Tama-Go full feature character figure experments
Posted: Wed Sep 23, 2026 9:19 pm
Originally posted on Tama Zone by binary · 23 September 2010
Note: I do not recommend that you try any of the below experiments on your Tama-Go, as you may end up breaking or damaging your Tama-Go. If you do try any, and your Tama-Go becomes broken or damaged in any way, neither I nor Tama-Zone will be held responsible.
Back in July, we established that games associated with lite character figures could be unlucked without attaching a character figure. (Here are links to the original posts: http://tama-zone.com/index.php?showtopi ... &p=3392739 and http://tama-zone.com/index.php?showtopi ... &p=3392829 )
The following is a summary of experiments without a character figure attached.
(IR)
abcd
efgh
The above represents the eight contacts on the top of a Tama-Go. (The letters assigned to each contact are only for our reference.) By using a piece of wire to connect some of these contacts together, games normally unlocked by lite character figures appear (even though no character figure is attached.
When the two contacts marked a & d are connected, Cradles is unlocked.
When the two contacts marked a & h are connected, Coin Catch is unlocked.
When the three contacts marked a & d & h are connected together, Pattern Shoot is unlocked. (Connect d & h first, then connect them to contact a.)
Notice how all the working combinations have one pin in common. The contact marked a is probably one side of the power bus (either ground or +3v.) The other two (d & h) are probably used to detect which lite character figure is attached. It makes economic sense to do it this way. Instead of storing the lite character figure's game in a ROM on the lite character figure, its game is stored on the Tama-Go's main ROM. This saves Bandai the cost of a ROM chip on each lite character figure. Only full-featured character figures have a ROM chip.
Recently, some members have discovered content from one full-featured character figure appearing when a different one is attached. (Here's a link: https://www.tapatalk.com/groups/tamazon ... hp?t=23582 )
This evening I performed some experiments with each full-featured character figure attached. The following are the results.
(IR)
abcd
efgh
If a piece of paper is positioned to cover one of the above contacts while each full feature character figure is slid on, interesting things may happen.
Contact a - no character figure is recognized.
Contact b - a lite character figure is detected, as below.
Mametchi #101 = cradles
Chamametchi #109 = cradles
Memetchi #110 = coin catch
Kuchipatchi #120 = pattern shoot
Violetchi #130 = coin catch
Ringotchi #156 = pattern shoot
Contact c - same results as contact b, above.
Contact d - results depend on which character figure is used, as below.
Mametchi #101 = no character figure is recognized
Chamametchi #109 = no character figure is recognized
Memetchi #110 = no change (Memetchi #110)
Kuchipatchi #120 = Memetchi #110 appears to be attached
Violetchi #130 = no change (Violetchi #130)
Ringotchi #156 = Violetchi #130 appears to be attached
Contact e - each character figure is properly recognised
(Mametchi #101 = Mametchi #101, Chamametchi #109 = Chamametchi #109, etc.)
Contact f - randomly, of these three reactions occurs:
1. nothing recognized
2. correct character figure recognised, but data is messed up
3. games normally unlocked by lite character figures appear (as with above contact b results, above)
Contact g - same results as contact b, above.
Contact h - results depend on which character figure is used, as below.
Mametchi #101 = no change (Mametchi #101)
Chamametchi #109 = no change (Chamametchi #109)
Memetchi #110 = no character figure is recognized
Kuchipatchi #120 = Mametchi #101 appears to be attached
Violetchi #130 = no character figure is recognized
Ringotchi #156 = Chamametchi #109 appears to be attached
From the above results, it appears there are two ROMs, each containing data areas for three character figures. Selection of data within each ROM is handled by absence or presence of connections to contacts d and/or h.
ROM 1
Mametchi #101 (data area selected by connection to only d)
Memetchi #110 (data area selected by connection to only h)
Kuchipatchi #120 (data area selected by connection to d & h)
ROM 2
Chamametchi #109 (data area selected by connection to only d)
Violetchi #130 (data area selected by connection to only h)
Ringotchi #156 (data area selected by connection to d & h)
Conclusion: If you were stranded on a desert island and could bring along only two character figures, take Kuchipatchi #120 and Ringotchi #156. From them, you can easily unlock the others.
