[imagesource: Bandai]

Every few years, the Tamagotchi threatens to make a comeback.

The iconic 1990s toy probably does, but I’m not the target market and I don’t have kids, so I’ve yet to witness that myself.

What we do know, for sure, is that Bandai America, which produces the toy for the American market, is rolling back the clock, although there is one notable tech update.

The new Tamagotchi Pix sticks to the basics – an egg shape, three buttons, and the goal of raising a virtual pet – but will come with a camera, according to CNN:

Instead of a pixelated black and white screen, the Pix screen is in full color. And there’s a built-in camera that lets you take pictures with your virtual pet.

To feed your Tamagotchi, you can cook for it or have food delivered. You can also nurture the pet by painting or cooking with it using the camera to snap pictures for your pet.

Image: Bandai

There’s also an explore mode, where other Tamagotchi friends will pop up to do activities with your virtual pet. You can schedule “playdates,” and connect with a friend’s device through a Tama Code.

I wonder if we will ever see scenes like those at the height of the Pokemon GO craze, when Sea Point Promenade was packed with people trying to catch them all.

The Tamagotchi Pix will go on sale from July in the US, for $60 a pop, which is around R850.

Over the past 25 years, Bandai has sold in excess of 82 million units, having launched in Japan in 1996, and the US the following year.

I trawled YouTube and found this commercial:

Nobody’s winning an Oscar for best acting in a toy commercial.

The Pix will also see some new gameplay mechanics, reports The Verge:

 Have you ever wanted to influence your Tamagotchi’s future employment status off-world? Apparently, how you raise your Tamagotchi and decorate its room will now affect its future profession and what other eggs you can raise after your first Tamagotchi grows up.

Nature versus nurture, now in Tamagotchi form.

There are four colours to choose from – “floral” (pink), “sky” (purple), “ocean” (blue), and “nature” (green).

No word on if and when it will be released in South Africa, but parents should brace themselves.

[sources:cnn&verge]