Tag: Yo-Kai Watch
News Level-5's New Yo-Kai Watch 'Holy Horror Mansion' Teaser Supposedly Features AI Artwork
The Japanese dev has been experimenting with generative AI
Earlier this week, Level-5 lifted the lid on its brand-new Yo-Kai Watch concept 'Holy Horror Mansion' and while this "cross-media project" including a "Ghost Craft RPG" looks quite promising at a glance, it's believed something may be going on behind the scenes. Some fans of the Japanese...
News Level-5 Launches Yo-Kai Watch 10th Anniversary Website
A number of initiatives are planned
Although Level-5 is busy with a new Professor Layton game for the Nintendo Switch, it's also found some time to celebrate the 10th anniversary of its spirit-themed RPG series Yo-kai Watch. The original game made its debut on 3DS in 2013 in Japan and was followed by a local release here in the West in 2015/16...
News Level-5 CEO Teases What's Next For Yo-Kai Watch
The "next amazing thing" is in the works
Level-5 made quite the comeback at the most recent Nintendo Direct - announcing a new Professor Layton and much more. One notable omission was the Yo-kai Watch series. There's no need to worry though, as the Japanese developer seems to already be preparing something... In a brief message on social media,...
News Level-5 Teasing Major Announcement For Yo-Kai Watch Jam: Yo-Kai Academy Y
Update: A demo is releasing on 3rd August
Update (Sat 1st Aug, 2020 13:00 BST): Level-5 has announced it will release a demo for this game on the Japanese Switch eShop on 3rd August. According to Japanese Nintendo the release of a packaged version and western localisation is still undecided. Original article (Fri 31st Jul, 2020 05:00 BST):...
News Level-5 CEO Reveals New Yo-Kai Watch Game
Based on Yo-Kai Academy Y
Yo-Kai Watch 4 may not have been localised for the Switch yet, but that doesn't mean Level-5 hasn't been busy on other projects. In September the Japanese company revealed it would be bringing the series to the PlayStation 4 and this followed with the announcement of Yo-Kai Watch 4++ in October. If that wasn't already...
News Level-5 Announces Yo-Kai Watch 4++ For Switch
Arrives in Japan this December
If the announcement Yo-Kai Watch 4 would be released on the PlayStation 4 wasn't already enough of a surprise, Level-5 has now revealed Yo-Kai Watch 4++ for both Switch and PS4. According to the official Yo-Kai Watch Twitter account, it launches in Japan on 5th December and adds more content to the existing game such...
Video The Original Yo-Kai Watch Game Coming To Switch Gets A New Trailer
Back to the beginning
Earlier this week we heard how the original Yo-Kai Watch game for Switch would be receiving online battle support, and now Level-5 has uploaded a second trailer for the game to its official YouTube channel. As short as it is, this one provides a much better look at the gameplay and high-definition graphics. It's due out in...
News The Original Yo-Kai Watch Game On Switch Will Support Online Battles
Better than ever
Back in July, Level-5 announced the Switch would be receiving the original Yo-Kai Watch game later this year. While there's been no mention of a local release just yet, Level-5 has been sharing small details about this version via Twitter. The latest reveal is the addition of online battles, this will also cover local battles, so...
News Yo-Kai Watch 4 Will No Longer Be A Nintendo Switch Exclusive
Level-5 confirms PlayStation 4 release
Yo-Kai Watch has had a good run exclusively on Nintendo systems over the years, but it appears the series will soon branch out. Overlooking the odd mobile spin-off, Level-5 has announced Yo-Kai Watch 4 is coming to PlayStation 4 in the near future. The fourth main entry in the Yo-Kai series was the first one...
News Level-5 Releases Debut Trailer For The Original Yo-Kai Watch On Switch
And it looks better than ever
Although the west is still waiting for Yo-Kai Watch 4 to be released locally on the Nintendo Switch, Level-5 has already announced another game from the same series is headed to the system. This time it's a high-definition makeover of the original 3DS game that started it all. Yo-Kai Watch 1 for Nintendo Switch –...
News Level-5 Is Releasing The Original Yo-Kai Watch Game On Nintendo Switch
Back to the beginning
The Yo-Kai Watch games might have only been around for six years, but there are already more than a handful of entries in the series. Most recently, Yo-Kai Watch 4 was released in Japan on the Switch and ended up taking out the top spot in the local video game charts. This also happens to be the first time an entry has been...
News Level-5 Announces Yo-Kai Watch 4 Western Release At The 2019 Anime Expo
No word on a launch date
During a panel at the 2019 Anime Expo, Level-5 announced Yo-Kai Watch 4 for Nintendo Switch would eventually be released in the west (thanks, HDKirin). Although this isn't the most surprising news, it's nice to know the Japanese developer and publisher hasn't forgotten about the fanbase within this region. Unfortunately,...
