit=crop&amp;w=825&amp;dpr=2\"\/>\n        <\/picture><figcaption style=\"display: none;\">bitzee aquarium toy 3<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p>What makes <em>Bitzee Aquarium <\/em>so compelling &#8211; and what made me buy it immediately on seeing its advert &#8211; is the illusion that makes it look like the fish are really there, floating in the aquarium.<\/p>\n<p><em>Bitzee Aquarium <\/em>uses a version of the old magic trick known as Pepper&#8217;s Ghost. A normal screen is hidden in the &#8216;roof&#8217; of the plastic toy, reflected by an angled sheet of transparent plastic. The result is an uncannily believable projection of fish swimming around in a little box, even disappearing behind the undersea decor.<\/p>\n<div class=\"body-img landscape \">\n<div class=\"responsive-img  image-expandable  img-article-item\" style=\"padding-bottom:56.25%\" data-img-url=\"https:\/\/static0.srcdn.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/bitzee-aquarium-toy.jpg\" data-modal-id=\"single-image-modal\" data-modal-container-id=\"single-image-modal-container\" data-img-caption=\"&quot;&quot;\">\n<figure><picture><source media=\"(max-width: 480px)\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/static0.srcdn.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/bitzee-aquarium-toy.jpg?q=49&amp;fit=crop&amp;w=500&amp;dpr=2\" srcset=\"https:\/\/static0.srcdn.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/bitzee-aquarium-toy.jpg?q=49&amp;fit=crop&amp;w=500&amp;dpr=2\"\/><source media=\"(max-width: 767px)\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/static0.srcdn.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/bitzee-aquarium-toy.jpg?q=49&amp;fit=crop&amp;w=800&amp;dpr=2\" srcset=\"https:\/\/static0.srcdn.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/bitzee-aquarium-toy.jpg?q=49&amp;fit=crop&amp;w=800&amp;dpr=2\"\/><source media=\"(max-width: 1023px)\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/static0.srcdn.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/bitzee-aquarium-toy.jpg?q=49&amp;fit=crop&amp;w=825&amp;dpr=2\" srcset=\"https:\/\/static0.srcdn.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/bitzee-aquarium-toy.jpg?q=49&amp;fit=crop&amp;w=825&amp;dpr=2\"\/><img width=\"1650\" height=\"928\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" alt=\"bitzee aquarium toy\" data-img-url=\"https:\/\/static0.srcdn.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/bitzee-aquarium-toy.jpg?q=49&amp;fit=crop&amp;w=825&amp;dpr=2\" src=\"https:\/\/static0.srcdn.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/bitzee-aquarium-toy.jpg?q=49&amp;fit=crop&amp;w=825&amp;dpr=2\"\/>\n        <\/picture><figcaption style=\"display: none;\">bitzee aquarium toy<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p>The illusion is helped by incredibly tactile controls. A hole in the top allows you to insert a finger behind the display pane, giving the illusion of tickling the pets, while bead-like food pellets can be inserted into the aquarium only for a digital replica to pop out and be feasted upon. The result is a sense of presence I haven&#8217;t experienced anywhere outside of virtual reality &#8211; but for about 12% of the price and without having to wear a headset.<\/p>\n<p>    <!-- No AdsNinja v10 Client! --><\/p>\n<h2 id=\"i-need-a-game-console-based-on-bitzee-aquarium-39-s-39-holograms-39\">\n                        I Need a Game Console Based on Bitzee Aquarium&#8217;s &#8216;Holograms&#8217;<br \/>\n               <\/h2>\n<div class=\"body-img landscape \">\n<div class=\"responsive-img  image-expandable  img-article-item\" style=\"padding-bottom:56.25%\" data-img-url=\"https:\/\/static0.srcdn.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/bitzee-aquarium-toy-5.jpg\" data-modal-id=\"single-image-modal\" data-modal-container-id=\"single-image-modal-container\" data-img-caption=\"&quot;&quot;\">\n<figure><picture><source media=\"(max-width: 480px)\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/static0.srcdn.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/bitzee-aquarium-toy-5.jpg?q=49&amp;fit=crop&amp;w=500&amp;dpr=2\" srcset=\"https:\/\/static0.srcdn.