In a surprising, yet welcome turn of events, Nintendo has confirmed that the Yo-Kai Watch series is coming stateside. Developed by Level-5, the studio behind Ni No Kuni and the Professor Layton games, Yo-Kai Watch is a phenomenon in Japan. In the game, you play as a boy who can see and capture “Yo-Kai”, which are ghostly Japanese mythical creatures. Many people refer to the series as the largest competitior to Pokemon since Digimon, and they’re not wrong, as each Yo-Kai Watch game sells millions of copies.
It hasn’t been confirmed exactly which games are coming out here, as there is the original, a split-release (think Pokemon versions) sequel, and a currently in development third entry to consider. Also, no release date has been confirmed, but Nintendo has also revealed that the vast amount of Yo-Kai Watch toys, anime, and other merchandise will also be localized. This will definately be a huge series to watch on the 3DS, so keep your eyes peeled for more.
There was some stuff that came up (I think it was either Level-5 or Nintendo investor meeting things or reports or something? I forget) earlier this year that suggested we might be starting with 2. I’m hoping we actually get the original first, but there’s a Crystal/Emerald/Platinum/etc. style third version for the sequel, so hopefully we just get that and not the split versions.
I always like getting all of the games in a series so I can see how things improve, but I do hope you’re right about the second game getting the Yellow/Crystal/etc treatment.