Kids these days don’t know how good they’ve got it.

Yes, with that line, I am officially an old person.

But seriously, they live in a time of abundant riches and wonders, as far as video games are concerned.

PS5 games with graphics indistinguishable from reality, iPad games that blaze at seamless speeds, online multiplayer games where they connect with people from all over the world.

My little Gen Alpha cousin in particular is already much better at games than I ever was at his age.

But while he could kick my butt in a game of Fortnite or Valorant, I doubt he would enjoy the simple pleasures of a Tamagotchi.

Come on, you remember Tamagotchis.

Those little egg-shaped things from Japan that seemed set to take over the world. In the ancient days of the 1990s, when the Internet was in its infancy, the popularity of Tamagotchis seemed to spread entirely by word-of-mouth.

I remember begging my mum for one when I was a kid. I seem to recall a deal was struck, possibly involving exam results. Something about being addicted to a digital game made my parents worried about school performance.

Little did they know what was to come.

Anyway, I vaguely remember my mum taking me to OG People’s Park in Chinatown and selecting my very own Tamagotchi from a brightly-lit display in one of the million electronic shops inhabiting the old building.

I took it home full of joy and gratitude and proceeded to carry that Tamagotchi around wherever I went.

To the park, to the mall, even to school (in secret). I couldn’t bear to be parted from my egg pal.

At times he would chirp up, begging for food or a game, and I’d push the appropriate button. Just like a real pet, with much less mess.

Eventually I grew up and discovered actual video games, but the Tamagotchi was a kind of transition from being a kid to becoming a teenager, when I was old enough to want the responsibility of “looking after” a digital pet, yet young enough to still find it fun.

Texas Chicken’s Chickygotchi

I believe I was assigned to the story by default.

As an ageing Millennial in a company full of Gen Zs, I’m the only one left who can remember the darn toy in the first place.

At least that’s what my colleague Michelle kindly told me as she dropped off the new Salted Egg Chicken bundle from Texas Chicken, which comes with a free Tamagotchi.

“Have fun reliving your childhood!” she said brightly. I didn’t respond, my mouth was too full of chicken.

Let’s get this out of the way, the salted egg chicken is delicious. Other D-words also come to mind, like “delightful,” “delectable” and even “decadent.”

I’m not usually a big fan of salted egg flavour, but this had the right amount that went very well with the chicken.

For texture, imagine a crispy cereal coating infused with the salted egg flavour. The chicken itself was a little spicy, but not too much.

Texas Chicken offers both regular chicken and the popcorn variety. The latter definitely has more salted egg yolk bits, and is good for a “snack”.

But if you want something juicier, made from fresh chicken instead of frozen, the chicken pieces are the way to go.

The spices and herb blend of the chicken pieces and popcorn chicken made it a treat to eat, as you’re not just tasting batter with every bite.

To balance everything out, Texas Chicken biscuits provide the perfect palate counterweight to the saltiness of the salted egg flavour.

The mashed potatoes were fine, but if I had to choose, I’d definitely pick the biscuits.

However, eating like I’d never seen chicken before was only half of my responsibilities. The other was attending to the Texas Chicken Chickygotchi, which comes free with every bundle.

You can get your own bundle from July 16, 2024 onwards at all Texas Chicken outlets.

A bundle with three pieces of salted egg chicken, one serving of salted egg popcorn chicken, one regular mashed potato, two biscuits and two soft drinks costs S$35.90.

A smaller bundle with two pieces of salted egg chicken, one regular mashed potato, one biscuit and a drink costs S$15.90.

More places to go

Texas Chicken is opening up three brand new outlets at Changi Airport Terminal 2, Junction 10 and Toa Payoh.

This means there are more options for you to try out the yummy chicken dishes, whether you live in the East, West or Central Singapore.

And they’re now open 24 hours, every outlet except for the one at Serangoon NEX, which means you and your kakis have a place to go fill your tummies after a late night game of soccer or gaming session.

Pocket Pal

It’s slightly bigger than the Tamagotchis I remember from my childhood, shaped like a fat chicken in yellow, with a white rubber protective cover.

Pull out the tab from the battery compartment, and your Chickygotchi is ready to go.

First, set the clock, then choose your pet. Technology has gotten more sophisticated since the heady 1990s, now you can choose what kind of animal you want.

I went with a frog with big bulging eyes, to represent my confusion at the modern world.

Then you select a name from a pre-set list, and I chose “Jim”, to honour John Krasinski’s character from “The Office.” And then my experience began.

I left my Chickygotchi at the side of my desk and did some work. And then a loud beeping noise jolted me out of my productive reverie.

What on Earth? Jim was hungry. I had the option of either feeding him the cake or sushi.

Reasoning that as a frog, he wouldn’t like cake, I gave him a piece of sushi. He happily gulped it down and continued ambling around.

Relieved, I went back to my work. And then it beeped again.

“What is that sound?” said someone two tables over. I checked on Jim, who had apparently pooed everywhere. Fortunately, unlike real-world fathers, all it took was the press of a button to clean up the mess.

The third time I was deep into a Spotify playlist of 1980s rock songs, so I missed the loud beeping until my deskmate tapped my shoulder. I quickly attended to Jim, who was sick and needed medicine.

After jabbing a needle into his frog behind, he thankfully quieted down. But the gig was up - my colleagues knew I was responsible for Jim, who was responsible for the loud electronic beeping.

After apologising profusely, I defused the situation by offering them free Texas Chicken, which went some way to restoring my popularity. Fresh chicken, not frozen, is always a welcome gift.

I then stuffed Jim into a bag and took him home.

Over the weekend I bonded with my goofy frog pal. You can play games with your TPP, receive gifts, send them to school and let them play with virtual friends.

Ultimately, your goal is to take good care of your Chickygotchi so they can eventually leave the nest one day, to spread their wings and see the world.

This is what it must feel like to be a parent, responsible for the care of a child.

My mum saw me with Jim and muttered something about how thirty years hadn’t changed me a little bit.

But I like to think I had.

In the time between getting the Chickygotchi and locking Jim away in my office drawer, never to see the light of day again, it gave me a deeper appreciation and understanding for the hard work my parents put in to raise me.

And also, a greater appreciation for delicious salted egg chicken.

Get your salted egg chicken bundle - and your very own Chickygotchi - at your nearest Texas Chicken outlet.

Remember, they’re now open 24 hours around the clock (except for the one at Serangoon NEX), so no matter what time your tummy’s rumbling, you can have a good meal.

This is a sponsored article brought to you by Texas Chicken.

Top photos courtesy of Texas Chicken.