Few general questions from a potential newbie!

[Bixler]

Hey all,

I'm somewhat interested in giving this Tamagotchi thing a go. It seems like a nice distraction while I'm watching Netflix or whatnot, or while listening to podcasts. In any case, I have a few general questions to help give me some direction:

1. As a grad student I'm really busy most days. Are there any Tamagotchi models that are suitable for someone with a busy schedule? From what I remember back in elementary and middle school, the kids who had Tamagotchis (we're talking early 2000s here) said there was no way to "pause," and if you didn't constantly look after your Tamagotchi it would pass away. Is this true of all Tamagotchi models? I would definitely need something I can pick up and put down when I have the time to tend to it.
2. Assuming the above isn't true anymore, what is the best Tamagotchi model for someone in my circumstances, and why? Or should I hold off for a model that isn't out yet?
3. Where would be the best place to acquire said model? A local shop? Amazon? eBay? Some private Tamagotchi marketplace forum I'm not aware of?
4. How long have you been a Tamagotchi fan? How old are y'all? (22 here – am I too old for this?!)
5. Although it seems like an ostensibly feminine toy, and other guys hereabouts? Just curious, of course.
6. Any other sage advice to give to a new potential owner?

Thanks in advance!

 

[datenshi_blue]

1.- Most tamas have pausing features. In most cases, pausing them pause their growth as well, so you have to wait longer for them to evolve if you keep them constantly paused. For older tamas (connection and such) you usually press buttins a and b at the same time and that pauses the tama. If the tama doesn't have a pausing feature, you can just reset the clock and it will do the same trick. For newer tamas (color ones) there are tama sitters, playrooms, daycare and the like places where you can drop your tama and someone else (a virtual someone else) will take care of your tama). That will make the hunger and happy meters empty slower, but they still lose hearts over time. In the mix, it doesn't stop the growth, but I'm pretty sure the tama sitter stops the growth in the 4u, for instance (at least, it delays it). So I advise using it with caution, unless you want your tama to be in each stage for ages.

2.- As for models, just check what they are about and choose whatever ring your bell and you think you will have more fun with. I can say that the 4u/4u+ are the easiest tamas since they are thought for older people who are busier and can't spend so much time on needy pets. They become sad or hungry slowly so they don't require you to be checking on them all the freaking time. But if you don't have a compatible NFC device, they can get a little boring, I guess. I would get a 4u+ out of these two. And they are selling for very good prices now for some reason.

3.- You can find them on amazon, yahoo jp, ebay, facebook trader groups...

4.- I've been a tamagotchi fan since they came out in my country in 1997. I'm older than you actually, by a long shot. LOL. I'm well in my thirties and I know a lot of people my age or even older that are fans. Also younger of course.

5.- Although I'm female, my best friend made my love for tamagotchi rekindle. And he's a guy. He's kinda upset with how girly the designs are, but well, we're at an age that we don't really give a dang about that, anyway.

6.- Be careful, sooner than you know you'll be collecting

 

[KujoStar64]

Hallo and welcome to the world of virtual pets! What was mentioned earlier is pretty much the best advice you can get, but I'll add a little more to it. I've been a fan of Tamagotchi off and on since 1997. My interest returned in the 200s with the connections, but more recently it's come back with the more vintage pets I started off with. I'm running a p2 Tamagotchi from 1997, and a Nano Puppy from around the same time. I was also running a Giga pet for a while, but I do not recommend Giga pets for anyone who is either busy or a complete newbie to virtual pets, as Giga pets require more time and attention in order to raise them successfully. Nano pets are much easier to care for. These came in two shell styles, an oval shape and a rectangular shape. The oval shape is the older version and this was available as either a baby, puppy, or kitty. I've always found the idea of raising a human baby as a virtual pet rather strange, so I prefer the puppy and kitty a lot more. I'm soon to add a Tamagotchi Chibi to the pets I'm running, this was another 2000s pet with very basic, simplified care. I've tried raising a Tamagotchi 4U, but to be honest, I really do not like the coloured screen versions at all. These are not the virtual pets I grew up with back in the day. Thankfully you can find the older versions on Amazon and Ebay, to name a few places that have them for purchase.

