The team behind the early 2000s virtual pet site Neopets is reportedly looking to bring the game to Nintendo Switch, according to the Washington Post.
The Neopets website launched in late 1999 and was a staple for many millennials, as it tasked us with caring for digital pets while exploring the virtual world of Neopia. I personally spent hours cooing over my adorable collection of Kacheeks, who look a lot like slightly furry Pikachus. There's no set objective in Neopets, but you need to feed and take care of your digital babies, or else they'll grow very ill. Warning: do not log into your old Neopets account unless you want to get very, very depressed.
The article focuses on browser-based games that relied on Adobe Flash, which was blocked on major web browsers on December 30, 2020. Last year, the Neopets dev team rushed to get the site running without flash before the deadline, and struggled to get through December, one of the site's busiest months. Neopets hosts a ton of Christmas events, including giving users a chance to get free gifts through an Advent Calendar. The site reportedly suffered from major lag issues and glitches, which caused users to take to social media to complain.
That's why the team is reportedly looking to take Neopets to Nintendo Switch, as there are still multiple areas of the site that still don't work without flash (including the iconic stone Wheel of Monotony, which I would spin for far too long before getting a mediocre prize). A Neopets game would certainly be competition for titles like Animal Crossing: New Horizons and Pokemon Sword and Shield, and the nostalgia play alone would guarantee it some pretty good sales. Journalist Shannon Liao, who contributed to the piece, clarified on Twitter that "the Neopets team is thinking of bringing the game to the Nintendo Switch but declined to share further details."
The age of the Neopets resurgence may be upon us, but until then, here are the best Nintendo Switch games you can play right now.