Yo-Kai Watch

This role-playing game is the first title in a franchise that's heavily steeped in Japanese mythology. Yo-Kai Watch has been a massive hit in Japan, even outselling Nintendo's other collectible-creature juggernaut, Pokémon. But the question is whether or not the game can maintain that same appeal when translated for an international audience. The answer? It absolutely can. The world of Yo-Kai Watch is a treat, and the colorful, animated style feels like you're actively taking part in a cartoon. It doesn't hurt that the voices in the game are the same as the animated series. All the characters are full of personality, too. It's hard not to get attached to the different Yo-kai you come across throughout the adventure.

There are a couple of things some players will need to adjust to, though. For starters, you don't directly control your Yo-kai team's actions but, rather, take more of a coaching role. You tell the team which foes to target, heal and "purify" hurt Yo-kai, and play short mini-games to charge up powerful "Soultimate" moves. Otherwise your team pretty much fights its own battles. In a lot of ways, Yo-Kai Watch is more about strategy than action. Also, the game has a bit of a learning curve. The in-game help does a great job of explaining the basics, but a lot of the more nuanced gameplay is likely to come from trial and error. None of this takes away from the experience, though. Yo-Kai Watch is still one of the best all-ages experiences to come to the 3DS in some time.