Disclosure:
I received the Tamagotchi iDL featured here on behalf of ExclusivelyiDL.com to do
this review. No monetary compensation was provided. All opinions here are mine.
The Tamagotchi iDL came to me as a refreshing alternative to the colourless, pixelated version that
everyone's familiar with, mainly due to it coming with a FULL-COLOURED LCD
screen! Those with a Tamagotchi Plus
Colour, though, wouldn’t be impressed. BUT WAIT!
There's much more to the iDL than just colour.
Firstly,
forgive me for fussing over the packaging but I had to admit, it was gorgeous! The crystal-white diamond stars and
beads scattered lightly against the sky-blue background of the box really
brought a sense of class to the product.
Not
a fan of blue? The iDL comes in 5 other tastefully-selected colours -- pink,
yellow, purple, green and silver.
Moreover,
unlike previous versions requiring button cell batteries, the iDL runs on 2 AAA
batteries, which are much easier to find
in stores. What's more? A free pair is
included in the packaging upon arrival (meaning that you could just pop them in
and dive right into playing).
Also
included in the package were some instructions on accessing the battery
compartment, a brochure with the link to the iDL website and a
brightly-coloured instructions booklet.
Moving back
to the product itself, the iDL, unlike the older Plus Colour, has reverted back its iconic
egg-like shell. You would find that the Plus Colour has an awkward flat bottom. Thus, for those
wanting to play with your Tama buddy for long periods of time, I would say the
iDL offers a more ergonomic design.
I just HAD
to make this comparison. Adorable, isn't it?
The Bandai
makers had also given much thought into the aesthetics of the iDL since the Plus Colour.
Giving a futuristic look to the iDL, is a shiny glass faceplate adorned with sparkling diamonds around the sides and an elegant silver lining encircling the edges for a touch of sophistication.
On the other end of the spectrum, the Plus Colour (below), leaves you a comparatively unflattering first impression with its rather standard, very basic, plain-coloured faceplate, lacking any of the iDL's intricate details whatsoever.
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| Not very impressive I must say |
As always,
the iDL retains the infrared port on top of its shell. Sure, in this day and
age, a Bluetooth connectivity or NFC capability would be more preferable, but
it's only with infrared technology that
your iDL would be able to connect to other Tamagotchi devices. Not to mention,
an infrared port for your computer can be cheaply bought online here, allowing you to
instantly gain access to the exclusive
bonus downloadable games, clothing, wallpapers etc. from this website (specially catered for the iDL).
 |
| The classic 'run and jump' game! |
If you wish
to save money, I would recommend choosing the Japanese version over the
English, which tends to be pricier. However, even if your Tama
"speaks" to you in a language completely alien to you, the simple and
intuitive controls would allow you to navigate it pretty easily anyway.
After my
Tama hatched, I have to admit that it was a little demanding. It needed 4 whole bowls of rice every few hours, coming
through the other end as a pixelated foul-smelling poop (which you obviously
couldn’t leave lying around). It wasn’t too bad though, since you only needed
to repeatedly alternate between pressing the "A" and "B"
buttons to feed and clean it, keeping its Happy Bar full.
Furthermore, with limitless candy available, treating my little friend with
some of it every now and then was enough keep it content.
 |
| Here's him enjoying a bowl of rice |
However, as
it grew from a toddler to a teenager and finally an adult, it not only became
less "needy" but also increasingly able to access the multitude of
functions available in the iDL.
I was
pleasantly surprised that the iDL was heads and shoulders above the Plus Colour, featuring
never-before-seen functions including:
32 new characters
10 Tama Pets
8 unlockable locations (a new mystery location
could be unlocked for every 4 seals acquired per Tama)
Gardening (to grow and sell plants)
Sale events (giving you access to exclusive
and/or discounted items)
Cleaning your home
Visiting parent Tamagotchi ancestors
Connecting to other Tamagotchi iDL owners to
make friends, exchange gifts, share photos and mate, creating new generations
of Tamagotchis
AND
11 BRAND-NEW LOCATIONS such as
Henshin Jo (a clothes
and accessories shop), Patchi
Forest (to bathe in the hot springs, Melody Land (to interact with Melodytchi's
parents), Concert (to watch Lovelin
and Melodytchi
perform LIVE), Tamagotchi
School (to learn Tamatomo and about
Tamagotchi alongside Mimitchi) and even Daiou no Shiro (Gotchi King's Castle)!
I got bored
of my previous Tamagotchis pretty easily as they were left to collect dust
after about a month.
Well, it's
been more than a month now and I'm still very attached to my current Tama friend (who is
very much alive) with many functions of
the iDL still left unexplored! Surprisingly, the iDL is STILL providing me with
endless hours of entertainment and opportunities to interact with my little
buddy.
My little buddy has grown up to become Sunopotchi.
 |
| This little guy here |
Now the only
thing that would complete my life would be to get another iDL because my little
Sunopotchi here
needs friends!!
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