Tamagotchi Connection - Neon Stars

Reminds me of simpler times. Pros: (1) Not rechargeable and uses cell batteries that should last for about a month or so, if it’s anything like the original tamagotchis; rechargeable batteries have a shelf life so when they’re done, they’re done. (2) It’s a mixture of several tamagotchi connections (Japanese and English versions) and is the most like the v3 in style and functionality, so there are a lot of things to do. (3) There’s a lot of fun games to play, items to collect, and adorable characters to raise; the screen stays on so you can see different animations of your tamagotchi hanging out all day. (4) The connection function adds more games and interactions to “connect” and grow relationships and marry. (5) I find that the tamagotchi isn’t quite as needy as an adult. (6) Materials are sturdy but I have a crochet cover on mine and I plan to put a screen protector on it. Buttons are firm and responsive. (7) The sound isn’t very loud and piercing; it seems like they lowered the tones and cut them shorter when compared to the originals. (8) The new shells are fun, but the bubbles is my favorite in this wave; based on an interview with Tara from Bandai, there are going to be more waves of shell releases every season. Cons: (1) No pause, but you could take out your battery or go to the clock “set” function to “pause” or hibernate; or you could change the time to line up the tamagotchi’s sleep schedule with your schedule. (2) The contrast is low, meaning the background is dark and the pixels don’t have enough contrast to be seen against the dark background, so you have to be under a bright light to see the screen or tilt it at the right angle under a bright light; the originals had higher contrast and the screen was not as dark. (3) Japan released their own tamagotchi connection shells that I found more attractive than the US global release shells (e.g, Melon Soda); I wish the Japanese shells were released globally. I am ecstatic that Bandai brought the connection back; I’m looking forward to seeing more shells and perhaps updates to the functionality so that we could experience the v4-v6 connection features (e.g., getting jobs = more games, raising multiple tamagotchis, themes) as well. Thank you, Bandai!

Great conents and great addition to any collection. I use this the most and its super fun with all the mini games and mini events. Buttons have had no issues so far. Size is pretty good! The shell is a clear glittery purple, super cute!!

The game is amazing and full of items to collect. However, the battery included in the box didn't last long at all. I switched to Energizer batteries and they work perfectly with much better durability. Make sure to have a spare CR2032 ready from day one! Also if you're able to buy a case to protect the screen, just go for it.

I personally never had a Connection version of these when I was younger and bought this on a whim when I heard they were rereleasing them to celebrate their anniversary. Was pleasantly surprised to see that these offer a little bit more to them than the original Tamagotchis such as different food options, multiple games to play with your Tamagotchi and most importantly infrared communication so you can connect two devices to play games and marry creatures together and get new offspring. If you don't have anyone else to connect with and don't want to spend the money to buy a second device, don't worry. The game will offer a chance sometimes for a random spouse to appear once your Tamagotchi reaches adult age that you can marry to make a new baby for when your current adult dies off. You will still miss out on the other connection exclusive things like games you can play together, but this toy is fun enough on its own that you should find plenty of enjoyment with just one device. Battery life is pretty decent, the one that was included in the device when I got it lasted exactly 25 days and if you're quick enough to swap in a new battery while the low battery screen still displays on the screen you can download and continue with your most recent Tamagotchi and all your items and family history will still be intact so you won't have to start all over. The only things affected when doing so will be that the time will be slightly off which is easy enough to fix and your Tamagotchi's hunger and happiness levels will be empty which again is an easy fix. A couple of complaints I personally have with this are that the price being a little bit steep for what is 20+ year old technology at this point and that these devices which after some online searching seem to be based off of the V3 Connection programming don't offer a pause function like some of the older Connection versions do for some odd reason. You can still pause in a manner of speaking by going to the time screen and activating set mode and just leaving it be on that screen and setting it once you're ready to come back to it, but it would be nice if you could do a proper pause for when you're not able to care for it due to life responsibilities.

So I mostly bought this due to a breakdown of nostalgia (I’m a Millennial, it’s our catnip!) I remember playing so much with my Tamagotchi Connection v4 back in the day, and one of the core features advertised in that was the ability to connect your Tamagotchi to a website like similar toys of the day like Neopetz and Webkinz. You could play games, earned prizes, and souvenirs, and eventually beam back a slightly downgraded version of them when you stopped playing online. Now, obviously this type of feature is a lot less impressive nowadays when you could just have all of that on your phone, but again, nostalgia isn’t exactly a rational feeling. What I was looking for was exactly that; The nostalgia of a v4 with the online games included in some way, and with this day and age, I expected them to be even cooler than before! Well, color, me surprised when it turns out there is no online functionality and everything is back to being limited to the Tamagotchi itself, with the connection moniker being due to the IR Sensor and ability to connect to other Tamagotchis (Something the v4s also had baked in,) and do basic activities together. $30 for something missing a core feature isn’t great, but that’s partially on me for not doing more research into the other models, with the ones I really wanted seeming to be more along the lines of Tamagotchi Uni or the Mobile App, My Tamagotchi Forever. Still, if you’re looking for a basic Tamagotchi with some more bells and whistles than the base model, it’s got you covered. Just don’t expect anything outside of exactly that. It’s still got lots of items and different Tamas to potentially get, fun and cute little cutscenes for them, and the sprite work has a lot of personality for such a limited screen, but it lacks a backlight like the old day so you’ll need a lit room to play in. It’s the perfect size for a keychain as well, and is great for a little side activity for us ADHD folks who need a side stimulus to recharge our attention span. I still think $30 is a bit much, and I got the wrong thing for what I really wanted, but I don’t regret it; it’s still cute and scratches that itch.

I bought two of these because I love this design so much. It's glittery and actually a transparent purple, but the transparency is easier to notice from the back of the shell rather than the front due to the design on the front :)

My daughter really loves it. Update: We never open the package because my daughter had other Toma's going. So after a while after she decided to open the package and play with this one,guess what? The unit is damage. It does not work,the battery was not inside and there was no slip to remove as new user. So,exactly this is not what I expected. Support please. Stand by for update.....4/10/2026

Really beautiful device I haven’t personally tried the gameplay yet but I have heard a lot of good things! Exactly as pictured. Great shipping quality! I can’t wait to try it this summer!

Just go for it. Totally worth it. As long as you stay consistent, you'll have no regrets. You'll enjoy it a lot.

海外製で不安だったけれど大丈夫でした！ イメージ通りのデザインでとってもキラキラ✨

Works great, a nice nostalgic purchase. Battery lasts if you turn sound off while playing the games. Just a useful tip I learned. Overall it's a great toy for any she or anyone wanting to relive their childhood.

Product was clearly used. Packaging was not sealed, with returns label on it, and the device screen was on with previous owner’s data available to download.

mi hijo no lo suelta