 

[Jhud]

Most questions have been answered, but for a pretty busy person I'd suggest the newest version, the M!X. It's really not needy at all and you don't need to worry about repeated characters, plus the built in caretaker option is waaaaay better than in the previous ones, it does the trick.Since it's new the price is also not too bad.

Otherwise P's and iD L are both pretty good choices, and when it comes to english a bit more "classic" tamagotchis, a v4 would be a good choice, though they go for quite big amounts (or very small amounts if the seller doesn't know what they're doing).

 

[Shulk]

1/2. If you're looking for newer models a 4U/+ is a good model for the busy lifestyle, it is a Japanese Tama currently being translated into English.

3. along with eBay, Amazon and other online shops you can find them at local thrift stores and garage/yard sales for a very good price if you're looking for older models, from 1996-2010.

4. I've been a fan since 2005, I'm currently 17. Nah you aren't too old for something that you love!

6. Some advice I'd like to share would be never let people bug you because you play with Tamagotchis. It's none of their business for what you do as a hobby. As fore mentioned you'll probably get sucked into the collecting aspect like the rest of us in no time! Don't forget it's not just Tamagotchi out there, There's ones like Giga Pet, Nanos, and countless others! Just keep an eye out for bootlegs!

And finally, welcome back to the world of virtual pets!

 

[JesterxLady]

I've only really got experience with colour Tamagotchis, so I apologise if what you're looking for is information on the more vintage Tamas.

1. I think this one has been covered by most people. When I was at uni/work I would 'pause' my Tama either by changing the time to night time (so they were asleep) to continue growth or stop on the 'set time' page. I've only lost two Tamas to neglect in the nearly three years I've been running them; one was due to it being on silent and me having a migraine the other was having it in my bag at uni and forgetting to pause it.

2. I've found I can pick up and put down all of my colour Tamas. If I know I won't be playing it for a few days, I tend to take the batteries out (when you put batteries in you can either reset or load your previous game, which makes things so much easier!) The M!X seems to be quite a hardy model and doesn't appear to need quite as much constant care as some of the earlier designs. The 4U/+, as others have said, is also quite a relaxed Tamagotchi, being designed for adults. I think the iD L is meant to be the most needy of all the models, but this is the Tama I started out with and haven't ever had issues with it, really. As datenshi_blue said, I'd do some research onto the different models and see which one has features that most appeal to you (both the iD L and P's have loads of unlockable content, lots of charatcers and it's relatively easy to access the downloads. P's also have the 'pierces', which are sort of like expansion packs. The 4U/4U+ is more 'adult' Tamagotchi, easy to care for with beautiful graphics (in my opinion), but has very little in built content and accessing the downloads can be a faff/expensive (I was lucky, my phone is compatible, so I didn't have to buy a new device). The m!x also have amazing graphics and a much bigger screen, plus the ability to 'mix' characters from generation to generation, however there's no access to downloads outside of Japan, but it has more in built content than the 4U/+. If language is an issue, however, then you are looking at the P's or 4U, both of which can be patched into English, or possibly an iD L E if you're willing to pay the crazy high prices for them).

3. I've bought most of my Tamagotchis off eBay, mostly direct from Japan. A couple I've bought on the Facebook group, Tamagotchi Traders. You can buy some models (mostly the recent stuff) from internet stores such as Hobby Link Japan, but I have never done this myself. I've also bought some accessories (mostly the guide books) directly from Japan via Amazon.jp.

4. Eh, you're never 'too old' for something, as long as you enjoy it. I'm twenty four in a few weeks and my boyfriend is twenty nine, so I think we have everyone on this thread beat. I've loved virtual pets since I was little, but only really started 'collecting' earlier this year (although I have my first colour Tamagotchi, the iD L E, as agraduation present three years ago).

5. I think there are a fair few male Tamagotchi fans, and I believe most of them complain that all the shells are very girly (at least, the modern ones are). The 4U/+, +Colour and iD are probably the least girly shell designs, in my opinion, and even then...

