| Screen | Monochrome |
| Shell colors | Translucent purple |
| Manufacturer | Top Secret Toys |
| Pet type | Basic |
| Programming | Custom |
| Release year | 2017 |
The Giga Pets Pixel Puppy is a reboot of the original Digital Doggy released by Tiger Electronics in 1997. More of an homage rather than a strict copy, though, this one has unique graphics and games that differ from the original. Looking through the instruction manuals, however, will show that the basic programming is pretty similar. The animations this pet has are adorable; the doggie spends a lot of time running around, but I’ve also seen him sniffing on the ground (so cute), running into the screen, and even chasing its tail. In addition to cleaning up its poop, you’ll also need to give it baths when it gets fleas, which you can tell by how it scratches itself. When you’re not caring for it, after a while it’ll go to sleep, probably to save on battery time, but you can wake it up at any point by pressing the buttons. I’ve heard that the original Giga Pets were really difficult to care for, and if that’s so, then it seems they’ve changed the programming to be more forgiving, since I haven’t really had much trouble with it at all. Also, the sounds it makes are quite varied and cute! It barks, scratches, makes chomping noises when it eats, and splashes in the tub.
One thing I don’t like is that you have to discipline it in order to keep its discipline meter up, rather than when it misbehaves like other pets. I don’t really like disciplining it for no reason, so I usually chose to teach it tricks instead, since this also affects the meter, although in smaller increments. This is of course a staple of the Giga pets programming, but it’s one that I’m just not a fan of in general. I prefer it when discipline in pets is either left out entirely, or is triggered by specific behaviors, rather than having to make my pets upset for seemingly no reason.
Overall, this is a fun, easy pet to run, and an excellent introduction for the new reboot line. It’s of course not nearly as complex as the other pets that came after it, but the animations and sounds are so adorable that this is easily forgivable. I still like to run through mine from time to time despite the lack of progression, and if you’re looking to get into vpets for the first time, this one would be an excellent choice!
