<s>
is	O
a	O
role-playing	O
video	O
game	O
developed	O
and	O
published	O
by	O
Level-5	O
for	O
the	O
Nintendo	B-Operating_System
3DS	I-Operating_System
and	O
the	O
first	O
game	O
in	O
the	O
Yo-kai	B-Application
Watch	I-Application
franchise	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
Yo-kai	B-Application
Watch	I-Application
,	O
player	O
character	O
Nathan	O
"	O
Nate	O
"	O
Adams	O
or	O
Katie	O
Forester	O
,	O
depending	O
on	O
who	O
the	O
player	O
chooses	O
,	O
is	O
given	O
the	O
titular	O
watch	O
,	O
which	O
gives	O
him	O
or	O
her	O
the	O
ability	O
to	O
see	O
Yo-kai	O
,	O
after	O
stumbling	O
across	O
and	O
befriending	O
a	O
butler	O
Yo-kai	O
named	O
Whisper	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
game	O
was	O
initially	O
released	O
to	O
a	O
positive	O
commercial	O
and	O
critical	O
reception	O
in	O
Japan	O
,	O
and	O
a	O
steady	O
rise	O
in	O
popularity	O
spawned	O
various	O
media	O
spin-offs	O
,	O
such	O
as	O
a	O
toy	O
line	O
and	O
an	O
anime	O
series	O
,	O
in	O
addition	O
to	O
Yo-kai	B-Application
Watch	I-Application
2	I-Application
,	O
released	O
the	O
following	O
year	O
for	O
the	O
Nintendo	B-Operating_System
3DS	I-Operating_System
.	O
</s>
<s>
By	O
November	O
2014	O
,	O
the	O
game	O
had	O
sold	O
over	O
a	O
million	O
copies	O
in	O
Japan	O
alone	O
,	O
making	O
it	O
one	O
of	O
the	O
best	B-Device
selling	I-Device
games	I-Device
on	I-Device
the	I-Device
Nintendo	I-Device
3DS	I-Device
.	O
</s>
<s>
He	O
gives	O
Nate	O
the	O
Yo-kai	B-Application
Watch	I-Application
,	O
a	O
device	O
used	O
to	O
find	O
Yo-kai	O
,	O
and	O
prompts	O
Nate	O
to	O
use	O
it	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Realizing	O
how	O
tough	O
Slimamander	O
was	O
,	O
Nate	O
and	O
Whisper	O
decide	O
to	O
head	O
to	O
Timers	O
and	O
More	O
,	O
where	O
the	O
shopkeeper	O
,	O
a	O
human-mimicking	O
Yo-kai	O
named	O
Mr.	O
Goodsight	O
,	O
agrees	O
to	O
upgrade	O
Nate	O
's	O
Yo-kai	B-Application
Watch	I-Application
rank	O
but	O
assigns	O
him	O
two	O
specific	O
tasks	O
to	O
complete	O
beforehand	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
After	O
narrowly	O
evading	O
an	O
Oni	B-Application
attack	O
along	O
the	O
way	O
,	O
they	O
discover	O
that	O
Sproink	O
has	O
stolen	O
the	O
undergarment	O
as	O
a	O
clothing	O
item	O
for	O
himself	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
next	O
day	O
,	O
after	O
Bear	O
uses	O
his	O
mother	O
's	O
ring	O
to	O
catch	O
the	O
"	O
king	O
of	O
Catfish	B-Application
Pond	O
"	O
and	O
inadvertently	O
loses	O
it	O
,	O
Mr.	O
Bernstein	O
berates	O
his	O
son	O
and	O
instructs	O
him	O
to	O
retrieve	O
it	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
After	O
the	O
ensuing	O
battle	O
,	O
SV	O
Snaggerjag	O
reveals	O
that	O
he	O
is	O
the	O
king	O
of	O
Catfish	B-Application
Pond	O
,	O
and	O
he	O
warned	O
that	O
the	O
group	O
was	O
scaring	O
off	O
the	O
catfish	B-Application
in	O
the	O
area	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Yo-kai	B-Application
Watch	I-Application
is	O
a	O
role-playing	O
video	O
game	O
where	O
the	O
player	O
searches	O
around	O
Springdale	O
for	O
Yo-kai	O
using	O
the	O
3DS	B-Operating_System
 '	O
touchscreen	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
A	O
common	O
in-game	O
event	O
is	O
