The Tamagotchi Smart (たまごっちスマート Tamagotchi Sumāto) is a virtual pet released by Bandai Toys in November 2021, celebrating the Tamagotchi franchise's 25th anniversary.
Unlike previous Tamagotchi releases, it is in the style of a wearable smartwatch, akin to the Apple Watch and other various devices.
Design[]
The Tamagotchi Smart is smaller than previous color-screen models, measuring 6.5 centimeters tall (approx. 2.5 inches), making it similar in size and weight to the Tamagotchi Connection and Tamagotchi Plus models.
The front is covered in clear plastic with the new Tamagotchi logo printed above the screen. Unlike any other Tamagotchi release before, the B button (now referred to as the "home button") on the front of the device is the only functional button; the A and C buttons are purely aesthetic and are smaller. Pressing the home button activates the device from sleep mode, and pressing it again brings up the main menu. Pressing it while in any menu will back out of the current selection.
The main screen area can detect touch and swipe gestures, functionally replacing the traditional buttons. There are four touch sensitive areas of the screen: upper left (A), upper right (B), lower left (C), and lower right (D). The user can swipe horizontally (A to B, C to D) or vertically (A to C, B to D). Because of this, the Tamagotchi Smart cannot detect diagonal swipes, and swiping too close to the center of the screen will elicit no response. From the main screen, swiping left will bring the Tamagotchi out to the terrace. Swiping right will bring up the clock. In the main menu, the user navigates the two pages of icons by swiping up and down.
The left and right sides of the device have plastic flaps that cover compartments. On the left side is the port to charge the device, and on the right side is a slot insert and download data from a Tama SmaCard. The device has sensors that allow it to detect sound, allowing the user to "talk" to the Tamagotchi, and has a built-in step counter.
Each unit is bundled with a matching watch strap that attaches to the Tamagotchi through indents on the top and bottom sides, as well as a cable to charge the battery. On a full charge, the device can operate for about 30 hours on average, assuming the user actively uses the screen for about an hour each day and with all the sensors functional. The battery takes about two hours to reach a full charge, and it is recommended to remove it from the charger as soon as the battery is full.
Features[]
TamaSma Card[]
- Main article: TamaSma Card
TamaSma Cards (たまスマカード) are a series of memory cards that are compatible with the Tamagotchi Smart, similar to the Tama Deco Pierces for the Tamagotchi P's. When inserted, the card will download content onto the device, including characters, meals, snacks, toys, accessories, wallpapers, clock faces, and games. All foods, items, accessories, and living room options that are downloaded will have icon next to their image in the menus. Eating the foods and using the items increases the likelihood of obtaining an adult character from the TamaSma Card. All items from the card are available for free in the shops.
Only one card's data can be loaded onto the Tamagotchi Smart at a time, and each card can only be linked with up to 3 Tamagotchi Smart devices. If the user obtains an adult exclusive to the card, the card's data cannot be removed until the next generation, or if the character runs away or dies. When changing the data to a new card or removing the data of a previous card, all card food and items are immediately removed from the inventory. If a card's living room or clock face are being used, they will be replaced with the default options.
Clock Face[]
New to the Tamagotchi Smart is the option to switch to different clock faces on the clock screen. After swiping to the clock screen, swiping up or down will switch to different clock options. There are nine different clock faces built into the device. While new clock faces cannot be purchased, new options can be added via TamaSma Cards. Several of the clock faces will show the amount of steps the user has taken, recorded from the built-in step counter.
Communication[]
Instead of moving around the screen like previous virtual pets, the Tamagotchi will always be positioned at the bottom right corner of the living room. Tapping the character will cause the character to come close to the screen, and bring up a menu of various options.
- Pet: The user can pet the Tamagotchi by stroking the screen. Doing the wrong kind of petting motion such as twisting their face or poking them will make them upset.
- Talk To: The user can say something to the Tamagotchi using the microphone. A microphone icon will appear on the top left of the screen in blue. Once the user speaks, if it detects the voice, the microphone will turn red, and the Tamagotchi will respond. The device does not recognise what is being said, but what the character says depends on the time, season, and their bond with their owner.
- Conversation: The Tamagotchi will ask a question and the user will be given answers to choose from. The Tamagotchi may then reference the answer later in another conversation or when talking to another Tamagotchi. They may also tell the user how they feel about their caretaking.
- Current Mood: The user can ask how the Tamagotchi is feeling and how they respond is based off their bond with the user and how well their care is.
