New “Car Enthusiast” Tamagotchi Lets You Start a Project Car You Can’t Finish

Bandai Attempts to Revive the ’90s Classic by Targeting Men Ages 16–100

TOKYO—Bandai has officially announced a new “Car Enthusiast” edition of the Tamagotchi, a modern update to the beloved ’90s virtual pet you would always let die that finally answers the question: “What if your tiny digital companion never gets done and consumed a major part, if not all, of your savings?”

The pocket-sized simulator allows users to burn money building, modifying, and neglecting a Toyota 86 while emotionally spiraling after developers confirmed it was designed to simulate real life and is “almost impossible to actually finish.”

“We wanted to recreate the authentic enthusiast ownership experience,” said Bandai product director Kenji Watanabe while demonstrating a digital Toyota chassis that had been sitting on virtual jack stands for 617 consecutive days. “The original Tamagotchi taught children responsibility. This one teaches you nothing. You never learn, do you?”

According to Bandai, the gameplay begins with users overpaying for a cheap project car on Facebook Marketplace before performing basic maintenance tasks and eventually being introduced to more advanced features like “ordering parts they can’t install yet at 2 a.m.,” “watching YouTube tutorials instead of working,” and “convincing yourself the obvious electrical issue isn’t actually that bad.”