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Yo-kai Watch 4

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  • Base-Breaking Character: The Original Generation of Shadowside Yo-kai, both past and future. While a lot of people enjoy their designs and gameplay, there's a fare few who wish they hadn't taken the place of characters from the anime. The fact that, unlike characters from Yo-kai Watch: Shadowside and Yo-kai Watch: Forever Friends, they didn't have screentime in an anime to show off their personalities and quirks and thus come off as comparatively flat, only serves to further alienate people.
  • Big-Lipped Alligator Moment: The opening scrawl features Slimamander as he appears in the original series. He does not appear in the game at all, and isn't even remotely referenced, so why he's there is anyone's guess.
  • Broken Base:
    • The reduced number of Yo-kai. Given the series was the first title for the Nintendo Switch, and the models had to effectively be remade to fit the new artstyle, it's understandable that the roster got a lot smaller. However, given it's even smaller than the first game and it markets itself as a "best hits" of the entire franchise, some people are less willing to give it concessions than others.
    • The change in combat gameplay. Some people like the shift to an Action RPG of greater scale that lets them control Yo-kai in a 3D environment, as well as letting the Watchers take a more active role, while other people wish real-time combat had remained a Blasters-only thing.
  • Contested Sequel: The game managed to both be extremely ambitious and slimmed down a lot of what the previous games did, featuring heavily improved graphics, a more realistic artstyle, a shift to real-time combat, the ability to travel between three different time period and the ability to play as multiple Watchers, but also drastically reducing the map size, amount of side content and number of Yo-kai. As a result, fans are split on how good it is, especially as a sequel.
  • Continuity Lock-Out: The game assumes you've seen the films Yo-kai Watch: Forever Friends and Yo-kai Watch: Shadowside - The Return of the Oni King. Akihiro Hino has acknowledged this, and had plans to localize the movies alongside the game's upcoming localization in English-speaking regions, both of which never materialized.
  • Ensemble Dark Horse: The censored variants of Gutsy Bones and Jingeki that appeared in the Chinese release became somewhat popular, as Yo-kai Watch 4 had been rather lacking in the Yo-kai department, and, rather than just recolors, they had been converted into a giant Creepy Doll and a Humongous Mecha respectively. Many wished they were actual Yo-kai in the base game.
  • Epileptic Trees: Uula from Shadowside, Ananta's answer to Zazel, makes no appearance and instead replaced by two Canon Foreigners. Due to this, some began theorizing that the grave Ananta can be seen visiting is that of the elder Yo-kai, but there's no real proof to it outside of him stating it's someone dear to him.
  • Fandom Rivalry: With Pokémon Sword and Shield. Many fans of Yo-kai Watch 4 often state how much better it looks than Sword and Shield due to the much more impressive graphics compared to it, not to mention that unlike it, all creatures will be eventually patched in at post launch. Fans of Sword and Shield however are also quick to mention that 4 has frame rate issues during battle, not to mention several mons being locked behind DLC as well as Nintendo Switch ports of the games on the 3DS. However, despite this, there are several fans who want to enjoy both.
  • Fan-Preferred Cut Content: The lacking roster means most players wish nothing had been cut at all. Of note: McKraken's One-Winged Angel form was going to be playable, and there was to be a mysterious Boss Yo-kai associated with the Oni Tribe. Yamato no Orochi from Yo-kai Watch: Forever Friends was also going to appear, but didn't, which disappointed those wishing it could get some more characterization and give it a chance to escape its reputation as a jobber.
  • Friendly Fandoms: With Mother 3 for both being the finale to a series that had translations in English but ultimately got the No Export for You treatment, both bonding over them holding out hope that they'll some day get an official English release.
  • Hilarious in Hindsight: 4 was an Actionized Sequel to the original series, taking ostensibly turn-based, if automated, combat and turning them into real-time combat, with the Mon Tamer taking an active role in the combat. The series' main fandom rival, Pokémon, would eventually do the same with Pokémon Legends: Z-A. A key part of 4 is also that many of the playable Yo-kai have a Super Mode, and Z-A is set in Kalos, the region most associated with Pokémon Super Modes that, just like Shadowside forms, transform the user.
