The R2-D2 Tamagotchi (R2-D2 たまごっち) is a licensed Tamagotchi Nano model based on the Star Wars character R2-D2. It was first announced on May 4th, 2021, and then fully revealed on August 2, 2021, with a global release in November 2021.
Background[]
Star Wars is a media franchise created by renowned filmmaker George Lucas that begun with the 1977 release of Star Wars: A New Hope, produced by his company Lucasfilm and distributed by 20th Century Studios (then known as 20th Century Fox). The film is an epic space opera that is set, "a long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away" where a fictional galaxy is under the tyrannical rule of the Galactic Empire, and follows a team of freedom fighters known as the Rebel Alliance, who aim to destroy the Empire's newest weapon, the Death Star. A young man named Luke Skywalker becomes caught in the conflict while learning about the ways of a metaphysical power known as "the Force" from Jedi Master Obi-Wan Kenobi.
R2-D2 is an astromech droid who has appeared in every Star Wars film to date barring Solo: A Star Wars Story. He and his colleague, protocol droid C-3PO, serve as significant allies to the protagonists of the films.
Design[]
While the R2-D2 Tamagotchi's overall design is the same in every region, the battery panel printing is different between the Japanese and international editions. The Japanese edition has the battery panel held on with a pressure tab, while the global edition replaces the tab with a screw. The R2-D2 Tamagotchi uses modified sound effects to represent R2-D2's beeping noises.
Functions[]
Arrival and Upgrading[]
Once the clock is set, text reading "A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away...." will move across the screen, followed by the Star Wars logo, which recedes back and disappears. The logo for Industrial Automaton will flash on the screen, and R2-D2 will roll onto the screen from the left side.
Once R2-D2 arrives, how the user cares for him and what games are played will determine which form he will take. 24 hours after his arrival, he will change into one of the nine standard Skill Mode forms. 48 hours later, he will change into either one of the five Pilot Mode forms or one of the five Special Skill forms. 72 hours later, he will return to his base form, starting the cycle over.
Buttons[]
There are no on-screen icons, and therefore all information is conveyed through the screen and buttons. R2-D2 is cared for by filling his meters; he has Hungry and Happy meters, each consisting of four units, which are both empty when he arrives. The Hungry meter decreases by one unit per hour, and the Happy meter decreases by one every 50 minutes. If either becomes empty, R2-D2 will call for attention to fill them.
The user can press the C button for an animation to see what he needs. This can only be done if there is no obstacle on the screen and R2-D2 is awake; otherwise, an error sound will play. A dizzy spiral signifies an empty Hungry meter, while a sulking mark signifies an empty Happy meter. Once the meters are not empty, the animation will change. If both the Hungry and Happy meters are not empty, but the Happy meter is not full, R2-D2 will perform a happy animation, which will change based on his current skill. If the Happy meter is full and the Hungry meter is not empty, R2-D2 will perform a Close Up.
Pressing the A button opens the main menu, with the first option for the care menu, and the second option for the training games. In the care menu, the user can either charge R2's battery or wipe him. The charge option fills one Hungry unit, and R2-D2 will refuse to charge anymore once the meter is full. The wipe option fills one Happy unit, and R2-D2 can be wiped even when the Happy meter is full. The A button is also used to open the lights on and off menu when R2-D2 sleeps; R2-D2 in his base form sleeps at 8 PM*, while all of the special skill forms sleep at 10 PM. R2-D2 will wake up at 7 AM, and will turn the lights on himself.
Pressing A and C together will open the menu or turn on or off the sound. Pressing the B button will open the clock screen, and pressing A and C together will allow the user to set the time. These two functions are always available regardless of the R2-D2's circumstances, except during the ending sequences.
Training Games[]
The R2-D2 Tamagotchi has a total of nine different training games. Two games are always available in the menu, while seven additional games are made available based on which skill R2-D2 is presently mastering. The special game of R2-D2's current form is shown as a question mark in the menu. Training games increase R2-D2's Happy level; winning the game fills Happy by one unit, while a perfect game fills Happy by two.
The two base games that are always available are:
- Fire-Fighting: R2-D2 will be shown trying to put out a fire. The user must rapidly press the A button for 15 seconds. If the user presses the A button 9 times or less, the game is lost. Pressing the button 10-17 times is considered a win, and 18 times or more is considered a perfect game.
