Yo-kai Watch Hits North America on 6th November to Kick Off Bombardment of Tie-Ins and Promotions

Finally dated. I guess this will take the place of the nearly yearly Pokémon game. If this does half as good as it does in Japan, they will sell a lot.

I'll be curious to see how this is received in North America. It's smart that the game and show are launching at the same time though, seems Nintendo is committed to making it a success.

Oh good, 2016 in PAL territories. It's like Nintendo Europe think it's still the '90s...

Not sure releasing the toys in January is a good idea since that's right after the holidays. January is one of the worst times of the year for game and toy sales as parents aren't buying them for their kids.

It's a long wait for me in Europe, but I'm still eagerly awaiting this. It's nice that they're planning on really pushing this in NA and hopefully it'll sell well in the West.

Hmmm...let's see if it'll be as big here as it is in Japan. Anyways, I'll be picking it up, and see how it is.

I could see Yokai Watch being a moderate success in the US. Catching America by storm the way Pokemon did? No way in hell.

That voice acting....

A storm incoming...

Anyway, I hope it'll be a success. Level 5 recent stands with mobile is still pissing me off (that Fantasy Life not-so sequel thing), so they could re-evaluate their priority if they see 3DS games can be a huge success. I love their games and I'm thinking to get LBX too.

"Level-5 has taken quite a long time to line up its various Yo-Kai Watch products for the West"

Not as long as I've been waiting for Wonderflick, which apparently I'll never be getting.

http://www.destructoid.com/level-5-is-terminating-wonder-flick-in-september-291929.phtml

Dammit. That is too close for comfort to Fallout 4.....hrm....damn. This is a problem, with the frozen nuclear wasteland my backlog is going to turn into after that megaton drops on November 10th....maybe I'll ask for this for my birthday (a few weeks later)........would be wiser....hm...what to do????

Bummed us in Europe don't get it untill next year,But between Fallout 4,Starfox,Xenoblade and Triforce Heroes it would've probably passed me by at the end of the year.

Oh good, Europe gets let down by NoE again. Was worried when I read the article title that Nintendo would actually be doing something nice for Europe.

Seriously, Europe has next to nothing for the 3DS. An Animal Crossing spinoff about designing houses? A multiplayer game that only works in one player or three player? I suppose finally getting Devil Survivor 2 will be something.

Just another cutesy Japanese pokemon rip off game it's selling well in Japan (don't know why, I tried it and didn't care for it, personally) but I have a feeling this will be a hard sale in North America.

@hYdeks @Daemonite

I think Youkai Watch will do decently anyway because of Nintendo fans like myself are planning on getting it. If I think Youkai Watch will reach the success Pokémon did I would say most likely not, but if it will reach the same level of excitement like in Japan here in the west I would say could happen if Youkai Watch is really advertised well and catches on with the kidds .

It is our "job" as Nintendo fans to try to help Nintendo as best as we can and I will try to introduce Youkai Watch to some of the kids I know to raise awareness and hopefully contribute to that Youkai Watch ends up being a success and not just in Japan .

Seems like Nintendo/Level 5 are going all out for the game's western launch. I doubt it will ever reach Pokémon in terms of commercial success, but the game does looks interesting and I would be pleasantly surprised if the game didn't eventually become a million(s) seller in NA/EU sometime in the future.

looks like a fun game but cant understand why its so popular.i think its just ok.but havent played it so maby...

I think everyone saying this won't do well in the west (it's too this, not enough that, pick your reason) is in for a rude awakening.

After the staggering sales of Animal Crossing, Tomodachi Life and of course Pokemon, I expect nothing less than chart topping domination and evergreen sale status.

@Kimite

This! Played the first game and all three versions of the 2nd game (eagerly awaiting 3's release next year) on my import system and loved it to bits and I grew up a diehard Pokemaniac during my youth.

Yeah, it borrows "some" elements of Pokemon, but honestly all monster catching/battling games do (and remember, Pokemon borrowed some elements from the Shin Megami series). Now, is this gonna snowball to Pokemon levels? No, that ship sailed in the 90s and Western kids are more likely to play on a phone or tablet nowadays. Heck, when I worked at Gamestop for the holidays, more parents asked about regular DS systems than the 3DS (origianal or New) and I just don't see too many kids with handheld systems as I did in my childhood (only just recently turned 27 this past weekend so I'm not that old). The Nintendo handheld is mostly used among the older Nintendo fans which far outnumbers what children today do use them. So for the Yo-kai Watch franchise to be even remotely successful outside of Japan, we Nintendo fans need to support it and stop making waves out of stubborn nostalgia for Pokemon. All of my children play Nintendo handhelds because I've made it a point to expose them to it since gaming is my leisure. They are excited because they have seen me playing the Japanese versions and watch me do multiple replays while their pokemon games have sat untouched for the past 4-5 months in their desks because they lost interest after completing the story.

Tl; ldr: People need to stop being blinded by nostalgia for the Pokemon franchise and give Yo-kai Watch an honest-to-goodness try and not simply bash on it because of what very few similarities it shares with Pokemon. The game is not perfect, I admit, but it takes steps in directions that Pokemon, after 20 years, still has trouble embracing. And it won't share the same level of success outside of Japan but it can still be a success nonetheless.