Added by binary · 26 September 2010
I believe full-feature* character figures have a ROM chip. We haven't been able to prove or disprove this yet, but so far we've not been able to access any full-feature character figure data without a character figure attached.
* A lite character figure is included in the Tama-Go package. It has an opaque white base.
* A full-feature character figure is purchased separately. It has a transparent-with-sparkles base.
Added by natalies · 5 December 2010
It appears that the tamago detects a figure being connected and disconnected by detecting jumpers, so when I artificially jumper contacts, it thinks the figure is still connected even after I disconnect it.
For example, if I jumper so that it thinks a lite figure is attached, even if I attach a non-lite figure afterwards, it will still think it has the lite figure attached until I do a reset or remove both the jumper and the figure. If I attach a jumper and a full-featured figure, and reset, it will start up thinking the figure corresponding to the jumpers is attached, even if I remove it, until I remove the jumper.
This allowed me to see what happens when the Tamago thinks it has ROM attached, but doesn't, by removing the figure, and use this to figure out what the ROM does.
If I remove the figure during a game, it freezes visually on the frame it's on, but the game sounds continue, and respond to key presses. If I remove the figure before I start the game, I get no images (it shows the gotchi exiting and then freezes, but I can still play the game without seeing it and get points, etc.).
If I remove the figure in a shop or restaurant, I get a skeleton shop with blank images for items, and all the items cost 99999 points. Same with the restarurant. As soon as I reattach the figure, the images show up again.
If I attempt to use and item with the figure removed, my tama freezes and I have to restart it
So there's a really longwinded explaination of what ROM does.
(7 conversational replies were left out. The full discussion is in the archive.)
From the Tama Zone archive: original topic
Note: I do not recommend that you try any of the below experiments on your Tama-Go, as you may end up breaking or damaging your Tama-Go. If you do try any, and your Tama-Go becomes broken or damaged in any way, neither I nor Tama-Zone will be held responsible.
Back in July, we established that games associated with lite character figures could be unlucked without attaching a character figure. (Here are links to the original posts: http://tama-zone.com/index.php?showtopi ... &p=3392739 and http://tama-zone.com/index.php?showtopi ... &p=3392829 )
The following is a summary of experiments without a character figure attached.
(IR)
abcd
efgh
The above represents the eight contacts on the top of a Tama-Go. (The letters assigned to each contact are only for our reference.) By using a piece of wire to connect some of these contacts together, games normally unlocked by lite character figures appear (even though no character figure is attached.
When the two contacts marked a & d are connected, Cradles is unlocked.
When the two contacts marked a & h are connected, Coin Catch is unlocked.
When the three contacts marked a & d & h are connected together, Pattern Shoot is unlocked. (Connect d & h first, then connect them to contact a.)
Notice how all the working combinations have one pin in common. The contact marked a is probably one side of the power bus (either ground or +3v.) The other two (d & h) are probably used to detect which lite character figure is attached. It makes economic sense to do it this way. Instead of storing the lite character figure's game in a ROM on the lite character figure, its game is stored on the Tama-Go's main ROM. This saves Bandai the cost of a ROM chip on each lite character figure. Only full-featured character figures have a ROM chip.
Recently, some members have discovered content from one full-featured character figure appearing when a different one is attached. (Here's a link: https://www.tapatalk.com/groups/tamazon ... hp?t=23582 )
This evening I performed some experiments with each full-featured character figure attached. The following are the results.
(IR)
abcd
efgh
If a piece of paper is positioned to cover one of the above contacts while each full feature character figure is slid on, interesting things may happen.
Contact a - no character figure is recognized.
Contact b - a lite character figure is detected, as below.
Mametchi #101 = cradles
Chamametchi #109 = cradles
Memetchi #110 = coin catch
Kuchipatchi #120 = pattern shoot
Violetchi #130 = coin catch
Ringotchi #156 = pattern shoot
Contact c - same results as contact b, above.
Contact d - results depend on which character figure is used, as below.