"	O
Oni	B-Application
Time	O
"	O
(	O
Terror	O
Time	O
)	O
,	O
where	O
the	O
player	O
character	O
enters	O
a	O
nightmare	O
realm	O
where	O
he	O
or	O
she	O
looks	O
for	O
treasure	O
chests	O
with	O
special	O
items	O
in	O
them	O
all	O
while	O
trying	O
to	O
avoid	O
being	O
seen	O
by	O
other	O
Yo-kai	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
If	O
spotted	O
,	O
the	O
player	O
is	O
chased	O
by	O
a	O
powerful	O
Oni	B-Application
Yo-kai	O
that	O
can	O
easily	O
wipe	O
out	O
the	O
player	O
's	O
party	O
unless	O
they	O
can	O
escape	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
It	O
is	O
possible	O
to	O
defeat	O
the	O
Oni	B-Application
,	O
but	O
only	O
if	O
the	O
player	O
's	O
Yo-kai	O
are	O
particularly	O
powerful	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Yo-kai	B-Application
Watch	I-Application
was	O
developed	O
by	O
Level-5	O
,	O
a	O
Japanese	O
video	O
game	O
developer	O
based	O
in	O
Fukuoka	O
,	O
Japan	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Before	O
Yo-kai	B-Application
Watch	I-Application
,	O
Level-5	O
were	O
best	O
known	O
for	O
their	O
Professor	B-Application
Layton	I-Application
series	I-Application
of	O
puzzle	O
adventure	O
games	O
for	O
the	O
Nintendo	B-Device
DS	I-Device
,	O
one	O
of	O
the	O
best	B-Application
selling	I-Application
game	I-Application
series	I-Application
on	I-Application
the	I-Application
platform	I-Application
,	O
with	O
15	O
million	O
units	O
sold	O
across	O
six	O
titles	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
At	O
a	O
time	O
where	O
Level-5	O
were	O
already	O
successful	O
with	O
resonating	O
with	O
younger	O
gamers	O
with	O
multiple	O
IPs	O
such	O
as	O
Inazuma	B-Application
Eleven	I-Application
and	O
Ni	O
no	O
Kuni	O
,	O
many	O
of	O
the	O
Level-5	O
staff	O
expressed	O
interest	O
in	O
creating	O
,	O
in	O
Level-5	O
CEO	O
Akihiro	O
Hino	O
's	O
words	O
,	O
the	O
new	O
Doraemon	B-Application
;	O
a	O
title	O
that	O
would	O
"	O
be	O
loved	O
by	O
many	O
people	O
over	O
a	O
long	O
period	O
of	O
time	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Yo-kai	B-Application
Watch	I-Application
was	O
officially	O
unveiled	O
to	O
the	O
public	O
by	O
Level-5	O
at	O
the	O
2011	O
Tokyo	O
Game	O
Show	O
,	O
where	O
it	O
was	O
announced	O
during	O
the	O
company	O
's	O
annual	O
Level-5	O
Vision	O
press	O
conference	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
It	O
was	O
planned	O
from	O
the	O
start	O
that	O
Yo-kai	B-Application
Watch	I-Application
would	O
be	O
a	O
franchise	O
that	O
consisted	O
of	O
a	O
manga	O
and	O
anime	O
series	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Prior	O
to	O
the	O
release	O
of	O
Yo-kai	B-Application
Watch	I-Application
in	O
Japan	O
,	O
a	O
game	O
demo	O
was	O
made	O
available	O
to	O
download	O
from	O
the	O
Nintendo	B-Application
eShop	I-Application
on	O
July	O
3	O
,	O
2013	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
After	O
the	O
success	O
of	O
the	O
game	O
and	O
its	O
sequel	O
,	O
Yo-kai	B-Application
Watch	I-Application
2	I-Application
,	O
a	O
localization	O
of	O
the	O
franchise	O
in	O
territories	O
outside	O
Japan	O
was	O
seriously	O
considered	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
After	O
registering	O
a	O
trademark	O
for	O
the	O
