Remember the Tamagotchi? It's returning as a smart device this coming November

One of the biggest crazes just before the turn of the century was the tiny egg-shaped toy called a Tamagotchi. Introduced by Bandai in November 1996, by this past March, 83 million units of the pet-simulation game had been sold by the company. The Tamagotchi owner has to properly take care of his/her virtual pet so it will grow up and live a long life.

Taking care of a Tamagotchi means feeding it several times a day by pressing a button, playing a game with it to stimulate its mind (rock, paper, scissor is often the game found on a Tamagotchi), cleaning up the Tamagotchi's living quarters after it goes to the bathroom, and more. If the player is taking care of his virtual pet, it will change form as it grows up. If not, the Tamagotchi is likely to "die" forcing the user to start again.

While the product was knocked off by many companies, Bandai was the firm that originally developed it. Now, Kotaku says that Bandai is bringing back the Tamagotchi with a new version that it will call the "Tamagotchi Smart" equipped with touch and voice controls that allow owners to "pet" and chat with their virtual pet. Functions include a pedometer, a digital clock, and an easy way to sync with a friend's device.

There are also new characters and new styles. And in many ways, Tamagotchi Smart melds the fun and unique qualities of the original Tamagotchi with the speed and connectivity of a smartwatch. The device will use TamaSma Cards which will be sold separately by Bandai. The cards will include exclusive items and characters that can be downloaded onto the Tamagotchi Smart.

The "voice recognition" feature is not as good as you might have hoped as it isn't able to recognize words. But a feature called "Power Up" is believed to allow owners to record conversations with their pets to help them gain a strong connection with them.

The Tamagotchi Smart will debut in Japan on November 23rd, 2021. A global release date has yet to be announced.