The first Yo-Kai Watch 3DS game is finally available in America. Fans of the show will instantly recognize some of the Yo-Kai, as well as some of the story events. The game is much more complex than it seemed from the demo and many things are not explained clearly.
I’m here to help you understand the basics of the game and explain some of the complex systems it has. Even though this game is similar to Pokemon, there are many differences. It is best to forget what you know about Pokemon while playing this game.
This guide will go over everything you need to get started in Yo-Kai Watch including:
- Game Mechanics – Details on playing the game and how battles works.
- Yo-Kai Info – Detailed info on Yo-Kai stats.
- Shops and Buildings – The different shops and buildings in the game and what you can do at them.
- Items and Equipment – Items that can change your Yo-Kai’s stats.
Game Mechanics
Yo-Kai Watch, like most RPGs, lets you run around the world outside of battles. You can run around to look for more Yo-Kai, complete quests, go to shops and buildings, and more.
How to find Yo-Kai
After playing the intro, you get a Yo-Kai Watch. This allows you to see Yo-Kai and track them down.
- When the watch meter in the top left of your screen starts moving, that means that there is a Yo-Kai near you. Search the area until it is red.
- When the meter is red, look for the magnifying glass icon, then press A. Moves the lens around until you find the Yo-Kai.
- Yo-Kai can choose to befriend you after a battle. This means that you get their medal and can use them as your own.
- You can increase the chance of them joining you by giving the enemy items.
Battles
Most of the time when you find Yo-Kai, a battle starts. Battles are different than most games, the Yo-Kai act on their own.
- You can have up to 6 Yo-Kai in a battle, 3 fight at a time.
- Rotate the wheel to switch between which are active. The 3 at the top are in the front row and attack. The 3 at the bottom are in the back row and wait.
- When a Yo-Kai’s meter is maxed, you can use the Soultimate move. Follow the bottom screen’s instructions to complete the move.
- You can also heal your team with items, or leave items for enemy Yo-Kai.
- If one of your Yo-Kai gets inspirited during a battle, you can purify them by moving them to the back row and choosing “Purify.”
- Follow the bottom screen’s directions, just like using a soultimate move.
- You can also choose to target a specific Yo-Kai by choosing “Target” and placing a pin on them.
- During battle, you can press “X” to speed up the fight and animations.
Yo-Kai Info
All Yo-Kai have stats, attitudes, a skill, attack, technique, soultimate move, inspirit, and a tribe.
Stats
- HP – This is how much health they have.
- STR – This determines how much damage their attack does.
- SPR – This determines the effectiveness of their technique
- DEF – This determines how much damage they will take from attacks, techniques, and soultimate moves.
- SPD – This determines how fast they are in battle.
Attitude
Attitudes determine their stats and likelihood of loafing around in battle. Two words are shown, such as “Stiff and Twisted”. The first word determines how likely they will loaf around in battle and the second determines the stats.
Skill
Each Yo-Kai has a skill that gives them a passive effect. There are many things these skills can do, such as increasing the damage from certain attacks or making them less likely to be targeted in battle.
Battle Actions
- Attack – This shows the power of the attack they use in combat.
- Technique – This shows the power of the technique they use in combat, as well as the element, if there is one.
- There are 6 elements: Fire, Water, Lightning, Earth, Ice, Wind.
- Soultimate Move – This shows the power and what the move does.
- Inspirit – This shows the effect of their inspirit, which is a status effect.
Tribes
There are 8 tribes and each Yo-Kai belongs to one of them. They each give a specific bonus and if you use 2 or 3 next to each other in battle, it increases the effect.
- Brave – Attack increase.
- Mysterious – Technique increase.
- Tough – Defense increase.
- Charming – Speed increase.
- Heartful – Healing moves.
- Shady – Change status effects and absorb HP.
- Eerie – Inspirit chance increase.
- Slippery – Harder to inspirit.
Evolution and Fusion
Some Yo-Kai can evolve to increase their stats and get new abilities. You can also fuse certain Yo-Kai to get brand new ones.
Shops and Buildings
You can buy and sell from several shops in the game. You can get items to heal, help befriend Yo-Kai, and more.
- Timers and More – This shops lets you upgrade your Watch Rank.
- The watch Rank allows you to access more areas in the game, as well as higher ranked Yo-Kai.
- Piggleston Bank – You can scan promotional QR codes at the bank to get a coin.
- You can use these coins in the Crank-a-kai.
- The Crank-a-Kai is in the forest north of town you went to at the beginning of the game, the place you met Whisper and got the Yo-Kai Watch.
- You can use the coins to get items or Yo-Kai, but only 3 times a day.
- Lambert Post Office – You can battle people locally, receive items from internet download or passwords, and receive gifts from using Yo-Kai Cam.
- You can choose Yo-Kai Cam from the title screen. Take a picture of someone to show a Yo-Kai inhabiting them.
- You get items from doing this and the Yo-Kai is added to your Medallium.
Items and Equipment
There are items you can use to change a Yo-Kai’s attitude. There are certain attitudes some Yo-Kai can’t have, so keep that in mind.
You can also equip each Yo-Kai with one item. These items increase one stat and lowers others. You can use these to strengthen a Yo-Kai’s weakness, or go all out an make their strengths even better.
That wraps up my Beginner Tips and Tricks for Yo-Kai Watch. Please let me know if you have any questions!
