Yo-kai Watch (game)

[[file:File:Yo-kai Watch US cover.PNG|250px]] Boxart cover of Yo-kai Watch.
Publisher	JPLevel-5 WWNintendo
Developers	Level-5
Designer	Tatsuya Shinkai
Genre	Role-playing game
Platform	Nintendo 3DS Android iOS
Release dates	Nintendo 3DS July 11, 2013 November 6, 2015 April 29, 2016 December 5, 2015 November 26, 2015 Android/iOS 2017
Ratings	CERO : All Ages ESRB : E+10 PEGI : 7
Website	Official Japanese website Official Japanese smartphone website Official North American website Official Australian website Official South Korean website
Successor	Yo-kai Watch 2

Yo-kai Watch (妖怪ウォッチ, Yōkai Wotchi) is a role playing-game developed by Level-5 for the Nintendo 3DS and is as well the very first game of the Yo-kai Watch series.

Level-5 announced the game at their Level-5 World 2011 conference in Tokyo on October 15-16, 2011, and the title was revealed to be Yo-kai Watch. The game was released on July 11, 2013 in Japan and on April 2015, Level-5 announced that Nintendo would handle the localization of the game in the west. At the E3 of 2015, Nintendo revealed that the game will release in North America on November 6, 2015. The game was released in South Korea in the same month, November 26, 2015, and Australia and New Zealand on December 5, 2015 In February 2016, Nintendo of Europe revealed that Yo-kai Watch will release in Europe on April 29, 2016.

Akihiro Hino, the president of Level-5 announced during LEVEL-5 Vision 2016 that Yo-kai Watch would be released for both Android and iOS devices in the fall of 2016 as Yo-kai Watch for Smartphone (妖怪ウォッチforスマートフォン, Yōkai Wotchi for Sumātofon). However, on October 26, 2016, Akihiro Hino announced that the game is delayed until 2017 to feature high-end graphics, and that it’ll be easily playable on smartphone with new controls and network compatibility.

Story

The story of the game begins with four friends in Triangle Park were Eddie shows the group his bug catching collection. Impressed by his collection, Nathan and Katie both asks Eddie if he caught them himself. Eddie explains them were he got the bugs stating that there are ton of bugs in the area where he caught them. Bear explains that he is the one that caught them as that Eddie got squeamish a couple of times. Bear focuses his attention to either Nathan or Katie asking that they also capturing bugs for their summer project. Both say that they have little trouble getting motivated, but Bear tells them that they didn't even started and bets that they haven't caught a single bug yet which results in insulting them. After a discussion, the player then heads back home to get their bug net to capture bugs at Triangle Park. The player then heads towards Triangle Park to capture three bugs that ended up being Cicada's.

Pre-release information

Yo-kai Watch was first officially announced during the Level-5 World 2011, Level-5 Vision 2011, in Tokyo. During the footage, it was strongly revealed that the game was meant to be for the Playstation 3 before their shift on the Nintendo 3DS. The Yo-kai that appeared in the footage were Dismerelda, Jibanyan, Hungramps, Tattletell, Ake, Whisper, Negatibuzz, Noko and Walkappa. All of these Yo-kai's designs were re-designed for their official debut on the Nintendo 3DS. Level-5 revealed that the game would be a multimedia project same as other franchises developed by the same company.

On October 14, 2011, screenshots of the game has revealed as well the screenshots of the series animation. On October 13, 2012, Level-5 revealed that the game would be released for the Nintendo 3DS systems in an issue of CoroCoro Comics skipping their initial Playstation 3 release.

On Decemeber 28, 2012, more information about the game were revealed explaining in which location the game takes place and how it is the same as the real-life world. Further explained are the characters Nathan, Katie, Eddie and Bear and about the environment the characters are living in. Further, information about Jibanyan, Whisper, Walkappa and Tattletell were revealed by the company as well.

On January 17, 2012, Level-5 revealed the first official trailer of the game during 2013 Winter World Hobby Fair and a new trailer was shown during the Nintendo Direct presentation of February 21, 2013. On March 15, 2013 it is revealed that the game would release during the summer of 2013. Later during the year, Level-5 revealed new footage of gameplay about the game such as its battle system.

