August 26^th, 2005 (11:57am) - Bandai has announced the development of Tamagotchi: Corner Shop (working title), a shopping simulation set in the world of Tamagotch,exclusively for the Nintendo DS. In the game, players open specialty shops, and develop their businesses by servicing customers through mini games that utilize the Nintendo DS’s touch-screen functionality. Scheduled for release this winter, Tamagotchi: Corner Shop features a colorful, hand-drawn visual style, popular Tamagotchi characters, and a variety of different shops.

Tamagotchi: Corner Shop is based on the wildly popular Tamagotchi "virtual pet," which debuted back in 1996 and sold more than 40 million units worldwide. Not only did the Tamagotchi spur a pop culture phenomenon, it launched a brand new toy category and has prompted countless imitators. Based on strong consumer demand, Bandai America Inc. reintroduced the tech toy in late 2004 as "Tamagotchi Connection" to a new generation of young fans.

In Tamagotchi: Corner Shop, players help Mametchi, Memetchi or Kuchipatchi set up a shop, with the ultimate goal of creating a "royal" shop that is a favorite of Princess Tamako. Players can select from a variety of different stores, including a bakery, beauty salon, dentist’s office, flower shop, and more. Once the shop is open, players will help their customers by completing mini games with the Nintendo DS stylus. Players apply makeup, treat cavities, decorate cakes and complete many other shop-specific tasks to earn Gs, the Tamagotchi money unit, and progress towards "royal" shop status. Shop interiors can be customized, and cute Tamagotchi characters will make appearances throughout the game.