Tamagotchi Friends ... Worst Version Yet?

[Thurin]

I agree with your post 100%.

I have almost all of the other versions and after the ID, ID L's and P's this seems like a real step down.

 

[haileymametchi]

Yup. Bandai could've worked a tad but harder to making the quality better. All they do is pay attention to Japanese Tama consumers, not us...

 

[black candy]

I agree with your post 100%.

I have almost all of the other versions and after the ID, ID L's and P's this seems like a real step down.

a step down to previous US and European tamas too!

 

[*Hayden*]

Even JiDan made a colour screen fake, JIDAN, SERIOUSLY, JIDAN IS DOING BETTER, WHAT

 

[haileymametchi]

EXACTLY. WHY BANDAI?

 

[furbitchi]

You've seen the light! I agree with you it's a very cheap version for it's era your opinion is very valid I'm sick of these people saying " it's the best version ever" and "we should just promote it for a better Tama features isn't what makes it good" whatever already it's clearly bad for it's TIME and your opinion is honest it has good points and bad.

 

[black candy]

I'll buy it if Bandai will come out with a color screen or a GOOD grey scale screen (but i'm still fan of the little / portable / great Tamagotchi Connection)

 

[derekq]

I will see for myself... when it arrives to Canada....

 

[magicboa]

I think I'll wait for the T4U.

 

[derekq]

I think I'll wait for the T4U.

Me too I think I will wait since Bandai said they will release it fall 2014 in North America. Even later than 4U release. Some say July some say August, ugh.

I know the waiting game is boring, but that how it goes, oh well.

 

[SailorRosette]

*not a bash Bandai America topic*

(Don't make one either)

-end mini rant-

 

[magicboa]

^^Sorry.

 

[Eternal Mametchi Fan]

Even JiDan made a colour screen fake, JIDAN, SERIOUSLY, JIDAN IS DOING BETTER, WHAT

Color screen =/= better. I actually got one of those to see what is was like and it barely does a thing.

 

[furbitchi]

Color screen =/= better. I actually got one of those to see what is was like and it barely does a thing.

probably does more than the TF JUST SAYING *shot*

 

[Eternal Mametchi Fan]

No, it just has the ugly character standing on the screen and sometimes it beeps and you have to do something... Anyway, the TF does more than the Version 1, Version 2, Version 3, Version 5.

 

[black candy]

I changed idea and i bought one TF, maybe for the cute characters in this one! I like the basic game and the concept that you have to take care of your little friend only,but not the cheap plastic shell and the screen quality (back light for TF2???).

 

[Dizzie]

Just a note. The shell amd face of tamagotchi friends seems to be from the same mold as the IDL you can see the stars inside the face plate in the pictures. They were recycling Japan's left overs when they made that tama friends casing.

I'd be more accepting of it as a black and white tama, if it were smaller.

 

[Midorime]

Actually I think someone posted a picture showing that there's a slight size difference? So i am assuming the parts are similar, but not the same. Perhaps only the faceplate and band, really.

 

[Tinkalila]

I think I'm just gonna address the post little by little...

• "Flipping through their hefty catalog, eventually I settled on the page of electronic pets, and right in the corner, tucked away, was the TF. Instantly my heart sunk, but only a little. It warmed my heart that a decade later, this store still sold Tamagotchis, but at the same time I was sad at how much room the pictures didn't take up. It was like they were no longer important."
  

It's great that stores are selling the TF, but, you can't blame Bandai for how small the pictures in some catalog you read were. Of course they're no longer important! For the majority of people, it's just a passing interest. To me they are important, but to the general public, no, not a lot of people would care, and thus the small ad. Bandai has no reason to waste it's time on America, Europe, etc when they're so successful in Asia!

• "Drilling in its 7 digit number into a small machine, I was relieved to see they had three in stock, probably of various colours. What shocked me the most? It cost £25.00. That's a whole £13.00 more expensive than they were when I was small. Or more, even!"
  

