Source: Top Secret Toys/The Toy Book

Last year, GigaPets returned to the scene and now, Chicago-based Top Secret Toys is celebrating 25 years of the virtual pet brand in a big way.

Top Secret Toys and the inventors of GigaPets are relaunching the original CompuKitty alongside a new friend, StarCat. The new GigaPets capture the vibe of the original line from the late 1990s while being packed with modern upgrades for a new generation of kids.

“GigaPets is an excellent example of a toy that stands the test of time and transcends generations,” says Steve Rehkemper, president at Top Secret Toys LLC. “These virtual pets were invented to encourage children to not just care for a pet, but to care about a pet, and we believe the interactive, nurturing play pattern kids experience today is a direct result of the impact and legacy GigaPets continues to provide in the toy space.”

This year’s GigaPets — available at Amazon — have a better play experience and feature realistic sound effects, new animations, updated graphics, gameplay, and more. The virtual pets need a kid to nurture them — just like a real pet — and will “grow” as kids play with them, feed them, and bathe them.

Related: Next-Gen Toy Stores: A New Era of Specialty Retailers Lead Play into the Future

Top Secret Toys will be on hand at the Toy Insider‘s Sweet Suite event in New York City next week to showcase all six styles of GigaPets, including Unicorn, Puppy, T-Rex, Troll, Pixie, and the 25th Anniversary Special Edition 2-in-1 StarCat + CompuKitty.

The Toy Insider and the Toy Book are published by Adventure Media and Events LLC.

About the author

James Zahn

James Zahn

James Zahn, AKA The Rock Father, is Editor-in-Chief of The Toy Book, a Senior Editor at The Toy Insider and The Pop Insider, and Editor of The Toy Report, The Toy Book‘s weekly industry newsletter. As a pop culture and toy industry expert, Zahn has appeared as a panelist and guest at events including Comic-Con International: San Diego (SDCC) Wizard World Chicago, and the ASTRA Marketplace & Academy. Zahn has more than 30 years of experience in the entertainment, retail, and publishing industries, and is frequently called upon to offer expert commentary for publications such as Forbes, Marketwatch, the Wall Street Journal, the New York Times, USA Today, Reuters, the Washington Post, and more. James has appeared on History Channel’s Modern Marvels, was interviewed by Larry King and Anderson Cooper, and has been seen on Yahoo! Finance, CNN, CNBC, FOX Business, NBC, ABC, CBS, WGN, The CW, and more. Zahn joined the Adventure Media & Events family in 2016, initially serving as a member of the Parent Advisory Board after penning articles for the Netflix Stream Team, Fandango Family, PBS KIDS, Sprout Parents (now Universal Kids), PopSugar, and Chicago Parent. He eventually joined the company full time as a Senior Editor and moved up the ranks to Deputy Editor and Editor-in-Chief.

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