Furby has a new look. Some fans aren't thrilled.

The animatronic toy has had a facelift. It receives mixed reviews.

The original Furby, released in 1998, had the head of an owl, the beak of a chicken, the legs of a cat , the ears of a pig, the fur of a rabbit, the mohawk of a bushy titmouse and the eyes of a robot, which was - a robot that purred, clacked, spoke an invented language called Furbish and, it's well known never turned off (unless its batteries were removed).

Shortly after Furby's release, the F.A.A. advised against using the toy on flights during take-off and landing due to concerns that it would interfere with aircraft computer systems. In 1999, the National Security Agency banned Furby from its headquarters to prevent the toy, which could record and repeat audio, from capturing state secrets.

Kim Boyd, the head of toy at Hasbro, which makes the animatronic gadget, said that in the late 90s, as technology began to play a bigger role in people's lives, people wanted machines feel more human. "But people thought Furby was weird because he was encroaching on human beings," Ms Boyd said. it found an audience: According to Hasbro, some 58 million Furbys have been sold since its release.

This summer, after conducting research with children and parents , Hasbro reintroduced Furby, as the company celebrates 100 years in business and Furby turns 25. Jennifer Caveza, chair of the toy design department at the Otis College of Art and Design, said tapping into nostalgia is a strategy used by toy companies to attract new generations of customers. "Parents who once played with Furby can now buy Furby for their own children," she said.

The latest Furby has several new features. Among them: a heart-shaped jewel on his head which, when pressed three times, turns the toy off. (Although the trinket is new, versions of the toy have had an on-off feature since 2005.)

"The Furby's off component came many, many, many times," Ms. Boyd said.

Furby also received some cosmetic upgrades, his fur colors changed from realistic (black, brown, white) to surreal (purple tinted blue, tinted coral orange).His shabby mohawk was transformed into an elegant tuft.His body went from a square gumball shape to a nice rounded bubble - or an "inverted teardrop", like the said Chris Byrne, a toy consultant and analyst.

"He used to look like a furry chicken cat," Mr. Byrne said. "This new one, he is really adorable."

Nicole Daddona, a Brooklyn-based artist whose work was inspired by Furby, described her new look with a word others have used : "Yassified".

"It's like Furby's sexy grandson or something," said Ms Daddona, 33. "I'm not a big fan of modern design."

"The charm of the original Furby was that he was a little terrifying," she added. . "It looks cute, but there's also something wrong."

Kassidy Autumn, a