News Yo-Kai Watch Comes To Smartphones To Challenge Pokémon GO's Dominance
Spooky stuff
Level-5 and GungHo Online Entertainment have just launched a Yo-Kai Watch game for iOS and Android smartphones in Japan. Yo-Kai Watch World is a location-based title not entirely unlike Pokémon GO, where famous Yo-Kai characters appear "in
Video Yo-Kai Watch 4 Teaser Trailer Reconfirms 2018 Release Date For Japan
Western audiences still waiting for the third game
During the month of April, it was announced the next installment in Level-5’s Yo-Kai Watch video game franchise would be released on the Nintendo Switch. Simply known as Yo-Kai Watch 4, the game was scheduled for Japan later this year. CoroCoro - a monthly Japanese manga magazine - has now...
News Yo-Kai Watch 4 Coming To The Nintendo Switch This Year In Japan
Super high-grade power up
In what should come as a surprise to basically no-one, the next instalment in the Yo-Kai Watch series, simply known as Yo-Kai Watch 4 for the time being, will be coming to the Switch rather than the 3DS. This will be welcome news to many Nintendo gamers who only want to play games on the latest and greatest hardware. This...
News Yo-Kai Watch Busters 2 Will Come In Two Flavours Later This Year
Yum!
It has been revealed that Yo-Kai Watch spin-off Yo-Kai Watch Busters 2: Hihou Densetsu Banbarayaa will be released in two versions this December. The October issue of Japanese publication CoroCoro has stated that Hihou Densetsu Banbarayaa will come in "Sword" and "Magnum" versions. Little information exists regarding exactly how...
News Yo-Kai Watch 2: Psychic Specters Launches on 29th September
Check out the new trailer, too
The 3DS just keeps right on chugging along with new releases such as the Metroid: Samus Returns, Monster Hunter Stories, and Pokémon Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon to look forward to in the coming months. That last one, of course, has competition with
News Yo-Kai Watch 2: Psychic Specters Haunts Europe This Autumn
12 new quests and over 300 playable Yo-Kai
Nintendo has confirmed that it is bringing Yo-Kai Watch 2: Psychic Specters to Europe this Autumn, bringing it in line with North America. The game is the third version of Yo-Kai Watch 2, following on from Bony Spirits
News Yo-Kai Watch Season 2 Will Be Streamed On YouTube Kids In The UK
Spooky
VIZ Media Europe has confirmed that 26 episodes of Yo-Kai Watch season 2 will be made available for streaming via YouTube Kids in the UK. Each week during June a playlist of seven new episodes will go live, with the first going up on June 9th. Pascal J. Bonnet, Executive Director, VIZ Media Europe commented: We are very glad to partner up...
News Yo-kai Watch 2: Psychic Specters Will Spook the North American Market This Fall
Aims to be the 'definitive version'
The Yo-kai Watch series may not have hit the sales heights in the West that it regularly achieves in Japan, but it has been building a fanbase nonetheless. Localisation has been a little slow, however, and North America is often getting titles ahead of the PAL market. That may end up being the case again with...
News Yo-Kai Watch Wibble Wobble Getting European Release Ahead of IP's 3DS Sequel
Get out the tablet
Due to the perils of localisation Yo-Kai Watch 2: Bony Spirits & Fleshy Souls is only now approaching its EU release, due in the region on 7th April. Level 5 - and to a degree Nintendo - plan to give the sequel and IP an extra push with a mobile release the week before. Yo-Kai Watch Wibble Wobble is heading to European phones...
News Yo-kai Watch 2: Bony Spirits & Fleshy Souls Finally Get a European Release Date
And keep the weird names
Yo-kai Watch 2: Bony Spirits & Fleshy Souls arrived in North America last Fall / Autumn, but have taken a little longer to make their way to Europe. Their arrival is now nailed down, however, as the dual release will hit stores in the region on 7th April. Intriguingly, Europe was highlighted as a successful territory...
News Bandai Namco's Financial Results Show Decline in Sales of Yo-kai Watch Toys
Time for fresh ideas?
For those that follow the weekly Media Create charts out of Japan, one thing is known to be certain - when a new Yo-kai Watch game comes out it goes to number one. That said, however, even the latest 'main' entries in the series have been tracking below the sales of their predecessors. The numbers are still impressive, but the...
News Yo-kai Watch 3: Sukiyaki Confirmed for Japan
Another souped up release
Yo-kai Watch 3: Sushi / Tempura arrived in Japan during the Summer, and though the latest dual release fell short of the launch sales of its predecessor, it was nevertheless another success for Level-5. The developer and publisher isn't planning to slow down with the series, either. Copying the strategy from Yo-kai Watch...