In the April, 2013 issue of CoroCoro Comics, Level-5 revealed that the game would be released on July 11, 2013. Afterwards, Level-5 also announced that the first copies of the games would contain a Jibanyan mascot figure. On April 15, 2013, Level-5 showed footage about town exploration and battles the player will encounter in the game. Later on, more information about the Yo-kai that makes an appearance in the game were revealed. It also confirmed that the player can choose between a boy or a girl at the start of the game and more about the main characters that make an appearance in the game. The game was also known as a "everyday life with Youkai".

Level-5 revealed a new feature named "Oni Time", were during the feature, the atmosphere of the town changes and the enraged Oni Yo-kai will chase the player and revealed that it is best that the player must run away from it and if the Oni manages to capture the player they'll have to fight it. Level-5 hints that players might be able to overcome the Oni, if they’re strong enough. On June 18, 2013, Level-5 revealed new footage of gameplay. It revealed that the player can freely explore the town that they are living in and hunting Yo-kai around the town and forests as well. Level-5 revealed on July 1, 2013 that a demo of Yo-kai Watch would release on July 3, 2013.

Release information

Yo-kai Watch sold 53,654 during its first week earning them the second spot behind Pikmin 3 with 92,720 copies sold during its first week. However, during its second week, Yo-kai Watch stil holded on their second spot with a total of 82,756 copies, which in their second week sold around 29,102 extra copies. However, in August 2013 the game sold a total of 143,796 copies in Japan and in September 2013 it sold a total of 179,247 copies. At the start of 2014, Yo-kai Watch sold a total of 294,751 copies in Japan, returning to the Japanese game charts since November 2013.

By the end of January 2014, Yo-kai Watch sales were boosted with a total of 345,529 copies that has been sold in total, which earned them a spot in the top 10 of January 20, 2014 - January 26, 2014. By February 2014, the game sold 500,000 copies since their debut, with an official tweet from Level-5 International America. Level-5 International America then tweeted if the west would like to see Yo-kai Watch in North America and Europe., they've also used the official Yo-kai Watch title for the time being before making it an official westernized name.

During the Golden Week of 2014, Yo-kai Watch takes top spot again with a total of 860,824 copies sold since their debut during the summer of 2013. During the week of May 26th – June 1st of 2014, Yo-kai Watch sold over one million copies. In total the game sold 1,020,877 copies in total and was on the third place below new released with Mobile Suit Gundam: Side Stories taking the second spot of 82,048 copies and Mario Kart 8 with 325,892 copies.

Akihiro Hino revealed after giving an interview on the Japanese news site Zak Zak that the western version of the game is already in development and that it will be released next year by saying: “In regards to foreign markets, we have been taking a look at it in regards to Yokai Watch. We are in development planning to release it sometime next year. We think it has a big appeal as a very Japanese-ish fantasy story. We already have support from a foreign toy maker company saying that it will be a definite success.”

Akihiro Hino revealed more information about the western release of Yo-kai Watch during an interview with Gematsu after the franchise's first movie. Akihiro Hino stated that the animation of the franchise will come along to the west as well, and that they are planning on something that is even bigger than Yo-kai Watch. Weeks afterwards, it was discovered that Jibanyan and Whisper were both trademarked in the west.

Gallery

Logo's

• 

  Yo-kai Watch localized logo.

Cover artwork

• Yo-kai Watch North America cover artwork.

  Yo-kai Watch North America cover artwork.

Trivia

• The localization of the game took at least two years and four months until it was released in North America and South Korea. It took two years for its localization in Australia and it took three years for its release in Europe after the initial Japanese release of the game.
• The cover art of the game differs from the original Japanese cover art. The one closest to the original cover art is that of North America, South Korea, and Australia, while Europe has a very different cover art compared to the four covers.
• In the localized version of the game, the game includes an opening video and a drawing of Jibanyan in the end credits which the Japanese version of the game lacks.