- Dejarik: Chewbacca will be shown playing holochess, and the user will be prompted to press either the A or B button, once or twice. The game goes for five rounds. The user must successfully respond at least once to win the game, and five times for a perfect game.
The seven additional games are:
- Spaceship Slot: Three spinning slots appear with three possible spaceship images. Pressing A or B stops the slots one at a time (left first, then middle, then right). The game last five rounds, and after the third round, the slots will spin faster. The user must successfully match the images five times for a perfect game.
- This game is exclusive to the Scanner Antenna and Periscope skill modes.
- Lightsaber Catch: R2-D2 will be shown trying to launch a lightsaber from his dome. The user must rapidly press the A button for 15 seconds. If the user presses the A button 9 times or less, the game is lost. Pressing the button 10-17 times is considered a win, and 18 times or more is considered a perfect game.
- This game is exclusive to the Manipulator Arm and Electric Prod skill modes.
- Keyhole Adjustment: A pair of rings with open sections - one large and one small, nested in each other, will appear and start rotating. The user must press the B button twice, first to stop the outer ring, and second to stop the inner ring, when their openings align with the top of the screen. The game goes for five rounds. The user must successfully respond at least once to win the game, and five times for a perfect game.
- This game is exclusive to the Multi-Function Utility and Interface Arm and Power Charge Arm skill modes.
- Yoda's Challenge: R2-D2 will be shown trying to grab the light Yoda is holding. The user must rapidly press the A button for 15 seconds. If the user presses the A button 9 times or less, the game is lost. Pressing the button 10-17 times is considered a win, and 18 times or more is considered a perfect game.
- This game is exclusive to the Grasping Arm and the Universal Computer Interface Arm skill modes.
- Ewok's Trap: R2-D2 will be captured by Ewoks in a net, and will be shown trying to cut through the net with his saw. The user must rapidly press the A button for 15 seconds. If the user presses the A button 9 times or less, the game is lost. Pressing the button 10-17 times is considered a win, and 18 times or more is considered a perfect game.
- This game is exclusive to the Utility Saw skill mode.
- Flight Simulation: The user must move the cursor at the bottom of the screen to avoid the incoming obstacles, which may either be TIE fighters or meteors, cycling from game to game. Pressing A moves the platform left, and B moves the platform right. The obstacles must be dodged ten times to win a perfect game.
- This game is exclusive to the five Co-pilot Mode forms.
- Letter Catch: When the game begins, it will show either C-3PO, R2-D2, or BB-8. The user must move the cursor at the bottom of the screen left (A) or right (B) to catch the falling letters that spell the shown character's name.
- This game is exclusive to the five Special Skill Mode forms.
Obstacles[]
Unique to the R2-D2 Tamagotchi are two different varieties of obstacles which may occur. In both scenarios, R2 cannot be cared for or trained until the obstacle is removed, which is done by pressing the A button. If the user fails to remove the obstacle for a long period of time, R2 will malfunction.
In his default form, standard skill modes, and special skill modes, R2 will accumulate dust on his body throughout the day, shown by wavy lines around his body. If the user fails to clear the dust after a long time, more dust will appear.
In the co-pilot modes, an enemy ship may appear trying to attack R2's ship. If the user fails to escape the ship after a long time, the enemy will gradually take up more of the screen.
Malfunction[]
If calls to care for R2 are ignored for a significant period of time, R2 will malfunction, shown by all of his equipment sticking out of his body at once. The A button must be pressed twice to restore R2 to normal. Like with obstacles, the user cannot care for or train R2 until he is repaired.
R2-D2's Monitor[]
Special animations play at specified hours throughout the day, each showing various Star Wars characters and events. These animations will stay on screen for three minutes before disappearing on their own. Pressing any button will end the animation, but in some cases may trigger an additional animation to play.
