Thinking of grabbing a Tama as a gift, What can I expect feature-wise?

So for either my son or girlfriend, I was thinking of picking up a Tamagotchi.

I was expecting ~£5 like when I was younger, and when I was younger I've owned a couple tamagotchi and a couple digimon-tamagotchi, but I'm 22 and this was years ago.

I remember it used to be just a feed, praise etc. and there wasn't mutch to it other than just keep checking on it so it doesn't die, clean up, feed etc. as prompted.

Now I look on these forums and theres all of the v5, Tamagotchi go, and other talk about new features that I'm not really understanding?

So, if you can, can you answer a few questions for me, to somebody who might as well have never owned a tamagotchi.

Firstly, is there anything to "do" other than care for your tamagotchi, I'm reading these posts as a collectors twist, new characters, wallpapers?, trades, and working through generations to get preffered characters.

Will getting these things "unlock" anything, or will I be able to see a track record/bestiary of collected "things"?

Are these supposed to connect to a computer?

Can these trade or otherwise interact with other tamagotchi?

What's a decent price?

Is Tama-go the "latest and greatest"?

If I buy a new tama, will I have to worry about getting an "old version"?

I've seen this on amazon, and that's basically what I'm seeing as "the thing to buy", but I've seen a few with supposed colour screens or better graphics.:

https://www.amazon.co.uk/TamaTown-Tamagotchi-Tama-Go-Greem-Mametchi/dp/B0030G7J9G/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1387206459&sr=8-1&keywords=Tamagotchi+Go

Or do I want the newer tamagotchi friends?

If I were to grab that, do I need to worry about buying more physical tamagotchi physcial character toys?

In other words, I want to get a tamagotchi and ~£10 - ~£15 isn't a big deal, but if I get one and they're basically exactly the same as when I was young, I'll be dissapointed because I expect something with more... depth from this.

I want to know if I'll be able to actually play with these and often have something new to look forward to instead of just the same game I knew that is the same over and over after 5 minutes.

(I'm thinking like Animal Crossing, that games a grind, but it's just a nice and steady pace to enjoy, right?)

tl;dr

If this was too long, just shoot me to the best run-down of what these actually DO nowadays, because I need to know what I'm buying before I buy and I don't just want three options to interact with the little dude or lass.

(Oh, also, does it matter which colour/character tama you buy, or is it just a physical aesthetic)

I think you would have money better spent on a Tamagotchi P's. (large topic in comments and rumors) in some cases, new on

Ebay can be found cheap ($35, usually more around $50) but they are color, have more features and is way newer then the TamaGo. It comes from Japan and lots of us have a Japanese tamagotchi.

If you want a bit cheaper, an iDL version can be found too. Also very nice in features and also color. Its a little older but it can be found online too.

In some cases both can be found used. As well as the ... Plus Color, iD, iDL, P's. I would recommend looking into those. I own one of each so I could help a bit there too.

SailorRosette said:

I think you would have money better spent on a Tamagotchi P's. (large topic in comments and rumors) in some cases, new on

Ebay can be found cheap ($35, usually more around $50) but they are color, have more features and is way newer then the TamaGo. It comes from Japan and lots of us have a Japanese tamagotchi.

If you want a bit cheaper, an iDL version can be found too. Also very nice in features and also color. Its a little older but it can be found online too.

In some cases both can be found used. As well as the ... Plus Color, iD, iDL, P's. I would recommend looking into those. I own one of each so I could help a bit there too.

Click to expand...

It didn't even occur to me to get a Japanese one, I thought I wouldn't be able to understand it.

I was thinking about the P's because they seemed cheap, but at the moment I'm just trying to weight up what would be cheap to try and see, without being awfully dated.

I veiw the P's as a successful TamaGo, in color. The TamaGo to me is like a greyscale iD (a bit different but simmilar) P's have pieces that attach to the tamagotchi as the TamaGo does. The figures unlock games, resturants and toys/items and you need to keep the figure to keep playing with somethings (I feel are needed with the TamaGo) Where the P's pieces unlock characters, places, games and extra toys/items. (you can keep the data form the pieces atleast one generation/ growth cycle, but mine are still there in my P's) They also are still making pieces for the p's.

Both visit places once you unlock enough characters raised. I think the P's have more interesting places... P's also have a job option where the TamaGo does not although both have pause features.

Were the language barrier comes in:

Once you learn where things are, most people are generally fine. Some of the text (such as the park) can't be read unless you read the Japanese text, but some users maybe happy to translate for you here. (just not everything) and translations are around for referance here. The only tamagotchi color I DON'T recommend is the Hexagotchi. (gameshow, very texty and need to read it...)

My first tama color was an iDL, I was a bit nervous myself but I found it easy once I started playing with it.

SailorRosette said:

I veiw the P's as a successful TamaGo, in color. The TamaGo to me is like a greyscale iD (a bit different but simmilar) P's have pieces that attach to the tamagotchi as the TamaGo does. The figures unlock games, resturants and toys/items and you need to keep the figure to keep playing with somethings (I feel are needed with the TamaGo) Where the P's pieces unlock characters, places, games and extra toys/items. (you can keep the data form the pieces atleast one generation/ growth cycle, but mine are still there in my P's) They also are still making pieces for the p's.

Both visit places once you unlock enough characters raised. I think the P's have more interesting places... P's also have a job option where the TamaGo does not although both have pause features.

Were the language barrier comes in:

Once you learn where things are, most people are generally fine. Some of the text (such as the park) can't be read unless you read the Japanese text, but some users maybe happy to translate for you here. (just not everything) and translations are around for referance here. The only tamagotchi color I DON'T recommend is the Hexagotchi. (gameshow, very texty and need to read it...)

My first tama color was an iDL, I was a bit nervous myself but I found it easy once I started playing with it.

Click to expand...

Well in that case I guess it's just a matter of grab a P's and get to grips with it all again, thanks for the breakdown.

ironicdemise said:

It didn't even occur to me to get a Japanese one, I thought I wouldn't be able to understand it.

Click to expand...

don't worry, there's barely a language barrier

you just use the options, and before you know it, you know what is what, i have an ID L, i knew what was what in like 1 day, i stopped using it for around 3 months or so after a while, and i forgot what was what, but remembered it after like 1 day or so, idk.

feature wise, i'd say P's! they have all kinds of pierces and so, it has a lot of features!

To note, I only have one piece for my P's and its the Aikatsu one. So, likely why I still have my data but I can pull the piece out and leave the rubber heart in. Lots of pieces out.

If you ran an original tamagotchi, you should be fine. With there being a few more options in the newer ones, its memorizing where things are.

I would also recommend that you try to order from someplace well known. Like AmiAmi, CDJapan or HLJ. I have used all of these websites atleast once. I would also recommend a tracking number and EMS if you can afford it. Atleast a tracking number. Ebay is good, but make sure the price isn't too hefty and you have looked the items over and avoid the dreaded stock images if you can.

if you need any help understandign the p's and the charts functions etc. i can send an email to you holding all the instructions character charts, translations etc for the tamagotchi p's :3 it might come in handy for your son ^.^ just let me know k <3

Actually P's is pretty complicated and I was as confused as heck when I got mine, even though I already had an iD L.

I wasn't confusing at all, thanks to all the wonderful guides members have made on TT, and the Japanese texts don't bother much I was surprised haha ~ it can be a challenge for a child, but your gf will be fine.

How old is your son? My 5-9yr siblings love to borrow my Connections and Tama-Gos, but at 11 they're old enough for Japanese releases.

The P's is easy, if you know what other tama's are like