Tamagotchi Plaza review - A set of mini-games and that's about it

My reactions and feelings towards Tamagotchi Plaza were split 50/50, marked by what I’d consider a halfway point in my 10 hours of playing the game. I’d love to have played it for longer, but if I read one more repeated speech bubble, or played one more vapid mini-game, I would have torn out my eyes.

This is how my time with the new Nintendo Switch 2 game went.

The first few hours passed by, with me installed as a member of staff, hired to renovate Tamagotchi Plaza in order to impress judges who rule the city a more enjoyable place to visit. This involves working with the Tamagotchi who run the shops, serving customers, improving the reputation of the shops, all to make the town stand out.

This is all a facade to present 12 unique mini-games that range from quirky to boring, with each shop taking the form of a game to be played while interacting with the residents. It’s not a terrible premise, nor a way to showcase the mini-games, however, there’s little to no substance here, even for younger players.

Tamagotchi Plaza helpers - Bandai Namco

So, my first few hours were meeting lots of Tamagotchi, all of whom are brilliantly designed, like some kind of creature that’s Warhol meets Dali, by way of Adventure Time. And I love them. They’re the highlight of the game, because each of them is so utterly bonkers that they have instant personality in their bright colours and misshapen forms.

They’re all presented in gorgeous vibrancy, showcased wonderfully on the Switch 2 screen, or on the TV. It’s a Saturday morning cartoon in saccharine glory, with each character model feeling almost tangible, as if you can reach into the screen and squeeze them.

I happily plodded around the plaza, dipping into each shop to play the mini-games, meet some new Tamagotchi and use the game as a bit of a distraction. I loved the functionality of opening up the in-game smartphone to check out each resident, collect photos of them as we interacted, and read their social media posts which are ludicrously deranged.

Each mini-game is fine, for the first few times, but after that, any sense of fun is worn down by horrific repetition. Working in the bike shop, changing saddles, respraying the metal frames, or wiping off dirt is lovely, but too simple. Arranging an afternoon tea lacks the charm of the guests in the shop.

Sushi mini-game - Bandai Namco

Creating Manga comics for residents is like pasting stickers into the most plain and boring sticker album, and it’s often confusing to complete the customer's requests. Choosing spectacles for each Tamagotchi sounds like it would be fun, but it’s the same process over and over, pressing buttons, rotating the thumbsticks to act out simple movements.

The only game that retained any sense of fun was making galettes, as it required several steps and a lot of variation in the preparing and cooking, bringing back fun memories of games like Cooking Mama. There was also a passable rhythm game that allows you to perform rap battles, of all things.

Every game here would be fine if they were part of an RPG, as a throwaway side-quest for ten minutes of silly fun, but as the core of what’s on offer, it’s akin to when my daughter was little and would watch Disney’s Frozen five times per day, draining the life from me.

Outside the games, there’s really very little to do. You can play hide-and-seek with some Tamagotchi, but it’s typical of when a three-year old plays the game and simply crouches down in the middle of the room, and you have to pretend you don’t see them, all while wishing you’d weren’t related to them.

Making galettes - Bandai Namco

And so, the second half of my playthrough became torture. A groundhog day of smiling, nodding, listening to bizarre sound effects, reading the same quips, moving around a dreamworld that quickly felt like a nightmare. Yeah, there are some interesting ways of using the Switch 2 Joy-Cons, like swiping across the mouse sensor to throw items, or you can use the mouse function to serve sushi, but much like the substance of each game, after a few tries, they become rote and lifeless.

I know what you’re thinking, surely it’s not the ideal game for a grown man, and perhaps you’re right. But then I thought back to the games my kids played when they were still in single digits, and remembered the kinds of games they loved, all of them had more to offer than this, and I spent many hours wondering what kid would enjoy this. Younger players do love repetition, but the games here lack the actual joy needed to fulfil that remit, and several of them are obtuse and vague, which would only lead to annoyed children.

As I came to the end of my time in Tamagotchi Plaza, it became an insipid place to roam - an existential nightmare where everyone is constantly happy, living in a cycle of benign pleasantries. The constant repetition only serving to chip away at my sanity, much like when I owned my first Tamagotchi as a kid, hearing it chirrup for attention until I shoved it in a drawer to die.

Pros: Beautiful, bright visuals, bonkers characters

Cons: Repetitive, lack of substance, mini-games quickly become dull

For fans of: Animal Crossing, Tamagotchi, Tomodachi Life

4/10: Below Average

Tamagotchi Plaza is available now on Switch 2 (version tested) and Nintendo Switch. A review code was provided by the publisher. Read a guide to our review scores here.