Prices in general have gone up since 2004, you can't expect to be cheap, especially when tamagotchis aren't doing so great outside of Japan anyway.

• "It was ugly.
  No, seriously. It was massive, thick, with cheap looking colours. Like someone had coloured it in sharpie."
  
• "After opening up the garish looking pet, I took the back off, only to discover it no longer took 3v batteries. I suppose it was a good thing, since they were a pain to get hold of in my area. After putting different batteries in (since it didn't come with any) the thing groggily burst to life, and my heart sunk even more."
  

If you're gonna talk about the size, you should really be reviewing modern tamagotchis in general. They stopped being so small when the TamaGo came out, and it was even bigger than the TF. All the color tamagotchis have been relatively big, because they don't use button/cell batteries anymore. Don't get me wrong, I liked those little batteries too, but it's a hassle to get them in most places. I usually have to buy those little fake candles that run on those batteries, bring them home, and take the batteries out. You can imagine how many little plastic candles we have. The hunt for these rare batteries would not be appealing to parents. Who would buy their kid something that had batteries so impossible to obtain? Not to mention, I don't need to replace the batteries as often with my TF, and it was definitely a good business decision on Bandai's part. As for you not liking the designs, you are reviewing designs you didn't even get. You got the purple one, which was similar to the iD L in design, and featured no patterns on it at all. The rest of the designs you claim look like they were "colored in sharpie", were very obviously targeted at young children. I actually have the pink hearts design, and I like it!

• "I've never heard such horrid sounds in my life. It's like it's little sound chip was being thrown into a blender over and over and then being force to bleat out some notes. If you compare the sounds this thing made to the v5, it makes the v5 sounds like 1000 singing angels and the TF sound like a dying cat. Literally. I always know when the TF needs me because all I can here is the out of tune, tinny sounds from the depths of my bag, which is where I find myself leaving it most of the time."

That's... pretty exaggerative. 1000 singing angels compared to a dying cat? Literally? I doubt it. I never noticed the sounds being drastically different from other tamas, but I'll take your word for it that it bothers you that much. If it's really that bad, you might've gotten a defect. If not, I do not think it's that serious, and it shouldn't hinder gameplay at all.

That covers all of your general statements, so that's my main stand. There's not really any reason to go over every pro and con, I covered them all in the above.

Everything beyond this point is just extra to further prove my point. Consider the following a TL;DR.

• Too much going on to be able to see Tama (contrast change does not help)

​That was a problem for me too, but again, if that's the problem, you should complain about the TamaGo instead.

• Infra-Red is no more, bump connection instead (AKA no backwards compatibility)

​I think they were just trying something new. Infra-red is still very much a thing in the color releases. (Which are happening in Japan, because their focus is there, just as it should be!)

Since you did a conclusion, I guess I can do one too!

Looks ★★★★☆

Quality ★★★★☆

Content ★★★★★

Overall ★★★★★

When it comes down to it, you seem to be in the same position as me. Kinda upset that tamagotchis have changed. But if you're trying to hate them, of course you will! Nothing is stopping you from playing with vintages and connections whenever you want, if you don't love the TF as much as I do. I'm really happy that Bandai is giving us westerners another shot, and when the TF comes here to America, it could spark a new interest in tamagotchis! I'm wishing the best for Tamagotchi Friends, and I know we all want it to be successful, in hopes of expanding our community! I hope my review has brought new light to the situation!

 

[haileymametchi]

Yeah. I respect all people's opinions of this Tamagotchi. It's nice that Bandai thought about us Tama fans and decided to make a Tamagotchi to make us happy right? We sent many emails complaining about when a new Tamagotchi would come out, and I bet they were sick of us complaining. At least they MADE a Tamgotchi, no matter how terrible the quality is! Maybe they'll learn from their mistakes and come out with a much better model next time. Don't lose hope. ^_^