BAPE Bets on Virtual Pet Nostalgia With Tamagotchi Streetwear Collab

Japanese streetwear brand A Bathing Ape (BAPE) has its own metaverse play called the Bapetaverse, plus an upcoming collaboration with the Bored Ape Yacht Club. But BAPE is apparently keen not just on emerging tech, but nostalgic tech too—and has unveiled a new collab with Bandai’s classic virtual pet brand, Tamagotchi.

BAPE and Tamagotchi have teamed up to launch co-branded products in both of their respective spheres, dropping specially branded Tamagotchi gaming devices along with BAPE apparel that features imagery from both brands.

The limited edition Tamagotchi units retain the brand’s familiar egg-shaped, portable design, giving players a digital pet that they can feed, train, and play with. In this case, however, the game features the familiar Ape iconography plus BAPE’s camouflage pattern on the exterior. Available in three colors, the Tamagotchi units will sell for $59.

Meanwhile, the apparel line includes three tee shirts and a hoodie that similarly mash up the brands’ respective imagery. The virtual pet games and apparel will all be released on October 14 via BAPE stores and the fashion brand’s official website, and then through the Bandai Premium webstore starting October 15.

Tamagotchi launched in 1996 and became a global sensation in the late ‘90s, with tens of millions of the virtual pets—along with scads of knockoffs—sold during that time. In recent years, the brand has embarked on various collaborations with other brands, including in fashion (such as Supreme) and anime series (like “Neon Genesis Evangelion”).

BAPE, meanwhile, has done a wide variety of collaborations with gaming brands and beyond, and recently revealed its upcoming Bored Ape Yacht Club alliance. The brand will release apparel that pairs its own iconography with that of the prominent NFT collection, initially through a token-gated portal for NFT owners and eventually to the public.