A reattempt was made with the Digivice IC/Data Link in 2006-7. This continued up until around 2004 when the digital pet fad had truly been put to bed. There was a Digimon Mini that was also released to coincide with the Tamagotchi Mini that was released around the same time, but used a different type of connector to communicate. It would see various updates and improvements over the next decade, including a shift to appear more like the anime's Digivices while retaining compatibility with the original. This was followed by a world-wide release in 1999. The original version was released in Japan in 1997. Five different versions were released, each having a different starting Digimon that would change into its own set of forms as it got stronger. The unique spin this time is that two devices can be linked up to allow the creatures to fight one another, and in fact is necessary to get them to the strongest form possible.
Much like its original egg-shaped counterpart, the objective is to raise a digital creature, with its growth influenced by the amount and quality of care it receives.