The first colour Tamagotchi sold in North America — and the device that brought genetics and marriage to Western players.
What Is It?
The Tamagotchi On is the international name for the colour-screen device that launched in Japan as the Tamagotchi Meets on November 23, 2018, reaching North America in July 2019. It holds a special place in franchise history as the first colour-screen Tamagotchi ever released in North America, and it brought the genetics-and-marriage formula pioneered by the Japan-only m!x to a worldwide audience.
Key Features
Genetics & marriage: raise your pet, marry it off, and from the second generation onward the child inherits a mix of its parents’ physical traits — shapes, colours and features that can even skip a generation and resurface later.
Bluetooth + the app: the On added Bluetooth alongside infrared, connecting to the Tamagotchi On/Meets companion app — a plaza for games, items and marriage. The apps were shut down in 2022, but the device plays fully without them.
Tama Pets, twins & Tama Resort: adoptable pets that can breed their own mixed offspring, a chance at twin babies from generation two, and travel destinations layered on top of the “My Town” hub.
Colour-changing food: feed a coloured food five times and your pet’s body colour changes permanently — and that colour can be passed down to its children.
Characters & Raising
The first generation raises conventionally, but the magic starts at generation two when inheritance kicks in. A Happy Meter (up to 100 points) influences which character your pet becomes and, from gen 2, nudges the inherited genetics. Because every outcome blends two parents, no two family trees look quite alike — which is exactly what made the On so collectible.
Versions
The On shipped in Fairy and Magic worldwide, with Japan-only Pastel, Sanrio, Fantasy and Sweets editions and a US-exclusive Wonder Garden. The Japanese Meets can connect to the older m!x for play and gifts (but not marriage); the international On cannot connect to the m!x at all.
How It Compares to Paradise
The On is the spiritual ancestor of today’s Tamagotchi Paradise — both are built on inheritance and exploration. Paradise simply goes far deeper, with four fields, 68 characters and a vastly larger evolution tree. If you love the On’s breeding system, Paradise is the natural next step.
At a Glance
| Feature | Details |
|---|---|
| Released | Nov 2018 (Japan, “Meets”) / July 2019 (North America, “On”) |
| Screen | Full colour |
| Connectivity | Infrared + Bluetooth (app, now discontinued) |
| Key mechanic | Genetics, marriage & inherited traits |
| Difficulty | Moderate |
| Availability | Secondhand |
The On built on the Japan-only Tamagotchi m!x and led toward the Uni and today’s Tamagotchi Paradise. See the full lineup in our device directory.
Is It Worth Getting Today?
Yes, if you love breeding. On and Meets are where genetics matured: babies inherit eyes, ears, color and markings, so every device becomes unique over generations — the direct predecessor to Paradise breeding. The On is the easiest to find in the West and adds Bluetooth app support and 1,000+ extra combinations; the Meets adds raisable pets and twins.
Go Deeper
Mixing began on the Tamagotchi m!x and reached its peak in Paradise breeding. Compare devices on our comparison page.