Props to Bandai for finally releasing a Tamagotchi that doesn't run on batteries! This might be the best improvement that has been added in this edition. Too bad the charging port is still micro-USB and not USB-C.

The Tamagotchi Smart is pretty nice. The basic 3-button design has been changed for just one button and a touchscreen, divided into four sections where you can either press or slide to interact with the Tamagotchi and its menus. It took me a little while to get used to the sliding action since its use can feel unresponsive at the beginning.

I never owned a smartwatch, so I can't make a proper comparison with one. The Tamagotchi Smart only gives you the current time a minuscule step counter in some of the wallpapers, with no biometric sensors to measure how fast are you able to fart or stuff like that. The extra monitoring options could have been pretty interesting, and having your monitored status be paired with your Tamagotchi's current status would have been even better. A little vibration option to tell you that the Tamagotchi is dying while you are at work could also have been good. The Tamagotchi Smart also has a microphone...but it lacks a voice recognition system, so your Tamagotchi will be happy even though you call them names (don't do that!!!). The watch itself is comfortable to wear on the wrist since it doesn't weigh too much, but the wristband is prone to suffer damage and it gets dirty pretty fast (how the hell do you clean it? please lmk). Luckily, Bandai has released replacements in other colors for users who are willing to pay.

As I said before, this might be my first smartwatch, but I own other Tamagotchis. And compared with previous devices such as the Tamagotchi Meets or even the Tamagotchi P's (released in 2012!), the Tamagotchi Smart lacks many cool options that were available before. The basic functionalities are still there, your Tamagotchi still eats and plays and gets dirty and poops, and you can still connect your Tamagotchi Smart to other devices. The requirements needed to have your Tamagotchi alive feel laxer in this version, since it is easier to get money and the daycare is free. You have fewer places that are available to visit, with fewer NPCs to meet. The buyable stuff (food, toys, accessories, and room decoration) is less interesting since the toys won't help you find the perfect couple anymore like in Tamagotchi Meets, so it's limited to getting merely cosmetic improvements. You can choose between four available minigames to earn money, but I only played the ice cream one (you choose images to match the order given by a customer in an ice cream shop). For the other games, after the long-ass loading screens, some of them would require you to jerk your wrist non-stop, or deal with precise actions performed on this non-perfect touchscreen. But for me, the biggest drawback that the Tamagotchi Smart has is the lack of generation mixing, I do miss trying to get the ugliest possible Tamagotchi hybrids or sharing my Tamagotchi on a website as you could do in Tamagotchi Meets. Sadly I haven't tried the TamaSma Cards (aka DLC) yet, but I will try to get the Sanrio ones someday.

Even if this review might seem a little negative, I'm still happy with my Tamagotchi Smart. This review might seem like a long list of complaints (and that's why I'm not working as a salesman for Bandai), but it is a pretty good entry-level device for Tamagotchi since it requires little to no attention needed to keep your Tamagotchi alive, and being able to carry the Tamagotchi in your wrist is way more comfortable than having it inside your pockets. I like mine a lot, but I can't really tell you to spend around $70 for it unless you want a Tamagotchi for your wrist since there are cheaper Tamagotchi options (but with even less features). Still, I don't regret spending mine since Milktchi and Poptchi are just too cute...

Reviewed on Jan 20, 2023


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