Bandai and Disney team up for new R2-D2 Tamagotchi, complete with holochess

In Bandai’s continued attempt to restore its pocket monster toy line, here’s the new R2-D2 Tamagotchi. Bandai has now teamed up with the folks at Disney to launch another official crossover version of its nostalgia-inducing virtual pet toy. Pre-orders start this week, with a launch expected closer to holiday season 2021. Head below for more details on the new R2-D2 Tamagotchi. 

New R2-D2 Tamagotchi

(Update 8/3 7:19 a.m.): Pre-orders for the new R2-D2 Tamagotchi are now live on Amazon at $19.99 Prime shipped. 

R2-D2 Tamagotchi joins releases from Bandai’s 2021 lineup including this smart watch version, the time-tested fun of the ’90s editions, these iPhone-enabled virtual pets, and the Tamagotchi Pix with a selfie cam and Pokemon Go-like features. The new Star Wars astromech version is, however, seemingly a more traditional Tamagotchi with much of the same features you likely remember from the originals, albeit with droid thumbing throughout. 

All taking place on the black and white pixelated 24 by 30 LCD display, you’ll find the usual three-button controls and the same needy virtual pet you remember. R2 needs to be charged and clean at all times to stay happy, or some Jawas might show up and take him away! When you’re not dealing with R2-D2 Tamagotchi maintenance, you’ll be able to train the iconic droid with 19 different skills and enjoy the built-in mini games. There are nine, including the Star Wars-famous Dejarik or holochess, a firefighting game, and more. 

The R2-D2 Tamagotchi ships in two colorways, a more traditional white version reminiscent of the bot itself as well as a sort a retro-style translucent blue take that looks a lot like some of the models from the ’90s. 

Pre-orders for the new R2-D2 Tamagotchi start at midnight eastern time on August 3, 2021, with an expected launch of November 11. However, some reports suggest it will be live today on Amazon. We will update this post when that happens (now live on Amazon). 

gadgetnewsonline’ Take

While Tamagotchi virtual pets are certainly well past their prime here, the nostalgia is real and Star Wars crossovers really never get old for hardcore fans. Why this particular crossover project wasn’t more focused on the extremely popular Mandalorian side of things isn’t entirely clear. We can’t help but think a Baby Yoda version would fare much better with the younger audience as much as it would with longtime Star Wars fans. Having said that, this is the most famous droid in all the galaxies, so there are certainly going to be some bounty hunters looking to add the virtual pet version to their collection. 

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