The petting option will also appear when the Tamagotchi wakes up and goes to bed, asking the user to pet it. At 7 AM, the device will beep and the user can wake it up by petting it. If the user doesn't do so, it will wake up automatically at 8 AM. Thirty minutes before the Tamagotchi is due to go to sleep (7:30 PM for toddlers, 8:30 PM for teens and 9:30 PM for adults), it will appear in its bed and ask the user to pet it to help it fall asleep. If the user does so, it will go to sleep shortly after. Otherwise, it will go to sleep automatically after thirty minutes elapses. If the user sets the clock to 7 AM or past the Tamagotchi's bedtime it will not ask the user to pet it.
Status/Setting Icon[]
This icon is the first icon on the first page, on the top left corner, represented by a heart and a gear wheel. The icon has four different options.
- Status: This option shows the Tamagotchi's Fondness meter, Hungry meter, and total number of Gotchi Points. Swiping down will show the user's name, an image of their current character, their name, and the amount of days the Tamagotchi has been raised.
- Fondness is a new feature integrating both the Happy and Friendship meters into a single meter. Taking good care, winning games, playing with items, giving accessories to wear, petting and communicating with the Tamagotchi, and avoiding care mistakes will all increase the Fondness meter.
- Memory: This option shows characters the user has previously raised.
- Fondness Icons: These are special icons earned after taking care of an adult character for at least 72 hours and then reaching high happiness on the Fondness meter. The device can store up to 34 icons, which includes 10 slots for the main built-in adult characters, and 24 slots for characters downloaded via TamaSma cards. If the user earns a 25th icon of a DLC character, the device will automatically delete the first DLC character's fondness icon.
- Settings: This selection has three different options:
- Sound: The user can turn the sound on or off.
- Battery Level: The current amount of battery charge available will be shown.
- Clock: The user can adjust the date and time.
- Brightness: The user can adjust the brightness level of the screen.
- Friend Icon: The user can adjust the profile image and nickname that is exchanged when connecting to other devices. The icon's face and color can be changed, and the nickname is limited to two characters.
Help Icon[]
This icon is the second icon on the first page, on the top right corner, represented by a house with a + symbol. The icon has three different options.
- Medicine: This option administers medicine to cure the Tamagotchi of Sickness and toothaches.
- Caretaking: The user can leave the Tamagotchi with Smaspitchi from 7:00 AM to 5:59 PM. If the user does not return to care for their Tamagotchi by 6 PM, the Tamagotchi will become upset, and the Fondness meter will lower.
- Smaspitchi: This option will summon Smaspitchi, who will tell about special events happening during the day, as well as if there are any special item deals. They can also give out general advice on taking care of the Tamagotchi.
If the Tamagotchi is about to die or run away, selecting this icon will save them, returning the Tamagotchi to normal.
Food Icon[]
This icon is the third icon on the first page, on the bottom left corner, represented by a fork and knife. There are default foods that are always available, and additional food can be purchased from the app. Meals increase the Hungry meter, and Snacks increase the Happy meter.
Toilet/Bath Icon[]
This icon is the fourth icon on the first page, on the bottom right corner, represented by a showerhead. Selecting this icon when the Tamagotchi has made a poo will summon a broom to clean the poo away. The user can also catch the Tamagotchi just before it does so and, using the icon, have them use a toilet instead of making a mess on the floor - doing so raises their Happy meter. The second option will make the Tamagotchi take a shower; the Tamagotchi will gradually become dirty over time (represented by dust particles around it), and it will not be allowed to leave the house until washed.
Inventory Icon[]
This icon is the first icon on the second page, on the top left corner, represented by a wardrobe. The icon has three different options:
- Toys: The user can give a toy to the Tamagotchi to play with. Some default toys are always available, while others must be purchased from the app. Some items, can always be used once purchased, while others are consumed upon use. When selecting an item, an indicator on the top left corner will show how many of that item the user has. Items now have a hidden "durability" variable, and will eventually break after several uses. Items can be bought from Tama Delivery or randomly gifted from a Shirotama visiting the outdoor patio.
- Cleaning Robot: This item is always available in this menu. The cleaning robot will clean the living room, and must be used if the living room becomes dirty. Unlike other items, the Cleaning Robot will never break.
- Default Toy: A toy will always be available in this toy menu, and will never break, regardless of how often it is used. It is a picture book when the Tamagotchi is a baby, and a ball from the child stage onward.
- Accessories: The user can select accessories for the Tamagotchi to wear. The Tamagotchi can only wear one accessory at a time, and can only wear accessories from the child stage onward. When selecting an accessory, an indicator on the top left corner will show how many of that accessory the user has.
