Do your socks go missing in the dryer? Are you constantly shopping for useless stuff? Or maybe you can’t stop spilling all of your secrets? All of this could be caused by Yo-kai! Hundreds of these sometimes spooky, sometimes cute and usually mischievous Yo-kai secretly inhabit our world. They can’t be seen by the human eye, but they’re hiding everywhere! In Yo-Kai Watch, an original game from top Japanese entertainment company LEVEL-5 Inc. which launches exclusively for Nintendo 3Ds and 2Ds on the 5th of December, 2015, you must explore the in-game world to find and befriend more than 200 of these Yo-kai, each with unique skills, strengths and personalities.

The Nintendo 3DS games have sold more than 8 million copies in Japan, and the local release will soon be joined by the highly anticipated animated comedy series which debuts on the Nine Network’s GO! Channel on Monday 14th December, 2015, as well as a fun toy and DVD range which will be making a splash as part of a wider entertainment blitz in stores nationally from February 2016.

After selecting to play as a male or female character, you begin an adventure in an expansive world filled with hidden Yo-kai waiting to be discovered. As you explore the world, you will encounter Whisper, the self-proclaimed “Yo-kai Butler,” who entrusts you with a Yo-kai Watch. With this special watch, you’ll be able to see Yo-kai everywhere in town and even befriend them. Befriending new Yo-kai is not always easy, though – in many cases, you will need to battle with them and impress them during your battle. Once befriended, you’ll receive a Yo-kai medal as proof of your new friendship. Then you can summon your new friends with their Yo-kai Medals, form a team and challenge troublemaking Yo-kai or solve the problems of people in need. Finding all the Yo-kai in the game (especially the rare ones) and seeing their inspired names and charming designs is all part of the fun.

As you collect Yo-kai throughout the game, you can form teams of six Yo-kai at a time. Since each Yo-kai has different abilities, it will take strategy to form the right team and gain the upper hand when confronting particularly troublesome Yo-kai. By strategically initiating Soultimate Moves and purifying your friendly Yo-kai using the touch screen of the Nintendo 3DS system, you can gain the advantage in battle. You can even feed your Yo-kai food, beverages and medicine in battle to heal them. Your assistance and leadership in battle is crucial to success.

Be part of the newest cultural phenomenon when Yo-Kai Watch arrives in stores and in Nintendo eShop on Nintendo 3DS  and 2DS.

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Yo-kai Watch is a multi-billion dollar franchise and cultural sensation in Japan, and from December 5, 2015, Australia and New Zealand will get their chance to experience the excitement when the massively popular role-playing game YO-KAI WATCH launches for Nintendo 3DS.

Based on an original concept from top Japanese entertainment company LEVEL-5, Inc., Nintendo Australia, Hasbro and Channel 9’s GO! channel have teamed up to bring the Japanese phenomenon to local shores.

But what is a Yo-kai anyway? Is it a spirit? A monster? A ghost? Nope – a Yo-kai is … well, it’s just a Yo-kai!

You might not see them because they’re invisible, but they’re all around you every day. And they’re often mischievous, mysterious pranksters who like to make trouble for you. Lose your homework, can’t keep a secret or find yourself running late to everything? Yo-kai probably made you do it. The Yo-kai are based on common concerns kids have, and by confronting those concerns, kids can learn to overcome them.

When YO-KAI WATCH launches for Nintendo 3DS on December 5th, you can explore the world using your Yo-kai Watch to discover more than 200 Yo-kai, then befriend them and turn them into a team to battle other Yo-kai. Each Yo-kai has its own unique skills and strengths, so you must use them to challenge troublemaking Yo-kai and help people in the game solve their daily problems.

In Japan, the three YO-KAI WATCH 2 games accounted for three of the six best-selling console and hand-held games in Japan for 2014.

In December, Channel 9’s GO! channel will debut the animated comedy series YO-KAI WATCH.

The show follows the hilarious misadventures of an average boy and his involvement with the mischievous Yo-kai all around him. Our young hero obtains a special watch, empowering him to discover and summon Yo-kai, befriend them and then work together to solve everyday problems … problems that are often caused by other troublemaking Yo-kai!

The fun continues in Q1 2016 when Hasbro will introduce innovative play experiences for the Yo-kai Watch franchise, with the line set to include toys centred around collectible medals, each representing a unique Yo-kai.

In Japan, the TV program has been the top-rated animated show on TV TOKYO for kids 4-12 years old. Within 18 months since launch, the franchise has sold more than USD $2 billion in retail merchandise, and more than 8 million units of Nintendo 3DS video games have been sold in Japan alone. The cultural sensation comes to Australia and New Zealand when YO-KAI WATCH launches for Nintendo 3DS exclusively.

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