Back in 1996, when Tamagotchis became an indispensable toy, I was 8 years old – the ideal target audience. I remember handing over my crisp British £10 note to the good people at Toys R Us, trembling with anticipation. It was the most money I had ever spent at one time, but I knew that getting one of the purple virtual pets like all my classmates would be worth it.
Thirty years later in CES 2026 in Las Vegas, I finally found a worthy successor to my treasured pixelated companion. Suicar is a Tamagotchi-inspired pocket pet, an artificially intelligent companion that grows physically larger as it matures.
Suicar starts life as an egg with ears. In the demo, I have him in my hand and I gently tap his head three times, making his yellow ears glow. The egg opens and a cracked shell appears on the screen. A pair of sleepy eyes comes into view.
At the Las Vegas show floor, Suicar was willing to show my demonstration, but usually the incubation stage can take up to two days. The egg sits on its base until the shell cracks, at which point the little Suicar will spend five to seven days in the hatchling stage. Next comes the adolescence stage (21 to 45 days), followed by Suikara's adult life.
With each stage of Suicar's life, she gets a little bigger. Just like the original Tamagotchi, each level brings a series of new challenges for you as its owner. The first days involve frequent care with basic language learning. Adolescence brings greater intelligence and greater personality. Over time, you will be able to have a pet that is autonomous, requires less care, and has more fun play options. And… Suikar can also die if he is neglected.
In all these ways, the game is surprisingly faithful to the spirit of the original Tamagotchi, but with artificial intelligence technology that could ultimately provide a more rewarding experience in the long run. Hopefully this will inspire owners to keep him alive longer than the many little Tamagotchi chicks that die due to lack of care.
If you're looking to pick up a Sweekar to bring a little '90s magic to your child's childhood (or you're just feeling nostalgic – I won't judge), it will be available on Kickstarter later this year. However, you will need a note over £10 to get one. The Sweekar will cost a much more respectable $150.
