(Cypress, CA – October 17, 2006) – For the first time in Tamagotchi history, Bandai America Inc. – inventor and pioneer of the worldwide “virtual pet” toy phenomenon – has designed and manufactured a special edition Tamagotchi to reward fans of all ages for their support. Dubbed the “Golden Tamagotchi,” this limited edition toy will never be sold in stores, and only 2,000 units have been handcrafted and individually numbered for distribution in the United States.

“What better way to thank our loyal fans after all these years than by creating the first limited edition Tamagotchi for the U.S. that can either be played with or left in its special packaging as an exclusive collectors item,” said Michael Riley, vice president of marketing, Bandai America. “With a toy with this kind of exclusivity, there’s going to be a tremendous gold rush among kids to get their hands on one.”

To score a Golden Tamagotchi, kids can log onto Tamagotchi.com throughout October to participate in “Golden Month,” a month-long celebration being thrown by the Tamagotchi King. After correctly answering the fun trivia question of the day, fans will qualify for a daily random drawing.A total of 300 Golden Tamagotchis will be awarded, with a list of the winners posted on the site at the end of each week.

About Tamagotchi Connection®

Originally launched in 1997, the egg-shaped Tamagotchi – which simulates the life cycle of a real pet – went on to sell more than 40 million units worldwide and created a brand new toy category within the industry. Bandai America reintroduced the brand in 2004 with new technology as Tamagotchi Connection and has created stronger-than-ever consumer demand. In fact, more than 25 million units have been sold globally since then, demonstrating the renewed strength of this now ubiquitous brand. The brand is also the #1 selling virtual pet within the Youth Electronics Supercategory, according to market information company The NPD Group (year-to-date through July based on sales).

The most technologically advanced virtual pet to date, Tamagotchi Connection Version 3 arrived in early 2006 and introduced fans to Tamagotchi Town, where one can explore the magical world of Mametchi, Memetchi, Kuchipatchi and all their friends. While using “Gotchi Points” and special passwords, visitors can go online to shop at the mall, visit with their pet’s parents and grandparents, receive a map and keys to the city in the Town Hall, and even travel the world to exotic destinations. And the response could not be more overwhelming with more than 55,000 daily visitors to www.TamaTown.com since the site’s launch.

Tamagotchi and “Gotchi Gear” products are currently available at all major retailers nationwide with a SRP of $4.99 to $14.99. For more information, visit www.Tamagotchi.com.

About Bandai America Incorporated

A leader in introducing Japanese toy trends to the United States, Bandai America Incorporated is a subsidiary of NAMCO BANDAI Holdings (USA) Inc., a newly formed joint entity that resulted from the integration of Namco Ltd. and Bandai Co. Ltd. of Japan. Global interests now encompass five strategic business units: toys and hobby (toys, models, apparel and sundries), amusement facilities, game content (home and arcade console gaming), mobile content, and visual and music content (including home entertainment). Bandai America is the manufacturer and master toy licensee of some of the most popular brands in children’s toys and entertainment today, including Power Rangers, Ben 10 and Tamagotchi. The company is headquartered in Cypress, California and information is available at http://www.bandai.com/.