The incredibly popular Japanese-exclusive RPG series, Yokai Watch (Yo-Kai Watch in the US), is finally being brought to American audiences this holiday season. What is Yo-Kai Watch? Think Pokemon, if you will, but instead of battling others with different monsters or collecting them all, you befriend these ghostly creatures by defeating them in turn-based combat.
After defeating a Yo-Kai, the player gains a medal to use with their Yo-Kai Watch to summon them to help whenever necessary. The Yo-Kai are split into eight types, can level up and evolve into bigger Yo-Kai or by using items, and there are even Legend Yo-Kai. Since the Yo-Kai Watch series began on the 3DS, the game greatly incorporates the touch screen to find, battle, and use the Yo-Kai. While not a ripoff, fans of the Pokemon series will find themselves right at home with Yo-Kai Watch.
Yo-Kai Watch was first released to Japanese gamers in 2013, after gauging the interests of Western audiences, Nintendo is finally publishing the first of the series worldwide! If it is well-received by Western audiences, it’s possible that the rest of the Yo-Kai Watch series will also be translated and released sooner or later. Japanese audiences are awaiting the third, fourth, and fifth entries of the game series; Yo-Kai Watch Busters: Red Cat Team & White Dog Squad, Yo-Kai Watch 3, and Yo-Kai Three Kingdoms, this summer.
So check out the trailer and see what you think and watch out for Yo-Kai Watch when it comes out for the Nintendo 3DS this holiday season!
