The reboot — infrared, friendship, and the return of Tamagotchi to the world
What Is It?
After the original Tamagotchi boom burned out in the late 1990s, the franchise went quiet in Western markets for six years. The Tamagotchi Connection — known as the Tamagotchi Plus in Japan — brought it back in 2004 with a fundamentally new idea: what if your Tamagotchi could meet other Tamagotchi?
The infrared connection port was the defining feature of the entire era. Point two devices at each other, connect, and your Tamagotchi could visit a friend, play games, exchange gifts, fall in love, and have children. Tamagotchi was no longer a solitary experience. Over the next four years, Bandai released five main versions of the Connection (V1 through V5) plus a V4.5, each adding new layers to the concept.
The Versions
Connection V1 (2004)
The reboot. Introduced infrared connectivity, friendship points, and the ability to marry and produce offspring. Also introduced the pause function on the international version — you could stop your Tamagotchi’s growth without ending its life, a huge quality-of-life improvement for school and work. By 2006, over 20 million Connection units had been sold.
Connection V2 (2005)
Added an in-game shop system. Your Tamagotchi earned Gotchi Points through mini-games and could spend them on food, toys, and accessories at the shop. The economy of Tamagotchi was born here — and it persists directly into Paradise today.
Connection V3 (2005)
Added password codes for unlocking items and special content — a clear ancestor of Paradise’s shop code system. Introduced the ability to travel to different locations and expanded the social features.
Connection V4 and V4.5 (2006)
The most ambitious versions of the Connection era. Introduced jobs and skill development — your Tamagotchi could attend school, build talents in arts, sports, or intelligence, and find employment as an adult. Which adult character you got was now tied not just to care quality but to the skills you developed. The V4.5 added additional job types and adjusted the skill system.
Connection V5 / Familitchi (2007–2008)
Shifted focus dramatically. Instead of raising a single Tamagotchi, you raised an entire family simultaneously — a parent and multiple children, each with their own needs and personalities. It was divisive among fans — some loved the family dynamic, others preferred the singular bond of a single pet. Either way, it was a bold experiment in expanding what Tamagotchi could be.
The Plus Color (2008)
While technically part of the color era rather than the Connection era, the Tamagotchi Plus Color deserves mention here as the bridge between the two. Released in Japan in 2008 (and never internationally), it was the very first Tamagotchi with a color LCD screen — a landmark moment in the franchise’s technical history. Everything that came after, from the iD through the Uni and Paradise, owes its color display to this device.
What Made This Era Special
The Connection era rebuilt the franchise’s identity for a new decade. It kept the core emotional loop — raise a creature, care for it, watch it grow — but added the social dimension that made it feel alive in a new way. Trading items, visiting friends, marrying off your Tamagotchi and raising the children together — these features created a shared experience that the original solitary device couldn’t provide.
The shop and economy system (V2), the skill and job system (V4), and the code system (V3) are all direct ancestors of mechanics in Paradise. The Connection era laid the groundwork.
Is It Still Worth Getting?
Absolutely. Connection-era devices are widely available secondhand at very low prices, require no internet or app connectivity, and have no server dependency. They work exactly as they did in 2004.
The V4/V4.5 are arguably the most mechanically interesting of the group for players who want depth. The V2 is the easiest entry point. The V1 is the historical classic. All of them are fun.
Finding another V-era player to connect with requires either a friend with one or buying two — but the solo raising experience is completely satisfying on its own.
At a Glance
| Version | Year | Key Addition |
|---|---|---|
| V1 / Connection | 2004 | Infrared connection, friendship, breeding, pause function |
| V2 | 2005 | Shop system, Gotchi Points economy |
| V3 | 2005 | Password codes, travel feature |
| V4 | 2006 | School, skills, and job system |
| V4.5 | 2006 | Additional jobs and skill adjustments |
| V5 / Familitchi | 2007 | Family raising — multiple simultaneous Tamagotchi |
| Plus Color | 2008 | First color screen (Japan only) |
For the franchise’s newest device, explore our complete Tamagotchi Paradise guides.
Individual Device Guides
Each version, with the antenna tells collectors use to spot them: