While everyone was out and about trying to catch cute monsters in Pokémon Go at San Diego Comic-Con, I was catching monsters of a different kind. As part of the Nintendo Gaming Lounge, both Yo-kai Watch 2: Fleshy Souls and Yo-kai Watch 2: Bony Spirits (which are the same game, with each containing exclusive content) were playable, with the brand new co-op mode, Blasters, being the main attraction. Luckily, we learned quite a bit about it while going hands-on!
First, the campaign is going to be massive when compared to the first Yo-kai Watch game on the 3DS. You’ll have the opportunity to go explore more areas, and experience time travel with a new Yo-kai friend named Hovernyan. While bending time, the players will witness the inception of the Yo-kai Watch! It’s really shaping up to be an incredibly interesting adventure for long time fans. And who doesn’t like time-traveling Yo-kai that also happen to be the most adorable thing ever?
Now on to what could arguably be the biggest addition: the Blasters mode. This is 4-player local co-op mode (which is playable in single-player as well) is all about getting together with friends to hunt down “Oni Orbs” to unlock loot for the main campaign. At the end of each session your orbs will be gathered up, and the higher the amount, the better chance you’ll have at getting great randomized loot—it’s a great incentive to take a break from the campaign (even if they are tied, which is brilliant).
Before jumping into a session, you and your friends will choose to play as a Yo-kai from an available list. You can choose between one that specializes in range attacks all the way to a brawler who is adept at facing trouble in close-combat. I, of course, chose Blazion, the fiery beasts (who happens to be a brawler)!
Once you’ve chosen your character, you’ll be dropped into a mid-sized map with “oni orbs” scattered throughout—grabbing as many orbs as possible with your friends is the main objective. While doing this, you must avoid the “oni patrols” (bad guys) in order to survive long enough to leave the map when the escape portal opens up after a certain amount of time. The 3DS’ second screen shows you where everything is at, so it’s up to you to strategize how to tackle the map. You can choose to stay long after the escape door opens up in an attempt to nab more orbs, but it’s at your own risk since more patrol members will fill the map. There’s also a large oni that’ll wreck you if you’re seen, and the longer you stay, the more that’ll spawn.
It’s a rather simple concept, really, but it’s a total blast. I actually died a couple of times, so keep in mind that it’s actually pretty tough.
When Yo-kai Watch was finally making its move over to the states (both the show and games), many thought it could had the potential to be as popular as the Pokémon franchise. And while there was some hype behind the series, it never quite captured the mainstream audience as many had hoped it would. However, if the short demo is anything to go by, this series could still be special in its own right.
We also got a look at Hasbro’s new Yo-kai watch toy. The new model has switchable medals like its predecessor, but this time around it not only makes unique sounds depending on which coin you slide into the body of the watch, it also projects a moving image onto surfaces. Aesthetically, the toy itself still looks very similar to the last model. As for the coins, they include QR codes that can be scanned into your game to unlock some goodies. It’s a nice novelty item to add to your collection.
Are you guys a fan of the Yo-kai show? How about the last 3DS game? Which Yo-kai is your favorite? Let us know in the comments below!
Image: Nintendo, Level 5
