Found a Tamagotchi in a drawer, bought a Japanese unit with no box, or simply not sure which version you own? The shape of the shell, the antenna, the screen, the patterns, the logo and the connector are usually enough to place your device in the right family. This visual guide walks you through the main vintage and Connection Tamagotchis we sell at Buy-Tamagotchis.com.
Important: the colour of the shell almost never identifies a Tamagotchi on its own. Bandai released a great many colourways, and some shells were reused or adapted across versions. Always combine clues: shape, antenna, screen, markings and functions.
Identify your Tamagotchi in 30 seconds
- Very small, about 4 cm, square 16 × 16 screen with no icons: most likely a Tamagotchi Mini (Chibi).
- Vintage shell with metallic wings on the sides: Tamagotchi Angel (Angelgotchi).
- A cap or physical connector on top: Osutchi or Mesutchi.
- Classic 1990s shell with no antenna: P1/P2, Morino or Ocean; check the patterns and the logo to tell them apart.
- Larger Connection shell, no antenna but an infrared port: most likely a Connection V1 or V2.
- A plain antenna on the side: Keitai, Akai or one of the later Connection versions. If the pixels are red, it is an Akai.
- Antenna tipped with a ball plus small beads: usually a Japanese Entama.
- Antenna tipped with a star plus pale blue pixels: Uratama.
- Egg-shaped shell lying on its side, with a 4-way directional pad: TamaSuku / Tamagotchi School.
The vintage Tamagotchis of the 1990s
P1 / P2 Original: the classic shell with no antenna
The original Tamagotchi P1 and P2 have the shape everyone recognises: a small egg-shaped shell, three buttons below the screen and no antenna or connector of any kind. The Japanese units date mostly from 1996-1997.
P1 or P2? The shell alone will not always tell you, since many designs exist and some were reused. The most reliable method is to switch the device on and look at the mini-game and the characters: the P1 uses the left/right game, the P2 the “higher or lower” number game.
See our Tamagotchi P1/P2 in stock.
Angel / Angelgotchi: the wings give it away
The Tamagotchi Angel, called Angelgotchi or Tenshitchi no Tamagotchi in Japan, is one of the easiest vintage models to spot. The original shells carry large silver or gold wings either side of the screen.
Don’t confuse the vintage Angel with the modern reissue: they look similar, but the battery and some game details differ.
Morino / Forestgotchi: leaves and a forest theme
The Morino Tamagotchi, or Mori de Hakken! Tamagotchi, looks like a P1/P2 from the outside, but its Japanese shells lean heavily on forests, leaves, vines and insects.
Another dead giveaway: on start-up, the Morino is the only model that asks you to choose between a white egg and a black-spotted egg. And after 10 seconds without touching it, the screen zooms out and your insect becomes a tiny dot.
Ocean / Umino: waves, bubbles and sea patterns
The Tamagotchi Ocean, known as Umino or Umi de Hakken in Japan, also uses a vintage shell with no antenna. You can usually spot it by its waves, bubbles, seaweed or sea-creature patterns. Japanese units are often translucent and read “Umino Tamagotch”, while American units are opaque and read “Tamagotchi Ocean”.
An underwater scene on screen and a water-quality meter confirm the identification. See our Tamagotchi Ocean units.
Osutchi / Mesutchi: the physical connector on top
The Osutchi and Mesutchi are larger than a P1/P2 and, above all, have a cap on top of the shell. Under that cap sit the metal contacts used to physically join the two devices.
They were designed as a pair: the Osutchi is the male and the Mesutchi the female. That physical connector is an excellent tell, since unlike the Connection generation this is not an infrared link.
Identifying a Tamagotchi Connection or Tamagotchi Plus
Connection V1 / Tamagotchi Plus: no antenna, but an infrared port
The Connection V1, sold as Tamagotchi Plus in Japan, started the infrared era in 2004. Its shell is bigger than a P1/P2, but it has no antenna on the side.
Careful: the Connection V2 uses a very similar shape. To separate V1 from V2, the shell alone is not enough; the menus, the mini-games, the characters and the regional logo are more reliable.
Keitai and Akai: enter the antenna
The Keitai Kaitsuu Tamagotchi Plus is recognisable by its antenna on the left-hand side of the shell. The Akai uses essentially the same design.
The best way to tell them apart is the screen: the Keitai uses black pixels, the Akai red ones. “Akai” does, after all, mean “red” in Japanese.