6. As others have said before me, you start with one and the next thing you know... Haha. It's all cool though, we're all mad (about Tamas) here. ^_^

 

[Fae Kizunatchi]

Hi Bixler!

I am actually looking for a needy one, and my P's is disappointingly easy to care for. It's been great over the past few days where some stressful things have happened and the Tamagotchi lived through quite a bit of neglect.

The P's are also fun, available to patch into English and pretty.

There is also V 4.5 or as Jhud said above-the M!X but the M!X wouldn't be the best choice for a beginner as it's all in Japanese and you'd find it overwhelming with your schedule trying to figure everything out & look up translations.

 

[Counting Bodies Like Sheep]

1. The first thing to decide is if you'd like a colour-screened model, or a black and white screen tamagotchi. For black and white screens, I would recommend a Connection tamagotchi, particularly the V4 or V4.5, which both have good content - it's a good idea to head to youtube and watch reviews on versions you are considering and take a look at the games on each model as fun games make a huge difference to the overall experience.

If you're leaning towards a colour screen, I second the M!X. Learning to navigate a Japanese tamagotchi is not hard, and the mix is quite different to previous releases in its menu structure, so prior experience with english language versions won't help much anyway. I recommend the m!x because unlike the P's, the daycare feature is free, and not having to grind games for points to pay for babysitting is really nice. While daycare won't feed your tamagotchi, poo won't pile up and make your character unhappy or sick, so it's a perfect feature for those who are busy (I'm also a grad student, and this is my favourite version for when I'm super busy).

I also recommend the m!x over the 4U or 4U+ because the 4U doesn't have a lot of built in content, and it's not a particularly outstanding version gameplay-wise without an NFC-compatible phone, which will let you download a bunch of extra characters and games. A list of NFC compatible phones can be found here: https://mrblinky.net/tama/4u/app/

2. If daycare during the day isn't enough, all tamagotchis can be paused. For any colour screen versions, you have to scroll to the clock or menu and pause from there. For Connection versions (red infrared port up top), you just press the left and centre buttons together, which is a bit easier.

3. eBay and also tamagotchi groups on Facebook.

4. I'm 23. I was a fan as a kid, but returned 3 or 4 years ago.

5. Not a guy, but I've met heaps of males in the hobby. Using tamagotchis in public will generally get you some weird looks regardless of whether you're male or female

6. If you think you might be interested in getting a tamagotchi, the first things to decide are between colour/black&white screen, and then whether a toy in Japanese will be offputting. Price is also a factor. The P's is currently the only colour model that can be fully converted into english, but this requires you to have an old phone or usb for transferring via infrared. There is an English iDL, but it's crazy expensive. So colour-screened models in English aren't straightforward to obtain.

Black and white connection series are generally found secondhand, and are cheaper than new and even secondhand colour models. Be careful if you select a connection series, as some are in Japanese and some in English. If you'd like info on telling them apart please let us know. For black and white, there are also the oldest tamagotchis, the vintages. These are smaller and much simpler, well-priced, and have a peculiar charm of their own with the Angelgotchi and the original P1 or P2 being rather low maintenance. Good luck Bixler! Let us know what you decide

 

[Fae Kizunatchi]

I think that you've gotten some great answers here!

I'd like to change my colour recommendation to the M!X based on what people have said above. The P's is a lot of fun but after almost three months the mini game is really grating on me now. The idea of improved babysitter functions in the M!X sounds appealing, and I'm about to run mine soon.

 

[RiniMoon]

I think that you've gotten some great answers here!

I'd like to change my colour recommendation to the M!X based on what people have said above. The P's is a lot of fun but after almost three months the mini game is really grating on me now. The idea of improved babysitter functions in the M!X sounds appealing, and I'm about to run mine soon.

I was getting really tired of the mini game too, so I downloaded a bunch of new ones to try from here: https://www.vpets.org/downloads/p-s-downloads/p-s-games

My favorite game is "Egg Shooting" because it is actually really challenging XD