Table of Contents
Tamagotchi Mini
The Tamagotchi Mini pays tribute to the original Tamagotchi. In Japan, it’s known as the Chibi Tamagotchi (ちびたまごっち). This miniature device marked the second global Tamagotchi release following the 2004 relaunch. Its small size has led many to embrace it as a fashionable accessory.
To commemorate Tamagotchi’s 20th anniversary, Bandai reintroduced the Tamagotchi Mini. The rereleased version debuted in Japan in April 2017, followed by a U.S. launch in November of the same year.
Design
The Tamagotchi Mini stands out as the smallest in the franchise, measuring a mere 4 centimeters (approximately 1.57 inches) in height. Its display is 16 pixels wide by 16 pixels tall, exactly half the size of the original Tamagotchi’s 32 by 16 pixel screen. The Mini’s screen features a printed background and lacks icons.
Japan, 2005: The Mini’s initial release included the secret character Lucky Untchi.
International, 2005: This global version introduced changes such as a different meal option, an additional idle animation showing the Tamagotchi running in the distant background, Ginjirotchi as the secret character, and a modified death animation.
Good Luck Version: Exclusive to Japan, this variant offered two new food choices and introduced two new characters: Darumatchi and Mikotchi.
20th Anniversary Version: Launched in 2017 to commemorate 2 decades of the Tamagotchi franchise, this edition featured the secret character Bill and maintained identical functionality across all regions.
Watch a video review of Tamagotchi Mini:
Gameplay
Hatching and Growth
The egg hatches into Marutchi 1 minute after clock setup. Marutchi stays awake for a minute if hatched after 8 PM before sleeping. It evolves into its adult form after 24 hours. The adult transforms into a secret character after seven days, with Mametchi becoming a unique character compared to other adults across all versions.
Buttons
The A and C buttons are context-sensitive due to the lack of screen icons. The C button functions as the Check meter. Pressing it triggers animations if the Mini needs attention: a dizzy spin indicates an empty Hungry meter, while turning away and sulking shows an empty Happy meter. These animations only appear when meters are completely empty.
The A button serves as the “Function” button, carrying out actions when the Mini needs something. It handles feeding, light control, cleaning, and treating illness. Functions are prioritized: cleaning poo (highest), curing sickness (middle), and feeding (lowest). During sleep, the A button toggles lights.
The B button displays the clock (hours and minutes only). Pressing A and C together allows time changes and sound toggling. In the 2005 English edition, A and B together pauses the Mini, showing an exclamation mark above the character (absent in the 2017 edition).
Feeding
The Mini has invisible four-heart Hungry and Happy meters. The A button brings up the Meal and Snack menu when meters are partially or fully empty. Meals fill the Hungry meter, snacks fill the Happy meter. In the 2017 edition, the food menu appears even with full meters.
Meals vary by version: rice bowl (Japanese and 2017 releases), bagel (2005 English release), fish (Good Luck version). Snacks are candy (most versions) or mochi (Good Luck version).
Poo and Sickness
The Mini produces poo every three hours, with a maximum of six on screen. Neglecting poo and ignoring meter calls leads to sickness.
Death
Death occurs at around 15 years of age or prematurely if meters remain empty or sickness persists for 24 hours. The death screen shows Obaketchi by a grave (Japanese and 20th Anniversary versions) or the Tamagotchi being taken by a UFO (2005 English version). Pressing A and C together at the death screen produces a new egg.
Trivia
1. The Tamagotchi Mini remains the smallest Tamagotchi release to date, with the Tamagotchi Nano following as the second smallest.
2. The Mini’s sounds closely resemble those of the original Tamagotchi.
3. Special pre-release editions were distributed at a Destiny’s Child concert after-party in Japan, April 2005. These editions mirrored the first three shell designs but featured a distinctive black label with “DESTINY’S CHILD” in pink text above the screen.
4. The 20th Anniversary Edition, however, features higher-pitched sounds compared to the original Mini.
5. The English 20th Anniversary version marked Obaketchi’s debut in an English release. This version also stands out as the least altered from the original Japanese release, featuring a direct translation without sprite edits.
6. Initial promotional images for the English designs erroneously displayed the Tamagotchi Connection’s screen layout.
7. A glitch exists in the 20th Anniversary version affecting secret characters and death. When Bill or Oyajitchi die, the death sequence lasts one hour instead of the usual one minute, with beeping ceasing after the first minute. Standard adult characters maintain normal death sequence operations.
Tips & Tricks
1. Your Tamagotchi Mini lives for about 15 days after it hatches. It doesn’t show how hungry it is, so give it both types of food until it stops eating (usually 4 of each at most).
2. To get different and cooler characters, keep your pet happy and healthy all the time. Don’t just wait for it to beep when it’s hungry. If you only feed it when it beeps, you might end up with boring characters like Kuchipatchi and Nyorotchi.
3. To get better characters like Maskutchi and Mametchi, check on your Tamagotchi about every 45 minutes. This helps take really good care of it.
4. Every so often, press the A button. If your Tamagotchi needs something, the A button will do what it needs.
5. The Mini has 2 food choices: a sushi-like meal and a candy snack. You can’t overfeed it because it only eats when hungry. When you feed it, offer both foods. It’ll eat what it wants and say no to the rest. This might save you from having to feed it again soon.
6. Cleaning up poop is easy: just press the A button once. There’s no toilet, you just clean up when you see poop.
7. When your pet is sick, you’ll see a skull on the screen. Press the A button to make it feel better.
8. Sleep times: babies sleep from 8 p.m. to 9 a.m. Grown-ups sleep from 10 p.m. to 9 a.m. At bedtime, it beeps to say it’s time for lights out. To turn off the lights, press A to get to the light switch, A again to change it from ON to OFF, and B to say, “Yes, turn it off.”
9. Your Tamagotchi Mini grows from a baby to an adult after 24 hours. It stays a regular adult for 7 days, then turns into a special adult. After 7 more days as a special adult, your Tamagotchi’s life is over and it goes back to Tama Planet.
Instruction Sheet
Characters
| Character | Artwork | Sprite | Growth Stage | Obtaining |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Marutchi |  |  | Baby | Your Tamagotchi starts as an egg. When it’s ready, it breaks out of its shell. This is called hatching. After it hatches, it’s a baby for 1 full day (24 hours). Then it changes into its next form. |
| Mametchi |  |  | Adult | Perfect care. |
| Maskutchi |  |  | Adult | Good care. |
| Kuchipatchi |  |  | Adult | Average care. |
| Nyorotchi |  |  | Adult | Bad care. |
| Lucky Untchi |  |  | Special | Good care from Mametchi. (2005 Japanese and Good Luck versions only.) |
| Ginjirotchi |  |  | Special | Good care from Mametchi. (2005 English version only) |
| Oyajitchi |  |  | Special | Good care from Maskutchi, Kuchipatchi or Nyorotchi. (Not available on the Good Luck version) |
| Mikotchi |  |  | Adult | Good care. (Good Luck version only. Replaces Maskutchi) |
| Darumatchi |  |  | Special | Good care from Mikotchi, Kuchipatchi or Nyorotchi. (Good Luck version only) |
| Bill |  |  | Special | Good care from Mametchi. (20th Anniversary version only) |
Growth Chart
