Tamagotchi headed for DS

Long before Nintendogs was even a twinkle in Shigeru Miyamoto's eye, Bandai started the virtual pet craze with its Tamagotchi. Now the company is bringing the seminal brand to the Nintendo DS, but oddly enough, not in the genre it originated.

This winter, Bandai will release Tamagotchi: Corner Shop, a simulation game set in the Tamagotchi world, where players will open up their own small business and try to make it the best in the land.

In Corner Shop, gamers must help Mametchi, Memetchi, or Kuchipatchi set up a shop, with the hopes of becoming Princess Tamako's favorite one. Players can start up a beauty salon, flower shop, or other such business, and they will help their stores succeed by completing business-oriented minigames with the DS stylus. For instance, a dentist would have to treat cavities, while a baker would decorate cakes. Completing the minigames earns money that can then be used to increase the status of the shop. Shops will be customizable, and players are sure to bump into familiar Tamagotchi characters in their dealings.

GameSpot will have more details on Tamagotchi: Corner Shop as further information is made available.