If You Were A Neopets Kid, It's Time To Start Playing Again

Looking for an excuse to check on that long-abandoned account? The perfect reason might've finally come along. First launched in 1999, was once the biggest digital pet game in existence. Players could buy, win, trade, collect, and customize a wide variety of colorful cartoon animals. Mini-games, events, forums, and an ever-shifting economy kept gameplay interesting for years. It's since become a major point of nostalgia for many a millennial, with former players fondly remembering their long-lost pets and the site's charming, quintessentially Y2K aesthetic.

But anyone who's tried to log into their old account in the last few years might've realized that the they remember is long gone. The company's changed hands a few times, and each new owner instituted its own set of sweeping changes. The death of Flash rocked the boat, but the site held the course. The announcement of NFTs in 2021 stirred up controversy, and the project was eventually canceled. Despite it all, is still up and running as of 2024. However, one upcoming change could roll back the clock in a major way.

As announced on the official website,the original art style is making a comeback in 2024 in a brand-new set of NC Pet Styles. Sitewide changes in 2007 saw most original pet artwork replaced with new portraits. The new style is fine, but for nostalgia's sake, just isn't without the original art. Pets that still have their original artwork, commonly called Unconverted or UC Pets, are highly sought after, now a staple on the black market. That's all bound to change, however, when classic art is available to all beginning on January 23, 2024.

For the time being, it's unknown which pets NC Pet Styles will extend to, nor how players will be able to get them. It's