Yokai are Everywhere (Except America)

Samantha Jackson -- May 12

Recently, I had the urge to go through some old boxes and bins in my house. I found a bunch of old keepsakes, but one that really caught my eye was my old Nintendo 3DS. I plugged it in, not expecting it to work, but it actually turned on. 

Playing it again was like a trip down memory lane. I played a bit of Animal Crossing, Super Mario 3D Land, and even odder games like BOX BOY. One game, however, sparked an interest which led to a deep dive on the internet and many nights that could have been spent sleeping. 

Yokai Watch was first released on Nintendo 3DS in 2013 in Japan, while in America it was released in 2015. The game follows either Nate Addams or Katie Forester (and later Hailey Anne) as they delve into the world of Yokai-- spirits who cause many of the unexplained occurrences in our lives. With its unique and exciting main story, plus many side stories and interesting characters, Yokai Watch is definitely a game I would recommend playing.

Personally, I loved this game as a kid, and even now I still enjoy it. I have heard people refer to it as a “Pokemon clone” but I think the connection between the two is very small. Aside from the fact that you fight using little monster creatures who you befriend, the games are quite different from each other. Yokai Watch has many mini-quests to choose from (a personal favorite of mine has to be the Ms. Frostia Quest) and hundreds of Yokai to befriend (Pinkipoo or Nul are my favorites). And that’s just the first game.

When someone asks me how many games exist for Yokai Watch, I hesitate a bit. Truthfully, it’s a complicated answer. For one, there are many side games that some might not consider to be games. But most importantly, America doesn’t have all of the released games in the franchise. While the first one was quite popular, hype for the series died down in the west, making Yokai Watch 3 the last of the games to be released in America. In Japan however, the series did not stop. In fact, Yokai Watch is still quite popular in Japan. In 2019, Yokai Watch 4 was released on the Nintendo Switch in Japan. However, since the series lost so much popularity in America, they don’t have any plans to release a localized version.

Now, I hear you. “THIS IS SO INTERESTING. I don’t have a 3DS though…” Don’t worry! If you really, REALLY want to play the games, emulators for the 3DS exist everywhere on the internet. But maybe you don’t want to use an emulator but still want to experience the world of Yokai Watch. Thankfully, this series got LOTS of media outside of video games. There are a few animes, plus a manga and even some collectibles. Each one, from what I’ve seen, is well made.

In all honesty, I really love this game, and wholeheartedly recommend it for anyone. If this article brought any interest to you, then you can read more about this game on it’s wiki page (*cough* or you could download an emulator *cough*).