Yo-kai	B-Application
Watch	I-Application
brand	O
in	O
the	O
United	O
States	O
in	O
January	O
2014	O
,	O
and	O
inviting	O
public	O
opinion	O
on	O
an	O
international	O
release	O
of	O
the	O
game	O
,	O
Level-5	O
formally	O
announced	O
in	O
April	O
2015	O
that	O
the	O
game	O
would	O
indeed	O
be	O
released	O
in	O
the	O
United	O
States	O
,	O
Europe	O
,	O
Australia	O
,	O
New	O
Zealand	O
,	O
Latin	O
America	O
,	O
and	O
Korea	O
,	O
with	O
Nintendo	O
helping	O
to	O
publish	O
the	O
game	O
outside	O
Japan	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
A	O
demo	O
for	O
the	O
game	O
was	O
released	O
on	O
the	O
Nintendo	B-Application
eShop	I-Application
in	O
North	O
America	O
on	O
October	O
22	O
,	O
2015	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
game	O
was	O
also	O
sold	O
as	O
a	O
bundle	O
with	O
the	O
Nintendo	B-Device
2DS	I-Device
in	O
North	O
America	O
,	O
selling	O
under	O
$100	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
series	O
has	O
run	O
continuously	O
on	O
TV	O
Tokyo	O
since	O
then	O
,	O
including	O
a	O
rebranding	O
as	O
a	O
"	O
Second	O
Season	O
"	O
featuring	O
new	O
characters	O
from	O
the	O
upcoming	O
Yo-kai	B-Application
Watch	I-Application
3	I-Application
game	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
As	O
part	O
of	O
efforts	O
to	O
localize	O
Yo-kai	B-Application
Watch	I-Application
in	O
western	O
countries	O
,	O
the	O
series	O
was	O
broadcast	O
in	O
the	O
United	O
States	O
;	O
dubbed	O
in	O
English	O
and	O
premiered	O
on	O
Disney	O
XD	O
on	O
October	O
5	O
,	O
2015	O
,	O
a	O
month	O
before	O
the	O
release	O
of	O
the	O
game	O
in	O
North	O
America	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
July	O
2019	O
,	O
Level-5	O
announced	O
the	O
first	O
game	O
in	O
the	O
series	O
would	O
be	O
ported	O
to	O
the	O
Nintendo	B-Application
Switch	I-Application
;	O
the	O
port	O
was	O
released	O
on	O
October	O
10	O
,	O
2019	O
,	O
in	O
Japan	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Unlike	O
the	O
original	O
3DS	B-Operating_System
version	O
,	O
there	O
was	O
no	O
option	O
to	O
use	O
English	O
text	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
game	O
was	O
ported	O
to	O
mobile	O
devices	O
via	O
iOS	B-Application
and	O
Android	B-Application
in	O
Japan	O
on	O
July	O
10	O
,	O
2021	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
She	O
also	O
commented	O
positively	O
of	O
the	O
game	O
's	O
use	O
of	O
the	O
Nintendo	B-Operating_System
3DS	I-Operating_System
 '	O
stereoscopic	B-Algorithm
features	O
and	O
its	O
"	O
simple	O
and	O
deeply	O
strategic	O
"	O
battle	O
system	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Yo-kai	B-Application
Watch	I-Application
debuted	O
with	O
a	O
strong	O
opening	O
week	O
,	O
selling	O
over	O
53,000	O
units	O
in	O
its	O
first	O
week	O
of	O
availability	O
;	O
the	O
best	O
selling	O
handheld	O
game	O
in	O
Japan	O
and	O
second-best	O
selling	O
game	O
in	O
Japan	O
for	O
that	O
week	O
,	O
beaten	O
only	O
by	O
Nintendo	O
's	O
92,000	O
unit	O
sales	O
for	O
Pikmin	B-Application
3	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
a	O
list	O
published	O
at	O
the	O
end	O
of	O
the	O
year	O
,	O
Japanese	O
video	O
game	O
magazine	O
Famitsu	O
named	O
Yo-kai	B-Application
Watch	I-Application
as	O
the	O