- Treasures: Special rare items are stored in this option, which are only available for download at real-life events. Treasures have unique animations and will never break, no matter how often they are used. Up to four treasures can be stored on one device; if the user attempts to download a fifth, they will have to delete one of the others first.
App Icon[]
This icon is the second icon on the second page, on the top left corner, represented by the word "App". This icon cannot be selected while the Tamagotchi is still a baby. There are four different options.
- Tama Delivery: Meals and Snacks for the Tamagotchi can be purchased here. Food options change daily.
- Tama Shopping: Toys, accessories, and new living rooms can be purchased here. Toy and accessory options change daily.
- Tamatching App: Available once the Tamagotchi has become an adult, the Tamagotchi can date other characters until they find a partner to marry. The user will be given four possible partners to choose from and each has their own dating profile, which includes their name, hobby, and quote.
- Tama Selfie: Pictures of the Tamagotchi can be taken and decorated with stamps, frames, and facial expressions. New frames and stamps can be earned from visiting the Park during seasonal events. Pictures are stored in an album, and the device can hold up to four photos. If a fifth photo is taken, the user will be requested to discard one of the previous four.
Go Outside Icon[]
This icon is the third icon on the second page, on the bottom left corner, represented by an open door. This icon cannot be selected while the Tamagotchi is still a baby. There are two options.
- Square: Other Tamagotchi characters can be encountered here. The appearance of the square changes depending on the season and if there's a holiday occurring. Sometimes there is a minigame available to play, which also changes depending on the season.
- Part Time Work: Taking the place of games, the Tamagotchi can visit this location to work a part time job for Gotchi Points. There are four jobs to choose from (a fifth can come with a TamaSma Card, which differs between the cards). Winning a perfect game awards 300 Gotchi Points.
- Remembering Drinks: Four ingredients will show up on the screen for a short amount of time. The user must then remember what ingredients were shown and select the right ones to make the correct drink.
- Move and Dance: The user will be given a prompt showing what dance move they have to do. They then have to follow the movement on the prompt to make the Tamagotchi dance correctly.
- Food Delivery: The Tamagotchi will be driving a scooter to deliver food to a customer. Tap left or right to avoid obstacles in the road.
- Tama Pet Salon: The Tamagotchi will be grooming Shampootchi. The user has 10 seconds to shake the device as much as possible to lather the pet up.
Connection Icon[]
This icon is the fourth icon on the second page, on the bottom right corner, indicated by a Tamagotchi device with radio waves. This icon has three options.
- Tamagotchi Smart: This option allows two Tamagotchi Smart devices to connect when they are in range of each other. Characters can talk to each other; one chooses the option to speak, and the other to listen. The conversation they have is determined by how their users have cared for them and how they responded to questions previously asked.
- TamaSma Card: This option allows the user to download, view the data of, or delete the data of a TamaSma Card.
- Friend List: The user can see a list of friends they have connected to. The list can hold up to six different profiles, and upon the seventh device connection, one must be deleted.
Death and Running Away[]
The Tamagotchi Smart has two ending sequences, both which occur based on different types of neglect.
- Running Away: If the Fondness meter is left too low for too long, they will become upset, and pack up a suitcase to run away. To stop them, the user must select the Help icon to convince them to stay. If the user does not respond in time, the Tamagotchi will run away, leaving a goodbye letter.
- Death: If the user neglects the Tamagotchi for too long and accumulates a large number of care mistakes, the Grim Gotchi will appear. The user must select the Help icon to summon an ambulance to take the Tamagotchi to the hospital. If the user does not respond in time, the Tamagotchi will die, leaving an image of a crying ghost on the screen.
In both sequences, once the Tamagotchi is gone, only the profile screen can be accessed by tapping anywhere on the screen, showing the Tamagotchi's final stats. Holding down the home button will make a new egg appear, and tapping the egg will begin the hatching process. All food, items, photo decorations, and Gotchi Points will carry over to the new egg.
Accessories and Add-Ons[]
Various accessories have been released to customize the Tamagotchi Smart.
- Neck Straps: Two lanyards (Smart White & MintPink) were released for 990円. The lanyards feature base characters in the design and have a loop at the bottom to attach the Smart to using the charm hole.
- Screen Protector & Cleaner: A set of screen protectors & cleaner were released for 480円. Each pack featured a base character and included a screen protector, applicator, and cleaning pad which could be attached to the back of the Smart.
- Watch Straps: Watch straps in different colors were released at the price of 1100円. Four colors have been available so far:
- Juicy Red
- Dreamy Purple
- Lemon Yellow
- Pure Black
Glitches & Issues[]
The Tamagotchi Smart has a few known issues with hardware and software.
