Tamagotchi Connection: Corner Shop 2 review

Remember the digital pet craze of the mid-ninties? If so, then you probably remember that it was Tamagotchi that started it all. They've come a long way since then, and now they're back in Tamagotchi Connection: Corner Shop 2.

Leaving behind the original Tamagotchi's roots, Corner Shop 2 is more a collection of minigames than a virtual pet. The game consists of various themed shops (burger joint, clothing boutique, bowling alley, sushi bar, airline, and so forth), and each one is a minigame. By serving customers at each shop, you can earn money to unlock new shops. If you do well consistently in a shop, you'll have a chance to expand it.

There are four possible levels for each shop: Putchi, Metchi, Gotchi, and Royal. When you unlock a shop, it starts at the Putchi level, and your goal for each shop is to get it to Royal. Once you've done this, there's really no reason to go back to that shop unless you really enjoy playing the minigame.

Each time a shop levels up, you'll unlock items that you can buy and give to your Tamagotchi partner. You can spoil him with food, drinks, and different accessories for his home, all for the chance that he might have some encouraging quip for you. The problem is that there's no real reward for spending your hard earned "Gotchi" on a mostly ungrateful little turd of a Tamagotchi you chose as your partner at the beginning of the game. You'll start to resent coming home to your "partner" after a long day of slaving over minigames just to be able to afford to buy him a few treats. It often feels like providing for a lazy spouse who just takes and takes.