To celebrate 20 years since Tamagotchi took over schools across the country, Bandai Namco is bringing the adorable virtual creatures back to life by way of an app for iOS and Android. You won't be looking after a pixelated pet though, but instead a fully animated animal-type-thing that responds to greater levels of interaction.

As another birthday treat for the nostalgic game, Bandai released brand new Tamagotchi in October 2017, using the same egg-shaped keychain design as the original.

• What is Tamagotchi, how has it changed and why is it back?

Your virtual being lives in a fictional town where it can make friends with other Tamagotchi characters, but the core premise of the game is the same as when the first version launched in 1997.

You will need to give it around the clock care and attention, play mini games with it and evolve it when it's ready to grow, but you now get to share your achievements and milestones on social media for all your friends to see. Another new feature that we're sure will get abused is the ability to tickle your Tamagotchi thanks to touchscreen displays.

My Tamagotchi Forever will launch as a free app on 15 March, but you can register your interest on the official website now for your chance to become the inspiration for a new character and sign up to be notified when the game is available to download on the Google Play Store.