News Level-5 CEO on Producing Successful Cross-Media Projects
Yo-Kai Watch wasn't just a fluke
Level-5 is a company that has become increasingly more relevant and prolific over the years, as it's procedurally added more and more successful franchises to its portfolio. If you notice, most of the company's current projects exist in multiple forms, with cartoons, games, toys, and more all contributing to the...
News Yo-kai Watch 2 Confirmed for October Release in Australia and New Zealand
As for Europe, we're still awaiting confirmation
Yo-Kai Watch 2, which comes in two versions - Bony Spirits and Fleshy Souls - is heading to North America at the end of September. The good news is that after the first entry suffered a delay of nearly five months before arriving in PAL territories, the sequel is going to be much closer behind...
Talking Point A Front-Row Seat For The Yo-Kai Watch Multimedia Juggernaut
Damien McFerran on witnessing the birth of a brand
Despite being involved with Nintendo Life, there are elements of the wider Nintendo world of which I am largely unaware and, until very recently, Yo-Kai Watch was one such element. Naturally, I knew of the series, its popularity in Japan and the
News Yo-kai Watch Sold Less Than Half a Million Units in North America
CEO still believes the franchise will "bloom like a flower" in the west
The Yo-Kai Watch series was quite a phenomenon in Japan, with a multi-pronged media blitz spanning video games, cartoons, and toys; leading the series to even eclipse Pokémon in some respects. Naturally, Level-5 was keen to bring the franchise to the West in hopes of there...
News Level-5 Reveals Some New Details on Yo-kai Watch 3
Customisable Jibanyans! Zombies! Y-Files!
Here in North America, it was only just recently revealed that we'll be receiving not one, but two versions of the sequel to Yo-kai Watch through Yo-kai Watch 2: Bony Spirits & Fleshy Souls. Featuring time travel and over one hundred new Yo-kai, these look like they'll expand on the original in a...
News Yo-kai Watch Clings on in UK Charts as Fire Emblem Fates Tumbles Out of Top 40
A cruel fate
The latest UK chart results are out, once again reflecting some half-term sales in the country, and the outcome is disappointing from a Nintendo perspective. Only one Nintendo exclusive is in the top 40, with Yo-kai Watch climbing one place to 39th in the all-format results (38th in single-format). Considering its steady decline we're...
The spirited Level-5 series needs time
The Yo-kai Watch franchise is enormous in Japan, to the point that in late 2015 Level-5 was able to reference 10 million games in the series being shipped. That number will have also included some sales from the first game's launch in North America, though based upon its absence from NPD's results and...
News Yo-kai Watch 2: Bony Spirits & Fleshy Souls Arrive in North America on 30th September
More toys and TV episodes also on the way
Level 5's bid for global domination with the Yo-kai Watch brand is going to continue later this year, with Nintendo of America confirming that the second entry in the series is heading to North America on 30th September. It is, as is all the rage at the moment, a dual release - Yo-kai Watch 2: Bony Spirits...
News Yo-kai Watch Battles Alone in the UK Charts
Splatoon returns to the top of the Wii U-only results
In the past month Nintendo has had a few fresh releases scrapping away in the UK charts, but going into this week's results only one title is left standing. Yo-kai Watch is the lone release on Nintendo hardware that's made the top 40, now in its third week since release in the UK. It's dropped...
News Yo-kai Watch Makes Its UK Chart Debut as Star Fox Zero Holds Top 40 Place
Bank Holiday weekend dominated by non-Nintendo releases
With the end of a Bank Holiday weekend we have the UK chart results, and there was a new release on 3DS to look out for. Yo-kai Watch, perhaps in a continuation of a limited impact in North America, has only secured 14th place in the all-format results in its first week on UK shelves. In...
Parent Trap Welcoming A Yo-Kai Into The Family
Family Gamer's Andy Robertson catches some spooks
With the European launch of Yo-Kai Watch taking place today the families I work with have been discovering how good a fit the world of Yo-Kai is for them. I was expecting it to be pretty popular with the strong collecting and character aspects of the game, but I hadn't realised how much substance...
News Yo-kai Watch 3 Coming To Nintendo 3DS In Two Fishy Flavours
Sushi or Tempura, anyone?
The latest issue of Japanese magazine CoroCoro has revealed that 3DS title Yo-Kai Watch 3 will come in two different versions: Sushi and Tempura. Both launch on July 16th in Japan. At retail, each version will come with an exclusive medal. The Sushi editon has the KK Brothers (the US version of Komasan and Komajiro) while...
Video Satoru Shibata Celebrates Yo-Kai Watch European Release News With Some Killer Dance Moves
Arriving in April, demo available on the 3DS eShop now
Yo-Kai Watch is coming to Europe on April 29th, and to mark that news, Nintendo of Europe president Satoru Shibata has performed a dance which is sure to generate a near-endless stream of gifs over the next few months. The game has taken Japan by a storm and launched in North America not that...