- Port Cover Discoloration: The rubber flaps that cover the charging and TamaSma Card ports on the side of the smart are prone to discoloration, being the most noticeable for white and sanrio shells. The discoloration is difficult to remove and it is often recommended to either keep the smart in a case or cover the ports with decorative tape.
- Battery Issues: If the battery is allowed to completely drain of power or is charged past two hours, the smart will have issues in charging and turning back on. This is shown by the Smart not turning on at all or repeatedly turning itself on when charging. This is fixed by letting the Smart charge uninterrupted for the full two hours. For the first issue, the user must hold down the middle button to turn the Smart on after it is charged. For the second issue, the Smart will usually stop turning itself on within 10-20 minutes of charging.
- To prevent the battery from completely draining when the Smart is not being used for a long time, it is recommended to fully turn it off after charging it. This is done by pressing the reset button, holding both the reset and front button down until the ROM screen shows up, and letting the Smart idle on that screen until it turns off.
- Flickering Charging Screen: When charging the Smart, the battery screen may flicker between a full and empty battery icon. This is usually caused by letting the battery completely drain and is fixed by letting it charge for a full two hours. The screen will stop flickering within 10-20 minutes of charging.
- Screen Tear: When transitioning to another screen, the previous screen may show as an afterimage for a brief second instead of being fully black. The issue generally occurs when the Smart is close to low battery.
Gallery[]
Promotional Images[]
Features[]
Packaging[]
Video[]
Trivia[]
- Prior to the device's release, Bandai held a lottery in June 2021 offering a special anniversary set featuring a white Smart and the 1996 Friends SmaCard, with the winners being shipped their prizes in August that year. While entry required a preordering fee of ¥7,480, only the winners would be charged the price once the drawing took place.
- The third teaser image is concept art of the original Tamagotchi virtual pet when it was initially designed to be worn as a wristwatch, hence the Tamagotchi's name origin.
- Bandai collaborated with the Japanese J-pop and K-pop idol group, NiziU, to promote the Tamagotchi Smart. They appeared in the reveal video and promotional art, eventually having a TamaSma Card and Smart themed after them.
- Before the reveal, clicking the egg on the Tamagotchi web site would give hints about the featured characters; for example, "POP x rabbit" to represent Poptchi, and "Connect x circle" to represent Wawatchi.
- The Tamagotchi Smart borrows several features previously introduced on the Digimon Vital Bracelet, including the wristwatch aspect, step counter, and downloadable card data.
- The Tamagotchi Smart is the first for several things:
- The first mainline Tamagotchi release since the 2004 reboot to not feature Memetchi in the base content.
- The first mainline Tamagotchi to have a rechargeable battery.
- The first mainline Tamagotchi to only have one physical button.
- The first mainline Tamagotchi to have a touch screen.
- The first release to have items and accessories with limited durability. Items and accessories now break after a certain amount of uses.
- The first release to not show a Tamagotchi's gender on its profile screen. While gender is not mentioned, it still affects what Tamagotchi a younger stage will grow into and what marriage partners they'll be offered in the TaMatching app.
- The Tamagotchi Smart shares some features with the Tamagotchi Pix, a mainline Tamagotchi that had released the same year outside of Japan.
- Touch capabilities allowing the user to pet the Tamagotchi and play games through touch.
- The ability to have food, items, and accessories delivered to the Tamagotchi's home by phone application.
- The ability to take in device photos of the Tamagotchi and decorate them with stickers.
- The upgrade to smooth animations unlike the lower FPS animations of previous color Tamagotchi releases.
- Two new raisable characters, Weeptchi and Awamokotchi.
- Several characters from the Tamagotchi m!x in the announcement video were teased to be released on TamaSma Cards, but production of new cards stopped before they could make an appearance. These characters include Himespetchi, Momotchi, Pichipitchi, Decoratchi, Himebaratchi, Yotsubatchi, Ninjanyatchi, Bushinosuketchi, Shimagurutchi, Jellytchi, Kotohimetchi, Morijikatchi, Guriritchi, and Speplanetchi.
- Himespetchi had the chance to appear on the Anniversary Party Friends TamaSma Card through the Tamagotchi 25th Anniversary Poll, but didn't win enough votes to be on the roster.
- Only one treasure item has been released during the Smart's production. The item was 1996 VR Goggles which was available to get at pop up events that occured during the Smart's launch.
External Links[]
Official Links[]
Intruction Manuals & Guides[]
- Instruction Manual (Japanese)
- Instruction Manual (Korean)
- English Translated Instruction Manual
- Growth Charts & Item Translations
- Unofficial Guide Book