@rjejr

Dont feel bad. You still have the Last Guardian, KH3 and FFXV to look forward to. Hopefully at least one of them will hit before 2020 when you will be 55.

@rjejr Well it's a good thing you already changed your icon in preparation.

Shame to hear that too, Wonder Flick looked interesting.

This is waaaaay to japanese to be successfull in the west.

Popular or not I'll still be picking this one up

Hey, what about new 3ds (non-xl) bundle with Youkai watch cover plate???

@HandheldGuru97

Yeah and I still have XCOM 2, Battlefront and Just Cause 3 to think about.
Although none of this will matter since I'd pretty much be holed in my room playing Persona 5 anyway.

@ShikabaneHime13

Hehehe, thanks for agreeing with me ^^.

Anyway, I am glad you are enjoying the Youkai Watch games so much and I hope you will like Youkai Watch 3 too, as it is set in America .

I agree with you that Youkai Watch borrows a lot of elements from Pokémon, but twist them up and make their own version like that you aren't "catching" Youkais and instead befriend them from what I understand. Also I think the Pokémon franchise have kind of lost its mass appeal in the way that the story aren't deep enough and you are nearly essentially doing the same game over and over again ;^^.

I shifted from the normal Pokémon games to the Pokémon Mystery Dungeon series as they have a bigger story appeal and maybe at this point even a more modern game too . I am definitely ready for a Pokémon like game with a better story ^^.

And yes, it is a bit sad that Nintendo doesn't advertise more as you point out that there are more people asking for the DS than the 3DS :-/. This is the reason why I said we Nintendo fans need to help Nintendo, as you can maybe say: Nintendo doesn't help themselves enough. The best thing we can do us just to politely and respectfully invite people and show them our games and recommend them the games we think could fit for them... like what you did to your kids .

In the end Youkai Watch is a game with many potentials of being at least a decent success because of us Nintendo fans, but Nintendo need to advertise Youkai Watch well so it is at least in kids awareness and we Nintendo fans convince the kids who are still doubting Youkai Watch .

@Daemonite @ShikabaneHime13

(If you see this I thought you might be interested ShikabaneHime13).

Daemonite, I don't really mean "job" in that sense, more about expressing my love for Nintendo games and let other people know how fun Nintendo games can be . I want other people to experience the same joy as I do when I am playing a game like Zelda with figuring out puzzle overcoming challenges and getting a good and emotionally attaching story ^^.

I wouldn't count this as "brainwashing" really, as I am really kind and I even sometimes make fun of it that I am technically doing mouth to mouth advertising and making people laugh and have a good time ^^. (I can agree on that I am influencing other people yes).

I am not just doing well... Mouth to mouth advertising just because of Nintendo, but also to let people discover how fun Nintendo games can be . I just in general want to make people smile ^^.

(Also potentially making a new friend).

@Kimite Wow. Do... do your parents love each other or something? I can feel the happy just oozing out of your text.

But anyway, I'm really irritated that Europe are getting it next year. I mean... why? America and the UK share the same base language, so why does localization for us mean waiting a minimum of 2 months? I get that it might be to see how things go in america so that they can perhaps change up their approach for the UK but still. People could have lost interest by then - reviewers could have convinced people not to get it by then AND imagine he wallets of parents and kids alike having dwindled since the holidays? It is expected, after-all. In short, I don't think they're helping things by delaying it.

@Rhydas Thanks I appreciate it that you say my text is oozing out happiness and it makes me really happy hearing it ^w^.

The bound between my parents could have been better, but both of them love me and are very supportive ^^. Still I will credit a lot of my focus on being happy and making other people happy to games like Zelda and Kingdom Hearts .

I would say that games like Zelda and Kingdom Hearts have made me a better person ^^.

(I will answer the rest of your text later as I don't have anymore time right now).

@Rhydas

As a European myself I feel you in terms of that we are getting Youkai Watch is coming out a year later here ;^^. I think the main reason why we Europeans are getting Youkai Watch later is that in Europe there are a (lot) more languages Nintendo need to localize I think and especially if they are also doing voice acting too for all the PAL languages ;^^.

Still yes, it is a bit sad that Youkai Watch are coming out after the Christmas rush :-/, but still once the amine hit Youkai Watch will probably still sell decently .

@Daemonite
As someone that has played the games, they are in no way "crappy". Will it appeal to everyone? No. But do not put down those that are excited for it and wish to spread awareness on the franchise to others that might not have even given it a second thought. We just want to see people give the game an honest try before outright bashing it, is all.

I definitely have in interest in this game so Its nice to see it wont be a quiet release.

@sinalefa Yeah, stupid Reggie may mock the other E3 presentations for looking too far out in the future, but I'm already more likely to buy a PS5 than an NX. NX is a non-starter along w/ XboxOne or Two. It's Sony all the way here on out.

@Samuel-Flutter WonderFlick already had a new "r" version, I was so sure we would get that in the west, at least on Android.

http://www.androidappsgame.com/wonder-flick-r