23rd	O
best	O
selling	O
game	O
in	O
Japan	O
,	O
with	O
just	O
over	O
280,000	O
units	O
sold	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
After	O
the	O
debut	O
of	O
the	O
Yo-kai	B-Application
Watch	I-Application
anime	O
in	O
January	O
2014	O
,	O
Level-5	O
,	O
a	O
month	O
later	O
,	O
reported	O
that	O
the	O
sales	O
numbers	O
for	O
the	O
game	O
had	O
spiked	O
to	O
over	O
500,000	O
physical	O
copies	O
of	O
the	O
game	O
sold	O
alone	O
,	O
without	O
including	O
digital	O
download	O
sales	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
By	O
June	O
,	O
a	O
month	O
before	O
the	O
release	O
of	O
the	O
game	O
's	O
sequel	O
,	O
Yo-kai	B-Application
Watch	I-Application
2	I-Application
,	O
the	O
game	O
had	O
crossed	O
the	O
million	O
sales	O
milestone	O
,	O
according	O
to	O
Media	O
Create	O
,	O
after	O
a	O
steady	O
increase	O
of	O
weekly	O
sales	O
since	O
January	O
2014	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Although	O
that	O
number	O
was	O
below	O
Level-5	O
'	O
s	O
expectations	O
,	O
it	O
still	O
got	O
the	O
Yo-kai	B-Application
Watch	I-Application
franchise	O
off	O
to	O
a	O
promising	O
start	O
overseas	O
,	O
and	O
instilled	O
confidence	O
that	O
the	O
franchise	O
would	O
find	O
its	O
place	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
Nintendo	B-Application
Switch	I-Application
port	O
sold	O
9,426	O
copies	O
in	O
its	O
first	O
week	O
on	O
sale	O
,	O
placing	O
4th	O
overall	O
for	O
software	O
sales	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
A	O
sequel	O
to	O
Yo-kai	B-Application
Watch	I-Application
was	O
released	O
on	O
July	O
10	O
,	O
2014	O
,	O
for	O
the	O
Nintendo	B-Operating_System
3DS	I-Operating_System
in	O
two	O
versions	O
:	O
and	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Borrowing	O
near-identical	O
gameplay	O
elements	O
from	O
the	O
original	O
Yo-kai	B-Application
Watch	I-Application
,	O
the	O
games	O
featured	O
an	O
expanded	O
setting	O
,	O
a	O
brand-new	O
story	O
,	O
additional	O
game	O
modes	O
,	O
and	O
a	O
broadly	O
expanded	O
roster	O
of	O
Yo-kai	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
games	O
would	O
go	O
on	O
to	O
become	O
the	O
best	O
selling	O
games	O
in	O
Japan	O
for	O
2014	O
,	O
selling	O
over	O
3	O
million	O
copies	O
by	O
December	O
and	O
outperforming	O
Nintendo	O
's	O
Pokémon	B-Application
franchise	O
with	O
Pokémon	B-Application
Omega	I-Application
Ruby	I-Application
and	I-Application
Alpha	I-Application
Sapphire	I-Application
and	O
Capcom	O
's	O
Monster	B-Application
Hunter	I-Application
franchise	O
,	O
with	O
Monster	B-Application
Hunter	I-Application
4	I-Application
Ultimate	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
games	O
join	O
Yo-kai	B-Application
Watch	I-Application
as	O
two	O
of	O
the	O
best	B-Device
selling	I-Device
games	I-Device
on	I-Device
the	I-Device
Nintendo	I-Device
3DS	I-Device
.	O
</s>
<s>
Because	O
of	O
the	O
healthy	O
sales	O
of	O
the	O
first	O
game	O
and	O
the	O
first	O
set	O
of	O
sequels	O
,	O
additional	O
sequels	O
titled	O
Yo-kai	B-Application
Watch	I-Application
3	I-Application
and	O
Yo-kai	B-Application
Watch	I-Application
4	I-Application
were	O
released	O
initially	O
in	O
Japan	O
in	O
July	O
2016	O
and	O
June	O
2019	O
,	O
respectively	O
.	O
</s>
