The NFC era — bump two devices together to make friends.
What Is It?
Two parallel devices defined the NFC era. Tamagotchi Friends (international) launched in Europe in December 2013, reaching North America in August 2014 as a Toys”R”Us exclusive — a black-and-white device that reused the Tama-Go screen. The Japan-only Tamagotchi 4U arrived in September 2014 (with an upgraded 4U+ in July 2015), a colour device tied to the GO-GO Tamagotchi! anime. Both pioneered NFC connectivity for the line.
Key Features
NFC “bumping” (Friends): touch two devices back-to-back to visit, gift, message and earn points — a simple, social “BFF” hook, limited to five bumps a day.
Deeper NFC (4U): the 4U connects to other 4Us, to a smartphone app, and to in-store “Touch Spots” for downloads, gachapon and bingo. Touching almost any NFC object could trigger animations, slot games or house upgrades. The 4U also leaned into customisation with 30 swappable faceplates.
Characters & Raising
Tamagotchi Friends is collection-focused rather than genetics-focused: 36 characters (24 adults), many previously Japan-only, raised in black and white, with a “Jewellery” currency collected through shops, bumping and evolution. The 4U drops the teen stage (toddler evolves straight to adult after about 48 hours) and adds a Personality Stage sub-evolution plus a Skills system — basic skills like potty training, and special skills (invention, fashion, sport, art, cooking) learned at school. The 4U continues the collection mechanic, renamed Clover Pieces.
Connectivity & Games
Tamagotchi Friends uses NFC bumping plus an in-store “DekaTama” device for free accessories, with eight games (regional sets differ — Driving, Dancing and Find Ice Cream in North America). The 4U adds NFC to other units, the (Android-only) 4U app, and Touch Spots; base games include Bowling, Spaceship and a Dance Game, with more downloadable. The 4U app was shut down in September 2016.
Where It Sits in the Franchise
This era was the franchise’s NFC experiment, sitting between the infrared-download iD / P’s era and the genetics-driven m!x. Tamagotchi Friends was the simpler Western product; the 4U was the feature-rich Japanese one whose app-and-touchpoint downloads and heavy customisation point toward today’s Paradise — though the genetics core that defines Paradise didn’t arrive until the m!x in 2016.
At a Glance
| Feature | Details |
|---|---|
| Released | Friends 2013–2014 (international) · 4U / 4U+ 2014–2015 (Japan) |
| Screen | Friends: black & white · 4U: colour |
| Connectivity | NFC (bumping; 4U also app + Touch Spots) |
| Key mechanic | Touch-to-connect social play; 4U Skills system |
| Difficulty | Easy to moderate |
| Availability | Secondhand |
Before this came the iD / P’s era; after it, genetics arrived with the m!x and On. See everything in our device directory or jump to Tamagotchi Paradise.
Is It Worth Getting Today?
A fun mid-era bridge. These devices replaced infrared with NFC: tap two together to visit friends, swap gifts and send messages. Tamagotchi Friends is the accessible Western release; the Japan-only 4U / 4U+ goes deeper, adding Touch Spots and a smartphone app for downloadable content — an early hint of the connectivity that would define the Uni.
Go Deeper
NFC downloads pointed toward the Wi-Fi era of the Tamagotchi Uni. Browse the whole timeline on our Devices hub.