| Time | Event | Button Reaction |
|---|---|---|
| 10:00 AM | Jawa and R5-D4. | R5-D4's motivator bursts. |
| 11:00 AM | Bantha seen through macrobinoculars. | Tusken Raider appears. |
| 12:00 PM | Stormtroopers looking around. | One trooper waves. |
| 1:00 PM | Boba Fett points arm blaster. | |
| 2:00 PM | Podracers in the desert. | Two podracers fly side by side. |
| 3:00 PM | B1 battle droid assembly line. | |
| 4:00 PM | B1 and B2 battle droids shooting. | B2 battle droid points weapon at screen. |
| 5:00 PM | Grievous appears. | Lightsaber floats away, Grievous looks angry. |
| 6:00 PM | Chewbacca carrying C-3PO on his back. | C-3PO waves. |
| 7:00 PM | Yoda appears. | X-Wing flies away. |
| 8:00 PM | Ewoks dancing. | C-3PO dances. |
Jawa Capture[]
R2 does not die, and will stay perpetually so long as the user cares for him. However, if the user neglects him and fails to repair him when he breaks down, R2 will shut down. The screen will show R2 being carried away by Jawas, following by an image of a Sandcrawler in the desert. Pressing A and C together will start the Tamagotchi over, replaying the opening sequence and granting the user a new R2-D2.
Gallery[]
[]
Promotional Images[]
Features[]
Star Wars Celebration 2022[]
Videos[]
Trivia[]
- The R2-D2 Tamagotchi marks several firsts for the Tamagotchi Nano models:
- It is the first licensed Nano model to feature a translucent shell.
- It is the first Nano to be released both in Japan and internationally around the same time.
- It is the first Nano to have games be unlocked via gameplay.
- It has nine games total, more than any Nano model prior; previously the Jordy Tamagotchi had the most games with six.
- It is the first Nano model to be distributed in Japan with English style packaging. It's the second overall, the first being the original Tamagotchi.
- This marks the fifth collaboration between Tamagotchi and an intellectual property owned by Disney, preceded by the Twistetchi, Pocket Usapiyo, Pocket Usatama, and the Mickey Mouse-themed Tama Deco Pierce for the Tamagotchi P's.
- It is also the second licensed Tamagotchi to be themed after western intellectual property, after the Twistetchi, and third overall to be themed after non-Japanese intellectual property, after the Jordy Tamagotchi. Unlike the Twistetchi, the R2-D2 Tamagotchi is planned for both a western and a Japanese release as opposed to being Japan-exclusive.
- The R2-D2 Tamagotchi was announced on May 4th, "Star Wars Day", an informal commemorative day dedicated to Star Wars most commonly celebrated by paraphrasing the iconic line "May the force be with you" as "May the 4th be with you."
- Leading up to the full reveal, Bandai posted several teaser graphics of various animations from the device. There were originally planned to be ten teasers, but this was later changed to eight.
- A special platinum edition was sold exclusively at Star Wars Celebration 2022 at Anaheim, California, and featured commemorative packaging. It sold out on all four days of the event, with limited stocks during the first three days and the remainder sold on the final day.
- It is the first Nano model to feature a platinum shell and the second Nano overall to have a special material shell, the first being the Kamen Ridertchi metallic shells.
- The packaging style is similar to the Twistetchi packaging.
External Links[]
Official Links[]
- Official Japanese page
- Official English page
- Japanese announcement post
- English announcement post
- Official Star Wars site announcement
Instruction Manuals[]
| Licensed Tamagotchi Releases | ||
|---|---|---|
| Tamagotchi | Mothra Tamagotchi • Genjintch Tamagotchi • TamaOtch • Doraemontchi | |
| Tamagotchi Plus | Hanerutchi • Hanerutchi 2 • Oden-Kun Tamagotchi | |
| Color Generation | Hexagontchi • Tamagotchi iD Conan ver • Tamagotchi m!x Sanrio ver • Tamagotchi Meets Sanrio ver | |
| Tamagotchi Nano | Pocket Usatama • Gudetama Tamagotchi • Eevee x Tamagotchi • Pocket Usapiyo • Pac-Man Tamagotchi • Evatchi • Demon Slayer Tamagotchi • Hello Kitty Tamagotchi • Jordy Tamagotchi • Extellatchi • Twistetchi • BT21 Tamagotchi • PUI PUI Molcartchi • R2-D2 Tamagotchi • Kamen Ridertchi • Jujutsutchi • Toy Story Tamagotchi • Tourabutchi • TinyTAN Tamagotchi • Kingdom Hearts Tamagotchi • Jurassic World Tamagotchi • Spy x Family Tamagotchi • Grogu Tamagotchi • Choppertchi • Hatsune Mikutchi • Torevetchi • Harry Potter Tamagotchi • Pekoratchi • Crayon Shin-chan Tamagotchi | |