When you first begin the game, you have the option to choose your protagonist’s gender. There is absolutely no difference between the two, content-wise, so pick whichever one you want. After that, you get to choose your character’s name and as the game points out, it will be shared via StreetPass and local play; you have a total of eight characters for your name. Once you input your name, you are ready to dive into the world of Yokai Watch!
The game will begin with a couple of kids standing around a playthrough, talking about collecting bugs. After returning home, you’ll retrieve your Bug Net and finally gain control of your character. You can hold down the B button to run, but you only have so much stamina (circle next to your character) before you will get tired. For now, head downstairs and talk to your mother, who mentions the Diary. This is where you can save your game, accessing it by pressing the X button and then choosing the Diary option.
Anyway, with that little bit of a tutorial over with, head outside and follow the objective marker to the park. Once you get there, walk up to the marked trees and press A to look at them. You should see some bugs crawling around, so move the lens over them and press A to begin the bug-catching mini-game. As the dial spins around the circle, press A to make it slow down and eventually stop. You want the dial to land on the markers and if it does, you will successfully catch the bug. If it doesn’t land on one of the markers, you will fail (sometimes the game will randomly jump to one of them to help you) and the bug will escape.
Luckily, if you manage to fail, you will be able to return to the tree and try again. Do this one time at each tree to catch a Green Cicada, then you’ll be told to go talk to the janitor at the school. You can take a little detour, should you please, and check other trees and any other plants for other kinds of insects. Once you’re finished, the janitor will point you towards Mount Wildwood, and he will also give you 3 Black Syrups . Basically, when you’re trying to catch a bug, you can use one of those to add an extra notch to the wheel, making it easier to try and catch your target.
Once you’re ready, head towards Mount Wildwood and goes towards the marker, only to be blocked by a gate of some sort. Well, that plan is a no-go, so check the trees around your current area for some bugs. You will find a bunch of Brown Cicadas and as soon as you catch one, there will be a short scene where the previously blocked path is now open. A cutscene will play out and after everything is said and done, you’re introduced to the world of Yokai. You receive the Yokai Watch , which will allow you to see other Yokai.
Use your newly acquired toy to look for the hidden Yokai in the marked tree. You will need to use the Lens to spot it, since you can’t see it with the naked eye. Once you find the hidden Yokai, you need to hold the Lens over it until the Discovery Meter completely fills; be warned that the Yokai can move around, so you need to be prepared for that. Talk to it and you’ll have to get ready for a battle…except you don’t have any Yokai, or so it seems. Whisper points out that the glowing cicada from before is actually a Yokai named Cadin. He will help you fight the Buhu, so get ready for battle!
As your first battle, it will be especially easy, as you learn about Soultimate attacks. Think of these as your Yokai’s special move that is only possible by filling up the tear-shaped thing called a Soul Meter . Once it’s full, tap the Soultimate button in the top-left corner, then the Yokai you want to perform theirs; in this case, it will be Cadin. This will prompt a mini-game of sorts that you need to do in order for the Yokai to actually perform the Soultimate attack. Follow the directions on the bottom screen to complete the mini-game (it’s random every single time you try to do a Soultimate) and after a few seconds, the Yokai will perform it. After finishing off Buhu, you will befriend him and have a second Yokai on your team!
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