Pokémon has had many rivals, but Yo-kai Watch initially stood out as a particularly strong contender. Like Pokémon, it featured a young hero collecting and battling cute creatures. However, Yo-kai Watch also offered something unique, with a modern city setting and spirits inspired by folklore who were often quite talkative.
When Yo-kai Watch launched in North America on November 6, 2015, it was expected to be a strong competitor to Pokémon. A large marketing push and a TV show supported the initial 3DS game, which sold 400,000 copies soon after release. However, after 10 years, Yo-kai Watch’s popularity has largely faded in regions outside of Japan.
Pokémon Rival Yo-Kai Watch Shouldn’t Have Disappeared
Out With A Whimper
It’s not surprising that Yo-kai Watch’s popularity faded. Maintaining the intense excitement of the first game, like Pokémon does, is really hard. Pokémon benefits from having a dedicated adult fanbase who grew up playing, but Yo-kai Watch had to win over children in a market already full of options.
Honestly, this game felt a little more… Japanese, you know? Unlike Pokémon, which felt pretty universal, this one really leaned into Japanese myths and legends. A lot of us checked it out, but I think that deeper cultural stuff might have been why people didn’t rush to buy every single new version as soon as it dropped.
Despite being well-liked – many fans actually preferred the second and third Yo-kai Watch games to the original – the series quickly faded from popularity. This wasn’t due to a lack of quality; the games were consistently improving, something the Pokémon series struggled with during the same time. The decline in attention was surprisingly rapid.
Following the success of the Yo-kai Watch games on the 3DS, many expected the Switch to help the series reach even more players. However, Yo-kai Watch 4 was never released in English, leaving North American fans without a new installment. While the game received good reviews in Japan, sales weren’t as strong as previous titles, suggesting that interest in the Yo-kai Watch franchise was starting to fade.
Yo-Kai Watch Had An Uphill Battle With Distribution
The US Was Never The Priority
The reason the fourth Yo-kai Watch game wasn’t released in English-speaking regions might not be because of the game itself, but rather a shift in strategy by its developer, Level-5. The company began reducing its support for Western releases, and by 2020, had essentially closed its US office, though it later reopened. While their new game, Professor Layton and the New World of Steam, is coming to the US, there are currently no plans to release future Yo-kai Watch titles in English.
Honestly, getting my hands on Yo-kai Watch games has been a struggle. Even before now, it felt like they weren’t bringing enough over to the US. The third 3DS game was super limited, and I’ve seen new copies going for five hundred dollars online! That’s insane, but it definitely shows people still want Yo-kai Watch. It’s just frustrating that it’s so hard to find!
As a big fan of Yo-kai Watch, I always thought the way it was released was a little strange. Level-5 made the game in Japan, but Nintendo published it here in North America. That meant Nintendo, of all companies, was in charge of a game that could have been a competitor to Pokémon! I don’t think Nintendo was trying to sabotage it, but it’s not a shock that they eventually focused more on Pokémon and didn’t push Yo-kai Watch as much. It just felt like it got lost in the shuffle.
Pokémon Competitors Are Doing Better Than Ever
Palworld Is One Of Many
Lately, other monster-collecting games have been gaining popularity. Palworld is the most well-known, but titles like Temtem and Cassette Beasts have also attracted a lot of players. At the same time, people’s enthusiasm for Pokémon has been slowly decreasing, which could have created an opportunity for Yo-kai Watch to become more successful.
While a release of Yo-kai Watch 4 in the US seems unlikely, there’s still hope for the future of the series. Level-5 CEO Akihiro Hino mentioned a new Yo-kai Watch project in a social media post last year. Plus, the original Yo-kai Watch game on the Switch was recently updated, suggesting Level-5 continues to support the series on that platform.
Despite already having four main games, and several versions of the second and third installments, the Yo-kai Watch series still has a lot of possibilities to explore. A new Switch console could be the ideal platform to do that, particularly if Level-5’s Professor Layton and the New World of Steam finds success on it.
Even if Yo-kai Watch doesn’t return to Western markets, I’ll likely have to accept that this potentially great series has run its course. Not every interesting concept becomes a long-lasting global franchise, and Yo-kai Watch achieved something significant regardless. It was Pokémon’s strongest competitor for a while, and it had a successful run on the 3DS – which is more than many games can claim.
Read More
- The X-Files’ Secret Hannibal Lecter Connection Led to 1 of the Show’s Scariest Monsters Ever
- Is The White Lotus Breaking Up With Four Seasons?
- Clayface DCU Movie Gets Exciting Update From Star
- Yakuza: Like a Dragon joins the PlayStation Plus Game Catalog next week on October 21
- Dad breaks silence over viral Phillies confrontation with woman over baseball
- Fan project Bully Online brings multiplayer to the classic Rockstar game
- New World: Aeternum Is Ending New Content After Season 10
- Elizabeth Olsen Wants to Play Scarlet Witch Opposite This MCU Star
- SD Gundam G Generation Eternal global revenues have surpassed $200 million
- Rockstar Fans Pay Tribute To The Late D’Angelo, The Artist Behind RDR2’s Best Song
2025-11-06 20:52