Careful: some Connection V3 units also have an antenna and can pass for a Keitai. An antenna alone does not make a Keitai: check the logo, the language and the menus too.
Entama or Uratama: ball versus star
The Entama has an antenna tipped with a round ball and usually a small chain of round beads. The Uratama uses the same shell family but a star at the tip of the antenna and star-shaped beads.
Another extremely reliable clue: the Uratama displays pale blue pixels, while the Entama uses black ones.
As with the Keitai and the V3, the Western Connection V4 uses a shell and antenna very close to the Entama’s. If your device is not Japanese, check the logo and the menus before concluding.
Other easy-to-spot Tamagotchis
Mini / Chibi: the tiny one
The Tamagotchi Mini (Chibi) stands about 4 cm tall and has a screen of just 16 × 16 pixels, with none of the usual icons around it. Put next to a P1/P2 it is unmistakable: it is noticeably smaller.
See our Tamagotchi Chibi units.
TamaSuku / Tamagotchi School: the egg on its side with a d-pad
The Tamagotchi School (TamaSuku) has a shape all of its own: an egg lying on its side, with the screen in the middle, a 4-way directional pad on the left, two buttons on the right and the infrared sensor on top. There are two versions: the TamaSuku (2006) and the TamaSuku 2 (2007).
Does your Tamagotchi have a colour screen?
A colour LCD means you own something far newer than the monochrome P1/P2 and Connection models: a Tamagotchi Plus Color, iD/iD L, P’s, 4U/4U+, Meets/On, Pix, Smart, Uni or another modern generation. The name printed on the front or shown in the start-up menu is then the quickest way to pin it down.
Quick identification table
| Visual clue | Likely model | What to check |
|---|---|---|
| Small egg-shaped shell, no antenna | P1 / P2 | Mini-game and characters |
| Metallic decorative wings | Angel / Angelgotchi | Angel / Tenshitchi logo |
| Forest, leaf or insect patterns | Morino | Mori de Hakken logo |
| Waves, bubbles, seaweed or sea patterns | Ocean / Umino | Underwater scene on screen |
| Cap with contacts on top | Osutchi / Mesutchi | Physical connector |
| Large Connection shell, no antenna | V1 / V2 | Menus and mini-games |
| Side antenna + black pixels | Keitai or V3 | Logo, language, menus |
| Side antenna + red pixels | Akai | Red screen |
| Ball antenna + beads | Entama or Connection V4 | Japanese text and GUTS menus |
| Star antenna + blue pixels | Uratama | Pale blue screen |
| Very small, no icons around the screen | Mini / Chibi | 16 × 16 screen |
| Egg on its side + d-pad | TamaSuku | Version 1 or 2 |
| Colour screen | Modern generation | Name in the menu or on the front |
Check the back and the battery compartment too
When identification is still tricky, turn the device over. The markings for Bandai, the year, the country of manufacture, the battery type and the reference numbers moulded into the shell can all help. The battery type separates generations as well: vintage Tamagotchis usually take two LR44 cells, while most Connection models take a single CR2032.
See our guide What battery does my Tamagotchi need? to compare the models.
Watch out for modern reissues
Bandai has reissued several historic shells, so a Tamagotchi that looks exactly like a 1996 model is not necessarily vintage. A few clues help:
- the modern Original Tamagotchi usually takes a CR2032, while the 1990s units take two LR44 cells;
- the date and the markings on the back are different;
- the packaging and some patterns were reissued years later;
- a reissue can reuse a historic shell with slightly different programming inside.
Frequently asked questions
Can you identify a Tamagotchi from a photo alone?
Often yes, especially for models with a strong tell such as the Angel, the Akai, the Entama or the Uratama. For very close generations, such as P1/P2 or Connection V1/V2, you will also need a photo of the screen switched on or of the back of the device.
How can I tell whether my device is a genuine Bandai Tamagotchi?
Look for the Bandai mark on the shell, on the back or inside the battery compartment. Plenty of 1990s virtual pets copied the Tamagotchi shape without being Bandai products. An egg-shaped shell and three buttons are not proof of an official Tamagotchi.
I still can’t identify my Tamagotchi
Take three clear photos: the front, the back and the screen switched on. Note the battery type and any markings on the shell. Those details are usually enough to pin the generation down.
Once you know your model, find out how it works in our Tamagotchi and virtual pet guides, or browse our original Tamagotchis, Tamagotchi Connection models and colour generation.