Furby is back, new and improved (and way cuter!)

Big blinking eyes, a flapping yellow beak perched on a body of fur, with a voice box preloaded with gibberish. Prepare yourselves for the return of the Furby.

US toy giant, Hasbro, has brought back the iconic robot creature, which kids of the late ’90s and early aughts went crazy for.

The firm hopes to pull in a new generation of children to enjoy the curious little creature. Hasbro said in a statement that after a seven-year break, is would be releasing a new generation of Furby: equipped with less creepy features. Millenials and Gen-Z kids make up the new target audience.

“We’ve done a lot of research to understand what kids would want to see in a new Furby,” says Kristin McKay, a vice president and general manager at Hasbro. The toy giant has over several years included some new developments. It is programmed with over 600 – Furbish – responses, and can mimic sounds, dance, react to commands and be ‘fed’.

toy — The new Furbies come with over 600 Furbish responses programmed into it. It also responds to tummy tickles, head pats and being ‘fed’ // HASBRO

‘Furby has taken the world by storm’

The new and improves Furby comes in a variety of colours: purple, coral and more whimsical designs. It also lights up, can ‘see’ your fortune or join you in a meditation session (it’s called “Let’s Chill”). Besides using your voice, Furby responds to hugs, pats and belly tickles. You can also interact with it by shaking it…or feeding it a plastic Pizza Charm.

“Furby has taken the world by storm,” says McKay. “Impacting every corner of the culture zeitgeist, from music to television and film,” she adds. McKay explains that the new generation of Furby comes in the wake of Hasbro’s 25th anniversary. They hope to cash in on the power of nostalgia, while tapping in to a new fanbase.

The toy is available on Amazon for nearly $70 (R1306.56)! It will become available in store and at major retailers in July. It is still too early to tell if parents will go the extra mile to purchase the toy icon. As they did in the final months of 1998, when over 1 million Furbies were sold – and 40 million within three years.