Nowadays when many older audiences think of Digimon, they tend to look back and think that it was a direct competitor to Pokemon. This was never directly the case as the two went about their monster-catching genre different. Digimon didn’t start as an anime as many often think, but instead the Tamagotchi-like pet care device that allowed people to train up, battle and take care of their little digital monster. It’s no surprise then that Bandai Namco has looked forward with this original concept and brought it to a more modern approach with the Digimon Vital Bracelet as the brand new way to enjoy the company of these digital companions.
The Vital Bracelet released earlier this year in Japan and did manage to see English support some time later, but the official release without imports wouldn’t be until November. The main draw is, of course, raising a digital monster to digivolve and become stronger over time. Digimon are gained by using small little chips called Dim Cards, which upon use delivers an egg that hatches and becomes the first baby Digimon. The first two stages are quick to evolve and soon they get to iconic Rookie stages. Unlike the original device this one uses an owner’s step count and various activity to determine how the Digimon will change over time once they’ve made it to Rookie. Each Digimon has different requirements to determine their growth, and generally speaking it takes around 12 to 24 hours for each stage to digivolve while awake on the device itself. When asleep or in the companion mobile app, time won’t progress but other things can be accomplished in the meantime. It’s worth noting that at the time of writing there are currently three different versions of the Vital Bracelet available. One that’s an upgrade of the base version with a small assortment of changes, and a third that is exclusively for other crossovers with the likes of Ultraman and Kamen Rider which won’t be covered here as they’re not compatible with the Digimon Dim Cards.
As for the mobile app, known simply as VB Lab, it’s where extra Digimon can be stored and take part in ranked battles. Players can also earn exp through the app to level up, in addition to setting up challenges for their Digimon when transferred back to the Vital Bracelet. The transfer is done through NFC readers in both devices which are available in most modern smartphones. In the VB Lab a Digimon’s growth route can be checked on and items to increase their vitals or make them more efficient in battle can also be purchased using the in-app currency. There are no micro-transactions so the only purchases for the Vital Bracelet are the device itself and any addition Dim Cards a user wants to purchase at around $10 a piece depending on where they’re bought from. The battles are a big part of the VB Lab as they allow Digimon to rank higher by winning fights and earn extra items after the fighting period is over. The fights are simplistic and simply rely on pressing the stop button as a bar fills up to do the most damage. There are also Practice Battles to get used to combat and of course a handy dandy log to see how a Digimon is currently doing. Once done playing around in the app it’s easy to transfer right back to the Vital Bracelet and get moving.
Although it’s technically a pedometer the Vital Bracelet is easy to manipulate steps with, which is honestly in the device’s benefit. Shaking it on the wrist generates steps and can take the place of some of the other physical challenges which is nice for those who might not be able to move around a lot, while still benefiting those who want to go all out with their activity. A Digimon’s happiness can be affected based on how much a person is actively moving, and they’ll work harder alongside anyone doing exercise. The Vital Bracelet doesn’t come with a ton of explanation, but while most of the icons are self-explanatory for the most part, it’s worth exploring just to see what all of the options do. The Bracelet itself is also not entirely in English as Digimon names will still appear in Japanese, but it isn’t hugely necessary to read to use the device.
The charge on the Vital Bracelet will last about two days before it needs to be charged, and if the charger it comes with is too short (which it very much is), it’s easy to use any other micro USB charger in its place. A slight oversight is that the screen will get easily dinged up without a screen protector, and it’s hard to find any sort of official ones, so those who want to keep it scratch free may want to seek out some sort of third-party protector for it. It’s also a relatively bulky device on the wrist at first, but after some time I personally found it to be of no major inconvenience even when doing active laboring work. The strap itself is the only other concern as it’s one size which may not fit all wrists, but again there are people out there with third-party options to expand it for those who it doesn’t fit, although it’s a shame there aren’t any official options at this time.
Digimon is a series that it feels is oft forgotten about, but its roots as a pet-raising battling sim are what make the Vital Bracelet so endearing. Seeing the many different routes a Digimon can take to digivolve is charming and exciting, and the battling, while simplistic, is a fun activity to do especially for those who are competitive and want to be on top as number one. It’s worth noting that the device and app don’t get much more complex than this, but for those who really love Digimon it’s a fun activity to play with day to day while out and about. The device feels like it’s been a long time coming, and all things considered is not a steep entry price for those who wants the bare minimum without any additional Dim Cards. The Vital Bracelet won’t suit everyone’s lifestyle, but it’s a wonderfully-creative little device that’s so full of charm and it will be exciting to see what else they plan for it moving forward.