News Yo-kai Watch Begins Its European Quest on 29th April
About time
Though the majority of major Nintendo releases have aligned releases globally, or at least in the West, the recent glut of 3DS releases have been somewhat scattered between North America and Europe. One example is Yo-kai Watch, which was marketed as a major Holiday 2015 release Stateside but is only now dated for the EU. It's arriving on...
News Yo-kai Watch Anime Series Coming to the UK This Spring
One of more than 100 countries
It's official, Yo-kai Watch is set for world domination much like Pokémon before it. In our Yo-kai Watch review we liked developer Level 5's take on doing a Pokémon style game and felt that, in some ways, it eclipses the effort GameFreak has put into Pokémon over the years, both in production and creativity. Of...
Higher ticket sales, but lower takings
The world may be gripped by Star Wars fever at the moment but in Japan, the most-seen movie didn't feature lightsabers or X-Wings, but mischievous ghosts and magical timepieces. More tickets were sold for Yo-Kai Watch the Movie 2: King Enma and the 5 Stories, Nyan! than Star Wars: The Force Awakens, but due to...
News The Yo-Kai Watch Franchise Has Now Shipped Over 10 Million Copies
Will it take off outside Japan?
Yo-Kai Watch from Level-5 is a series that, despite having its own identity and style, undoubted has its eyes fixed on Pokémon. A hit that originally took off when the anime series gained viewership - game sales spiked once the TV show got into its stride in Japan - it's been relentlessly expanded. In Japan there are...
Video Watch What Happens When Reggie and Bill Speak Their Minds
Those mischievous Yo-Kai!
For those of you that watched the Nintendo Direct, you probably remember the humourous short that advertised Yo-Kai Watch. Bill Trinen arrived to a meeting early, where he was soon influenced by Hungramps and subsequently stuffed his face with donuts. If nothing else, it was an amusing skit and it did a great job of showing...
Gotta friend 'em all
There's no point beating around the bush: Yo-Kai Watch is a lot like Pokémon. But instead of straight up emulating one of Nintendo's biggest franchises, developer Level-5 has aspired to create something a bit stranger and fresher than Pokémon has done in years. The result is a welcoming RPG that has some highs and some lows,...
News Akihiro Hino Explains Why Yo-Kai Watch Has Been So Successful and What Sets It Apart
It's kind of a big deal
As many of you are likely aware, Yo-Kai Watch is now out in North America. A massive hit in Japan, the fascinating Yo-kai adventure game has drawn many parallels to Pokémon and other similar monster catching series. Nonetheless, Level-5 is hoping that it'll achieve similar success in the West, and is launching a full...
News Orders for the Actual Yo-Kai Watch Toy Open on 6th November in North America
This thing's been rarer than Nintendo Directs in Japan
Yo-Kai Watch arrives on 3DS in North America on 6th November, which is an important launch for both Level-5 and Nintendo. It's a franchise that's become a dominant force in Japan, and both parties will hope that it finds a significant audience in the West. In addition to the game it's recently...
The Yo-Kai basics, again
Yo-Kai Watch is just a few days away from its release in North America, as Nintendo and series developer Level 5 aim to turn it into the next major success story for the 3DS. The IP is hugely successful in Japan, but the question remains as to whether it can replicate that performance in the West. Based on the launch...
News Yo-Kai Watch Will Be The Next Pokémon, Claims Viz Media
"We are certainly bigger than Pokémon in Japan"
Viz Media - the firm which is handling the release of the Yo-Kai Watch comic and TV show in Europe and America - has confidently claimed that the series will be "the next Pokémon". Waell Oueslati, EMEA associate brand manager at Viz Media, is clearly bullish about the chances of the franchise in the...
Video Nintendo Goes for the Zany Approach in North American Yo-Kai Watch Marketing
No, this isn't a Japanese commercial
Yo-Kai Watch is out in North America soon, and Level-5 will be hoping that it makes them enough money for a second swimming pool of cash - we're assuming there's already one in the company's HQ from sales of the IP in Japan. We're not quite sure whether the RPG is enjoying the buzz it'd hope for, however, at...
Video Nintendo Digs Out an Old Favourite for Halloween New 3DS Commercial
Also plugs Yo-Kai Watch
Apparently Halloween is rather popular - maybe it's the outfits, all the sweets / candy, or just a general love of spooky and horrifying things. What was a bit of a laugh when your humble writer was in short trouser many years ago is now a 'Holiday', so we all need to jump on board. Of course we'll do some Halloween-type...
News Yo-Kai Watch 2DS Bundle Coming To North America On November 6th
Comes with the game pre-installed for $99.99
Nintendo is releasing a new 2DS hardware bundle to mark the launch of Yo-Kai Watch in North America. The console - which comes with the game pre-installed - will launch on November 6th for $99.99, alongside the game's full retail release. Yo-Kai Watch is the first in a series which has taken Japan by a...