Mametchi #101 = no character figure is recognized
Chamametchi #109 = no character figure is recognized
Memetchi #110 = no change (Memetchi #110)
Kuchipatchi #120 = Memetchi #110 appears to be attached
Violetchi #130 = no change (Violetchi #130)
Ringotchi #156 = Violetchi #130 appears to be attached
Contact e - each character figure is properly recognised
(Mametchi #101 = Mametchi #101, Chamametchi #109 = Chamametchi #109, etc.)
Contact f - randomly, of these three reactions occurs:
1. nothing recognized
2. correct character figure recognised, but data is messed up
3. games normally unlocked by lite character figures appear (as with above contact b results, above)
Contact g - same results as contact b, above.
Contact h - results depend on which character figure is used, as below.
Mametchi #101 = no change (Mametchi #101)
Chamametchi #109 = no change (Chamametchi #109)
Memetchi #110 = no character figure is recognized
Kuchipatchi #120 = Mametchi #101 appears to be attached
Violetchi #130 = no character figure is recognized
Ringotchi #156 = Chamametchi #109 appears to be attached
From the above results, it appears there are two ROMs, each containing data areas for three character figures. Selection of data within each ROM is handled by absence or presence of connections to contacts d and/or h.
ROM 1
Mametchi #101 (data area selected by connection to only d)
Memetchi #110 (data area selected by connection to only h)
Kuchipatchi #120 (data area selected by connection to d & h)
ROM 2
Chamametchi #109 (data area selected by connection to only d)
Violetchi #130 (data area selected by connection to only h)
Ringotchi #156 (data area selected by connection to d & h)
Conclusion: If you were stranded on a desert island and could bring along only two character figures, take Kuchipatchi #120 and Ringotchi #156. From them, you can easily unlock the others.
Added by binary · 26 September 2010
It seems that lite* character figures do not have a ROM chip. We've been able to access the character figure games Cradles, Catch, and Pattern Shoot without having a character figure attached.Uwasatchi12 @ Sep 26 2010, 11:13 AM wrote:Does this mean that figures don't have ROM chips?
I believe full-feature* character figures have a ROM chip. We haven't been able to prove or disprove this yet, but so far we've not been able to access any full-feature character figure data without a character figure attached.
* A lite character figure is included in the Tama-Go package. It has an opaque white base.
* A full-feature character figure is purchased separately. It has a transparent-with-sparkles base.
Added by natalies · 5 December 2010
I did this recently, not knowing it had been done before (http://kwartzlab.ca/blog/natalies/2010- ... edition-ac), but I used jumpers instead of covering contacts, because I had different figures. This allowed me to answer the question of what the ROM does to some level.binary @ Sep 27 2010, 04:11 AM wrote:I believe full-feature* character figures have a ROM chip. We haven't been able to prove or disprove this yet, but so far we've not been able to access any full-feature character figure data without a character figure attached.
It appears that the tamago detects a figure being connected and disconnected by detecting jumpers, so when I artificially jumper contacts, it thinks the figure is still connected even after I disconnect it.
For example, if I jumper so that it thinks a lite figure is attached, even if I attach a non-lite figure afterwards, it will still think it has the lite figure attached until I do a reset or remove both the jumper and the figure. If I attach a jumper and a full-featured figure, and reset, it will start up thinking the figure corresponding to the jumpers is attached, even if I remove it, until I remove the jumper.
This allowed me to see what happens when the Tamago thinks it has ROM attached, but doesn't, by removing the figure, and use this to figure out what the ROM does.
If I remove the figure during a game, it freezes visually on the frame it's on, but the game sounds continue, and respond to key presses. If I remove the figure before I start the game, I get no images (it shows the gotchi exiting and then freezes, but I can still play the game without seeing it and get points, etc.).
If I remove the figure in a shop or restaurant, I get a skeleton shop with blank images for items, and all the items cost 99999 points. Same with the restarurant. As soon as I reattach the figure, the images show up again.
If I attempt to use and item with the figure removed, my tama freezes and I have to restart it
So there's a really longwinded explaination of what ROM does.
(7 conversational replies were left out. The full discussion is in the archive.)
From the Tama Zone archive: original topic