The 20th-anniversary reissue of the device that defined the 2000s — connect, marry, and pass on a new generation, all over infrared.
What Is the 2024 Connection Re-Release?
Bandai Namco brought back the Tamagotchi Connection on July 10, 2024 to celebrate the line’s 20th anniversary (the original Connection launched in 2004). It’s the device that made Tamagotchi a social phenomenon the second time around — the one where two units could link up, let their pets play together, fall in love, and have a baby that carried on the family line.
One thing to know up front: this reissue is based on the later Connection Version 3 / Keitai hardware, not the original 2004 Version 1. You can spot it by the small cellphone-style antenna nub on the shell. It carries the V3 character roster and feature set, which is the richest of the classic Connection era.
What’s New (and What’s the Same) vs. the 2000s Originals
The big headline is what hasn’t changed: connection still happens the original way — device-to-device over infrared. A couple of myths worth busting for anyone shopping:
- There is no smartphone app and no TamaTown. The 2024 Connection is infrared-only, exactly like the originals. (The Tamagotchi app you may have heard of belongs to the separate Tamagotchi Uni line.) Item passwords that used to come from the old TamaTown website are now posted on Bandai’s official site and social channels.
- It only connects to other 2024 Connection units — not to vintage 2000s Tamagotchis.
- Minor modern tweaks: a standardized ball-chain on every shell, a darker/higher-contrast screen, and slightly faster animation.
Bandai pitches it as 50+ characters to raise, 14 mini-games, and 150+ collectible items.
The Growth Chart: From Egg to a New Generation
The Connection follows the full classic life cycle, and unlike the simpler keychain Tamagotchis it keeps going generation after generation.
| Stage | Roughly how long |
|---|---|
| Baby | ~1 hour |
| Child | ~1 day |
| Teen | ~3 days |
| Adult | From ~4 days; stays an adult until it marries or ages into a senior |
| Senior | Lives on until old age or neglect — or until it marries another device’s pet |
Which adult you raise is decided by care quality, the Version 3 way: answer your pet’s calls and keep care mistakes low and it evolves into the premium characters; let mistakes pile up and it drops to the lower-tier adults. There are around 15 obtainable adults per generation sorted into care tiers, drawn from the beloved V3 cast — including franchise mascots Mametchi, Kuchipatchi, and Mimitchi.
Connecting, Marriage & the Next Generation
This is the heart of the Connection. Point two units at each other (within about 10 cm, screens at the same height, out of bright sunlight) and choose one of three activities:
- Game — play a two-player mini-game for Gotchi Points.
- Present — wrap up a food or item and gift it to the other pet.
- Visit — drop by the other Tamagotchi’s home.
Connect with the same partner repeatedly and their relationship deepens until they can marry — your next connection then produces a baby on both devices, and the family line continues. Don’t have a second device? Once your pet has been an adult for a few days, the matchmaker Otokitchi shows up a few times a day offering a partner so you can have a baby solo. After a pet passes on, press A + C to start the next egg.
How Care Works
- Feeding: a Meal fills hunger; a Snack boosts happiness but adds weight. You start with a few of each and buy or unlock more.
- Discipline: praise and scold your pet as appropriate — and answer every attention call within about 15 minutes, or it logs a care mistake (mistakes reset each growth stage, and a few games can even undo them).
- The shop & items: spend Gotchi Points at the shop (which restocks through the day) and Ojitchi’s traveling cart. Items let your pet play, and some unlock the two-player connection games. Secret codes from Bandai’s site unlock bonus food and items.
- Everyday care: clean up poop, cure sickness, and turn the lights off at bedtime — the usual classic-Tamagotchi routine.
Mini-Games
There are 14 games in all — 7 you play solo and 7 that require a connected partner (and the right item). New games unlock as your pet grows, and older games pay out more Gotchi Points as it ages. Solo games include note-catching, soccer heading, basketball Hoops, Memory, and Sprint; connection games include Ball, RC Car, Rope, and Trumpet. A couple of games double as a way to reverse care mistakes.
Buying Guide: Shells, Price & Where to Find It
The 2024 Connection runs $29.99 for a single unit, with a “True Friends” 2-pack at $57.99 — and because connecting needs two devices, the 2-pack is the way to go if you want the full social experience out of the box. The US launch offered six shells: Bubbles, Ice Cream, Rainbow Sky, Clear Retro, Blue Graffiti, and Pink Graffiti. It’s sold at Bandai’s official shop, Amazon, and major toy retailers.
At a Glance
| Feature | Details |
|---|---|
| Released | July 10, 2024 (Connection 20th anniversary) |
| Based on | Connection Version 3 / Keitai hardware |
| Connectivity | Infrared, device-to-device (no app, no TamaTown) |
| Characters | 50+ to raise; ~15 adults per generation |
| Mini-games | 14 (7 solo, 7 connection) |
| Key feature | Connecting, marriage & multi-generation play |
| Price | $29.99 (2-pack $57.99) |
| Availability | Widely available new in stores |
Want the classic 1990s devices instead? See our Gen 1 and Gen 2 re-release guides, or read about the original Connection Era (2004–2008). For the franchise’s newest device, explore our complete Tamagotchi Paradise guides.