The egg-shaped Tamagotchi virtual pet is going color.The portable toy from Bandai Co. of Japan, which shows a graphic image of a cartoonish animal on a tiny screen, has been a hit worldwide.Some 40 million were sold in about two years after it first went on sale in 1996. Revived in 2004, with infrared connection, it was a hit again, selling another 34.6 million units so far.The revamped 5,040 yen ($48) Tamagotchi, set to go on sale in Japan Nov. 22, is the first time it will have a liquid color display, Bandai said Thursday. Overseas sales are still undecided.The creatures inside the Tamagotchi must be "fed" and "nurtured" by the owner of the toy by periodically pushing buttons on the toy. Should an owner forget, the animal may get angry or even die.The new version offers colorful backdrops including kitchens, bathrooms and playgrounds. The pet's face turns blue when sick and red when angry, according to Tokyo-based Bandai.Targeting girls between 7 and 9, Bandai plans to sell 200,000 of the color Tamagotchi's in Japan by the end of March 2009.
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