  • Memetic Mutation:
    • News On Yo-kai Watch 4 Localization: There is no news. Explanation
    • A variety of videos exist showing people aging over the years as they wait for the game to finally get localized, including to the point of turning into a Waiting Skeleton.
  • Older Than They Think: Despite what some will tell you, this was not the first game to cut Yo-kai that can be befriended. That went as far back as Yo-kai Sangokushi, which, just like 4, actually reduced the total number. Both Blasters titles also cut Don-Chan, and the second one did not have a handful of 'Merican Yo-kai introduced in 3.
  • Replacement Scrappy: Quite a few fans have beef with the new Yo-kai introduced for taking slots that could've been filled by Yo-kai from Shadowside or Forever Friends.
  • Spiritual Successor: With Ni no Kuni II: Revenant Kingdom. Due to switching to a pure Action RPG approach, this game will likely be the closest Ni No Kuni 1 sequel fans will get due to its combat system.
  • They Changed It, Now It Sucks!:
    • The concept of a mainline title using real-time combat. The previous three had already been inconsistent, with the first two using the same system, while the third used a similar but ultimately different one in the form of the Tactics Boards. Some feel that real-time combat should've been Blasters only and been saved for Spin-Off titles, and that changing the combat so drastically contributes to the series having a problem with keeping a consistent identity.
    • The logo displayed in promotional materials was rather different to the one in the final product. The former is more in the Shadowside style while the latter is closer to the style of the original games, and there were quite a few people who preferred the original one.
    • Yo-kai Watch 4 is the first mainline Yo-kai Watch game to cut Yo-kai that can be befriended, rather than add them. It only has around 200, after two major content updates too, while the previous instalment, Yo-kai Watch Busters 2: Secret Treasure of the Legendary Banbarayar, had around 750. Needless to say, especially given the variety presented by the various films and anime, people weren't happy.
    • The map is much smaller than it was in previous games. For example, Blossom Heights is usually the second area travelled to. Here, it's exclusive to DLC after completing the plot. A lot of people weren't happy.
    • The removal of fusion and evolution. Yo-kai are stuck in their base forms and can't become stronger. Naturally, this is a sore spot for many given the mechanics have existed since the first game.
    • Shien never gets to go One-Winged Angel like he did in Forever Friends, so there's no fight against Maou Shien. While it does make sense considering the latter form didn't fight much in the film either, the fact the form was in Yo-kai Watch: Wibble Wobble means a lot of people were sad when it didn't happen.
  • They Wasted a Perfectly Good Character:
    • While Hailey Anne does return, she doesn't get to do much in the game despite owning a Yo-kai Watch. All she really can do is act as a drone delivery mechanic during battle and that's just about it.
    • Pretty much any Yo-kai from Shadowside that wasn't in 4 is considered a missed-opportunity, especially since they're unlikely to appear in any other instalment. Special mention goes to Inari, Mushbarber and especially Mitsumata Mizuchi due to the latter being a recolor of Micchy and thus theoretically easy to add.
    • Lord Ananta's aide, Uula, from Yo-kai Watch: Shadowside - The Return of the Oni King and Yo-kai Watch: Shadowside was replaced by Rai-chan and Fuu-kun. No mention of him is made whatsoever.
  • Uncertain Audience: 4 has a completely different action-oriented gameplay style and shifted its tone to be Darker and Edgier, as with the show and film, Yo-kai Watch: Shadowside and Yo-kai Watch: Forever Friends, it was based on. Existing fans were split on the shift away from the established tone and gameplay, as well as many, many Yo-kai being cut from the game (the first mainline title to do so), while potential new ones still weren't interested and didn't find the new elements compelling enough. It also failed to appeal to hardcore Shadowside fans, as many Shadowside Yo-kai from the show were not included in favor of the Original Generation.
  • Unexpected Character: While McKracken being a boss would be no surprise to anyone, no-one would have expected he'd be Promoted to Playable in Yo-kai Watch 4 thanks to a code from the Nintendo Switch port of Yo-kai Watch 1.

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