Bandai Tamagotchi (1996-1998)

On November 23rd, 1996, Bandai released the original Tamagotchi in Japan. Created by Akihiro Yokoi or WiZ and Aki Maita of Bandai, it was later released in the United States on May 1st, 1997. Upon release, the Tamagotchi, which was marketed as a "digital pet", quickly became one of the biggest toy fads of the late 1990s and early 2000s, selling over 91 million units worldwide by June 2023.