The first thing that happened to me when I saw the game in my hands was that I saw all my childhood before my eyes. I remembered those toys of the 90s and early 2000s, of which the legendary Tamagotchi stands out, with its gray-green and black screen. Just hearing the name Tamagotchi Plaza reminded me of all those moments of fun with that little keychain-shaped toy, and of how many times my character died because I was too little to understand the responsibility of taking care of a digital being. However, I thought this would be my moment to redeem myself and take care of my Tamagotchi as the semi-responsible adult that I am.

Yet, all my expectations vanished; I should have read the game description more carefully. I still had hours of fun, although it wasn’t exactly what I was expecting from the original Tamagotchi. If not, something more reminiscent of Tamagotchi Connexion: Corner Shop, which is a gem of a game in its own right.

A Beauty Pageant for Towns

The player is peacefully at home until Prince Tamahiko, in an alien ship, takes them from Earth to Tamagotchi Planet. In Tamahiko Town, the city where you arrive, several characters from the official Tamagotchi Fest Committee are already waiting for your arrival. This is a committee created by the prince to help Tamahiko Town gain more reputation against the other towns on the planet that are competing to be the venue for the upcoming Tamagotchi Fest. That’s why you, along with one of the initial characters you choose as your partner, will be in charge of opening several shops in the town and improving them before the fest.

From the initial trailers and the style, I thought this game would be more like Animal Crossing: New Horizons but with the iconic Tamagotchi characters. In a way, it is, since you have to open stores and beautify the town, but the gameplay focuses mainly on the mini-games in each of the locations. Yes, there are certain interactions around town with the 100+ Tamagotchi characters, such as chatting, going for a walk, or collecting trash. However, as I said before, the focus is on the mini-games. The story about the festival is even left behind, and after a while, it may be somewhat forgotten.

A Mini-Game Buffet

The mini-games are undoubtedly quite entertaining. From the start, you can unlock up to 10 shops, and as you progress, you will unlock another two shops, at least in the Nintendo Switch version. Although if you have the Nintendo Switch 2 version, you can have up to 15 shops, of which three are secret; you must unlock them after listening to clues from the other characters in the plaza. It is well justified that the Nintendo Switch 2 has more shops, as these specifically feature special mechanics, such as the Sushi Shop, where you must use the Joy-Cons in mouse mode. So, Tamagotchi Plaza exploits a little more of the new console’s unique mechanics.

The exclusive games of the Nintendo Switch 2 are unique and fun, but the most significant difference from the rest of the shops is the tutorials. Don’t get me wrong, my favorite mini games were Dentist, although I hate going to see it in real life, and the Galette Shop. The problem I found when exploring each shop is that they lack tutorials. Of course, many of the games are very simple and intuitive, but you discover more with the trial-and-error method.

For example, in the Dentist’s game, I didn’t understand why every time I wanted to use the drill, a box appeared, or that I had to remove the cavity and lock it up in that box, and then cure the tooth. In the Galette Shop, I had to guess which ingredient was which, since none of them had a name. Or in the Afternoon Tea Shop, I discovered that there were different decorations and dishes until much later, so my first ratings were very low. I think Tamagotchi Plaza needs to provide more specific guidelines on what they expect players to do.

Those who can get even more out of the game are those who have the Nintendo Switch 2, due to the exclusive mini-games. Additionally, players with the Tamagotchi Uni will have access to exclusive events and items. However, as for playing with friends, not all shops support more than one player, and they can’t be in the same square to walk together. That’s why Tamagotchi Plaza is more of a solo experience, when they could have gotten so much more out of the multiplayer mode.

Conclusion

The game is quite simple, but the mini-games are very entertaining; it’s like going to Mario Party to play only in the game gallery, instead of going to the boards. Although you can unlock more characters in the shops or the town, the truth is that the “social” aspect is quite superficial, as well as the story.

It’s cute that there’s the possibility to upgrade the shops and decorate the plaza, but there’s not much else to do, and it makes the experience feel repetitive after a while. Tamagotchi Plaza is a game that falls more in the casual category, and unfortunately, the multiplayer is also somewhat limited. However, if you’re a fan of the franchise, you’ll have fun meeting all the Tamagotchi characters and seeing their unique outfits or getting pictures with them around town.