North Texas Daily

Nicholas Friedman | Editor-In-Chief

@NMFreed

Many have tried to duplicate the Pokemon formula over the years and many have failed. The new 3DS title Yo-Kai Watch might not be as nostalgic as Pokemon, but it sure as hell has the charm.

While aimed mostly at kids, Yo-Kai Watch made its mark around the world before trekking to the West. In Japan, the series had a successful manga run, multiple entries in the video game series and now a successful television show (and it just recently premiered on Disney XD in the U.S.).

The game tosses players into a world of ghost hunting, since Yo-Kai roughly translated means ‘ghost.’ You’ll get a watch capable of scoping out the coolest, cutest and creepiest of ghosts and attempt to ‘catch’ them a-la Pokemon, though the process is a lot more interactive.

The game world is colorful and full of talkative characters with interesting stories at every turn. But there is a bit of handholding here, which is mostly understandable for a game aimed at children.

It’s also nice to see a title prove that a large, cartoon game world is possible on 3DS. There’s no way around it, this looks better than the most recent Pokemon titles.

Oh, and there’s battling. Players can battle others in the game with their Yo-Kai and the parallels continue. But here, the system is a bit of different.

In keeping with the watch theme, players use a spin dial to select their Yo-Kai and have them attack. The monsters cycle in and out and this keeps things interesting.

Though the amount of monsters is six, (like Pokemon) the battle system is more similar to games like Dragon Quest, which isn’t surprising considering the developer, Level-5, has worked on a number of Dragon Quest titles.

While Yo-Kai Watch might not offer much to hardcore gamers, it’s a nice breath of fresh air from the blockbuster games of the season.

If you’re in need of a monster-hunting fix or want a great game to give a kid this holiday, give Yo-Kai Watch a shot.

Photo Courtesy | Level-5