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/bitzee-aquarium-toy-5.jpg?q=49&amp;fit=crop&amp;w=500&amp;dpr=2\"\/><source media=\"(max-width: 767px)\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/static0.srcdn.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/bitzee-aquarium-toy-5.jpg?q=49&amp;fit=crop&amp;w=800&amp;dpr=2\" srcset=\"https:\/\/static0.srcdn.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/bitzee-aquarium-toy-5.jpg?q=49&amp;fit=crop&amp;w=800&amp;dpr=2\"\/><source media=\"(max-width: 1023px)\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/static0.srcdn.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/bitzee-aquarium-toy-5.jpg?q=49&amp;fit=crop&amp;w=825&amp;dpr=2\" srcset=\"https:\/\/static0.srcdn.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/bitzee-aquarium-toy-5.jpg?q=49&amp;fit=crop&amp;w=825&amp;dpr=2\"\/><img width=\"1650\" height=\"928\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" alt=\"bitzee aquarium toy 5\" data-img-url=\"https:\/\/static0.srcdn.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/bitzee-aquarium-toy-5.jpg?q=49&amp;fit=crop&amp;w=825&amp;dpr=2\" src=\"https:\/\/static0.srcdn.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/bitzee-aquarium-toy-5.jpg?q=49&amp;fit=crop&amp;w=825&amp;dpr=2\"\/>\n        <\/picture><figcaption style=\"display: none;\">bitzee aquarium toy 5<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p>Without any revolutionary technology or mind-blowing new inventions, <em>Bitzee Aquarium <\/em>manages to <a href=\"https:\/\/screenrant.com\/new-tamagotchi-uni-virtual-pet-toy\/\" target=\"_blank\">update the <em>Tamagotchi<\/em> concept<\/a> for 2026. Indeed, the tactility of the experience has me wishing someone would figure out a way to incorporate this kind of display into a games console (something which, to be fair, arcade cabinets such as <em>Golly! Ghost! <\/em>and <em>Space Invaders Deluxe<\/em> have been doing for decades.)<\/p>\n<p>In the era of &#8216;games as a service&#8217; where every new development is seemingly designed to addict you or erode more of your consumer rights, there&#8217;s something genuinely joyful about a goofy little gadget that uses a 164-year-old illusion to make it seem like you have an aquarium of little monsters you can reach in and tickle on the head.<\/p>\n<p>If you grew up with <strong><em>Tamagotchi<\/em><\/strong>, find some videos of people playing around with <em>Bitzee Aquarium <\/em>to briefly live in a reality where digital pets just kept getting cooler and cooler. And if you&#8217;re a start-up looking to release a niche games console, PLEASE consider what could be done with this awesome trick in the right hands.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<script async=\"async\" data-cfasync=\"false\" src=\"https:\/\/pl30214220.effectivecpmnetwork.com\/9ab3d4df8a7e1a6171e16ddbf732cc19\/invoke.js\"><\/script>\r\n<div id=\"container-9ab3d4df8a7e1a6171e16ddbf732cc19\"><\/div>\r\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Every &#8217;90s kid remembers Tamagotchi &#8211; the tiny, egg-shaped digital pet that lived in your pocket and needed you to feed it virtual snacks, clean up its virtual waste and administer virtual medicine to avoid its permanent virtual demise (albeit with the ability to hatch a new egg and try all over again.) As a&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":35735,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/static0.srcdn.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/bitzee-aquarium-toy-4.jpg?w=1600&h=900&fit=crop","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[19],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-35734","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-newsweek-trending"],"brizy_media":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/35734","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=35734"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/35734\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/35735"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=35734"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=35734"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=35734"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}