Ever since Tamagotchi Uni became globally available last summer, it’s felt like a product with a lot of unrealized potential.

Tamagotchi Uni and the Tamaverse

Bear in mind, I say this as someone who loves this device and has run it daily since launch. But on top of all the basic activities one would expect at this point from the digital pet toy, the Wi-Fi capable Tamagotchi Uni promised users the “Tamaverse” — a virtual playground that would broaden the Tamagotchi experience like never before. So far, it hasn’t, really.

The Promise of the Tamaverse

Sure, players could send their characters there to “meet” others, go on little vacations and buy outfits, but those small activities don’t really add much substance. The “travel” experience involved watching short animation, and occasionally getting a special food dish, item or achievement badge. Even the aspect of mingling was sorely limited, allowing players to send just one Heart (a “like” to acknowledge another player’s Tamagotchi) per day.

Bandai's Update

The Tamaverse has been slow to live up to the expectations Bandai set, despite it being the Uni’s biggest selling point. That seems to be changing in a big way.

Tama Portal and DLC Packs

With an update that rolled out on March 19 — version 1.6.0 — Bandai opened the Tama Portal, an area of the Tamaverse that’s been cordoned off all this time. A few days after, it dropped the first two DLC packs for Tamagotchi Uni in the form of “Tamaverse Tickets,” which allow users to travel to new locations through that portal.

Depth and Expansion

This is the kind of depth the virtual space always seemed to imply. Now it feels like we’re finally seeing what the Tamaverse can really be. Hopefully, it’s just the start.

DLC Details

There will undoubtedly be some who balk at having to pay for DLC beyond the one freebie, and while I can’t say I’d blame them for that, it doesn’t bother me for what we’re getting.

Enhanced Gameplay

All of the things you can purchase in the Tama Portal locations are as of now much cheaper than the usual Tama Mall offerings, with furniture and accessories falling between 200 and 500 Gotchi Points. It’s really nice to have some new mini-games to freshen up the daily routine, since there aren’t many built into the device when it’s offline, and the ones they’ve added to the first Tamaverse locations are great.

Continued Expansion

One of the best things about previous versions of the modern Tamagotchi, like the Tamagotchi On, was the joy of discovery when you unlocked a new location. The new Tama Portal destinations garner that same feeling, and I can only hope Bandai will keep it going even beyond the additional expansions it teased with update 1.6.0.