The Yo-kai Watch games oftentimes feel like the younger, less appreciated sibling of the older, cooler and more popular Pokemon. The series frequently gets overshadowed by the monster-catching titan, with its incredibly sweet, wholesome and Studio Ghibli-esque games left to the wayside.

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However, the Yo-kai Watch games are not only brilliant but surprisingly varied. While they’re not all equal, the mainline Yo-kai Watch games and the dozens of bizarre spin-offs are all amazing in their own way. From dancing to the Yo-kai Watch theme song to living the sweet school life with your spirit buddies, the Yo-kai Watch series is really spectacular. We take a look at the highlights.

9 Yo-Kai Watch Blasters

Yo-kai Watch Blasters is a spin-off title that released worldwide in 2018 to mostly critical acclaim. It deviates quite significantly from the mainline series, putting players in the role of the titular yokai inside of the traditional protagonists. It also switched up the typical automated combat for real-time action.

While the deviation and alterations made in Yo-kai Watch Blasters aren’t necessarily bad, they lack the magic that came with the original and subsequent mainline titles. It became more of generic dungeon crawler, relying too heavily on repetitive gameplay and not enough on the childlike wonder that makes the other games so special.

8 Yo-kai Watch Busters 2: Secret of the Legendary Treasure Bambalaya

There isn’t much to say about Yo-kai Watch Blasters’ sequel, Yo-kai Watch Busters 2: Secret of the Legendary Treasure Bambalaya, beyond that it’s slightly better than the first game.

Released for the 3DS as a Japan-only exclusive, this sequel offered some marginal improvements over the first game, while retaining the elements that worked. Just like Blasters, this isn’t a particularly bad game, and it has its pros. Unfortunately, however, compared to the other games in the series, it just doesn’t offer quite the same level of enjoyment.

7 Yo-kai Watch Dance: Just Dance Special Version

Not unlike Pokemon’s bizarre spin-offs, Yo-kai Watch has its fair share of unexpected, but brilliant hidden gems. Perhaps the strangest of the bunch is Yo-kai Watch Dance: Just Dance Special Version, which is exactly what it sounds like.

If you’ve ever wanted a reason to dance to Yo-kai Watch’s main theme or any of its other incredible songs, then Yo-kai Watch Dance: Just Dance Special Version is absolutely for you. Unfortunately, beyond the initial spectacle, it really is simply Just Dance but with Yo-kai Watch songs.

6 Yo-kai Sangokushi

Who would have thought that what Yo-kai Watch really needed was a Fire Emblem-esque spin-off title? Well, for the few that were clamouring for it, Yo-kai Sangokushi is here to meet your needs. Developed by Koei Tecmo - the folks behind Dynasty Warriors - this turn-based extravaganza certainly shakes things up in the world of yokai.

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Featuring a grid-based combat system, special moves titled Soultimates and a unique tribe system, this Yo-kai Watch game couldn’t be further from the mainline series if it tried. However, unlike Blasters, Sangokushi manages to retain a lot of the same magic from the mainline games without making the gameplay and narrative too repetitive. It's just a shame that it’s a Japan-only title.

5 Yo-Kai Watch 3

Now, by no means is Yo-kai Watch 3 a bad game. In fact, like all of the mainline Yo-kai Watch titles, the third is pretty spectacular. However, like with a lot of sequels, Yo-kai Watch 3 tries too hard to introduce new mechanics and ends up overcomplicating things.

While the addition of a brand-new protagonist was greatly appreciated and makes this a genuinely fantastic game, the constant switching between stories can be quite exhausting. As this was originally launched as two separate games - with each game containing a different character’s story - the combined release oftentimes feels overwhelming. Additionally, the new town of St Peanutburg, while beautiful in its own right, doesn’t quite capture the same majesty as the earlier areas featured in previous entries.

4 Yo-Kai Watch

The original Yo-kai Watch may pale in comparison to some of the later games, but it still retains a lot of the charm and magic that makes the series so beloved. Exploring Springdale is a ton of fun, and encountering the various colourful yokai for the first time is a genuine delight.

While a lot of the time, Yo-kai Watch one feels like it's still finding its feet, it nevertheless comes in with a distinct style and vision that is amazing to behold from start to finish. While series like Boku No Natsuyasumi may never come to the West, playing the first Yo-kai Watch is as close to getting that beautifully whimsical Studio Ghibli experience as you’ll likely ever get.

3 Yo-kai Watch Jam: Yo-kai Academy Y – Waiwai Gakuen Seikatsu

If you’ve ever wanted to go to a Japanese school - most of you are likely already saying yes - haunted by ghosts - now surely everyone is saying yes - then the ridiculously complicatedly named Yo-kai Watch Jam: Yo-kai Academy Y – Waiwai Gakuen Seikatsu, is the game for you.

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It sees you explore a huge and detailed school, interact with classmates, fight yokai and experience an engrossing - albeit slightly more anime - narrative. Unfortunately, as is typical with amazing Yo-kai Watch games, this is a Japan-only title. However, while it is all too painful that players in the West can’t experience it, that doesn’t mean it’s a bad game. Yo-kai Watch Jam: Yo-kai Academy Y – Waiwai Gakuen Seikatsu is a genuinely fantastic video game, and a great addition to the Yo-kai Watch lineup.

2 Yo-Kai Watch 4

Yo-Kai Watch 4 is possibly the biggest tease of a game to have ever existed. With frequent rumours speculating its inevitable release in the West, fans have been salivating at the chance to play this gloriously spectacular game, and all for good reason too.

Yo-kai Watch 4 introduces a whole new cast of characters, stunning new visuals - thanks to being a Switch exclusive - a new combat style and much much more. There are new areas to explore, new stories to engage with and new Yo-kai to fight. It is a truly phenomenal experience from start to finish, and absolutely a better monster-catching game than Pokemon - yes, we went there. Here’s hoping those rumours are true and it one day makes its way to the West.

1 Yo-Kai Watch 2

Yo-kai Watch 2 is easily the best game in the series as it manages to capture the beauty of not only being a child in a fantastical and magical bustling Japanese city but also in the glorious and frequently romanticised countryside. With the introduction of the train line - which is unbelievably incredible and dynamic - players got to explore a range of new locations including Harrisville, a stunning countryside town brimming with detail and life.

Yo-kai Watch 2 also just feels like the culmination of everything great in the first game, as well as new innovations and gameplay elements. Furthermore, the introduction of time travel helped flesh out the first game’s world and make the experience of exploring it feel new and fresh again. Yo-kai Watch 2 is a pure nostalgia trip and bound to make any player feel like a kid again.

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