By Sonya Davidson
Yo-kai Watch is coming and it may just be the next big game craze for Nintendo 3DS here in North America. If your kid LOVES Pokemon style of play then this may just be right up their alley. Yo-kai originally launched in Japan in 2013 and since have had several releases. Now, the anime style game is set to debut in Canada and the U.S. on November 6, 2015.
The story of the game follows a young boy (there's a girl player option as well), Nate who one day takes a walk in his hometown of Springdale and unleashes Yo-kai Whisper from a vending machine. Whisper tells Nate that his skill is like a butler and his job is to help Nate learn more about Yo-kai and to protect him. Nate, with the help of a special lens on his Watch can see the Yo-kai in his town and they are everywhere! What are they? Well, they aren't things, ghosts, monsters, or creatures..they are Yo-kai! And they are funny and adorable mostly. But they can be very mischevious.
You as the player, Nate, soon discovers that if he can friend them and get them on his side, each Yo-kai would grant him a Medal which he can keep in his Yo-kai Watch and call upon them when needed. I'm pretty sure we can count on the whole licensed toys to flood our market with collectible medals as the game takes off here in Canada. Kids will probably love to own their own "smart watch" toy.
There are 200 types of Yo-kai to find and they are everywhere. They don't look the same and they definitely don't act the same. Some are helpful but then some are a little more mischevious. By the way, they never die so parents, you won't have to worry about dealing with that! Jibanyan is definitely one that's worth keeping an eye on.
Tattletell is a funny one as its strength is to make people tell secrets. But there are 8 different categories of Yo-kai or "tribes" that Whisper can help explain in the game including Brave, Heartful, Charming, Slippery and others. The game also teaches players to be observant of personalities and attitudes of the Yo-kai that can help determine when they would be best used.
Your job, as Nate, is to see if you can find them, make friends with them and create your team to help with the challenges that will come up. Sometimes it takes a little cohersing to befriend a Yo-kai and sometimes offering food helps.
The game is not only about battles, it's also about being strategic and smart. So, as their team leader, players can help by nurturing and building their strengths. Throughout the game you can collect stuff to Yo-kai and help them heal wounds. You can even teach them how to focus or build their core strengths.
While playing the game will keep tabs on missions accomplished and a diary is there as well. In case you forget what a Yo-kai does you can check on its stats as well.
There are some interesting differences between the Japanese version and the North American version.
First off, the main character, and who you are playing as is Nate..but in Japan, he's named Keita.
What does Yo-kai mean anyway? The Japanese definition of the term is ghost (or supernatural monster according to tales). However, Nintendo states that they aren't ghosts or any kind of monster. They are simply whatever they are.
Nate's character is relatable to most kids with his curiousities and common feelings. Not gonna lie, I have heard my 11-year-old son laugh a few times while testing out this new game.
So, what did my son think so far? Walking around the town where Nate lives is fun. Like most kids, Ty loves the idea of searching and discovering. He hasn't come across any Yo-kai that have caused too much mischief yet so there's no frustrations with the game.
He's come across about a dozen Yo-kai already and when I asked him about his favourite so far Baku he seems to like "He eats kids nightmares," he says. "And he talks like Yoda saying stuff like 'Baku have good sleep". He also likes Jibanyan for his funny voice. "He says funny things, in my opinion, like 'Someday you will help me take down a truck'".
I have to confess that while my son is at school I've been obsessed with the Yo-kai Cam feature. Take a pic right within the game and it will reveal a Yo-kai that is near you. It's pretty awesome! You have a mission with this feature and you can collect a few Yo-kai to add to your roster.
