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First Look At Level 5′s New Franchise, Youkai Watch

By Ishaan . October 14, 2011 . 9:51pm

We have the first screenshots of Level 5’s new game, Youkai Watch. In addition to being a game, Youkai Watch will also extend into other forms of media, such as manga and anime.

The “watch” in Youkai Watch’s title is meant to be taken literally. The main character wears a watch that allows him to see ghosts. No release platform or date has been announced for Youkai Watch yet. While the screenshots may look like they’re 3DS resolution (400 x 240 px), they actually aren’t (they’re 400 x 225 px).

Read more stories about Level-5 & Youkai Watch on Siliconera.

dahuuuundge
Oh wow it’s literally a ghost watch.
theworldofnoboundries
So there are no chance for 3DS release? or we will just wait for more info first.
Lexaus_the_Alchemist
Predictions: Anime – Spring 2012; Manga – Spring 2012; Game – Summer 2012 (all for JPN of course…) Unfortunately… =(.
http://twitter.com/SilverCitizen Silver Citizen
Bummer no platform was announced. It looks great though so there’s only so many platforms it could be on. PS3, Vita, 3DS, or maybe Wii U. :O
Can’t wait to hear more. :D
skymap
So then what does the resolution spell out then?

http://www.siliconera.com Ishaan
3DS’ aspect ratio is 16:10. These screens are 16:9, which is either Vita (more likely) or HD console. Unless, of course, Level 5 are trying to pull the wool over everyone’s eyes.
That being said, if this were just a 3DS game, they would’ve said so. They’ve had no problem announcing 3DS support with their other titles so far. I’d reckon it’s either for another system or multiplatform.

http://twitter.com/Soul_Slappy Sam Brien
Well, it’s kappa o’clock here…
http://www.facebook.com/JaeWhy SasuleUchiha
looks pretty good
http://www.facebook.com/jazzlyn.lim Jazlynn Lim
Kinda looks like Pokemon. :/

http://profiles.yahoo.com/u/HAEBCODVH3BGFIHE47BKNDXD2I Jonathan
Pokemon, with all ghost types. . .
it’d be ok if it had some ghosts as awesome as Haunter and Litwick
Okuni-chan
Gotta catch ‘em allll youkai watch!
(Youkai watch can replace the word pokemon in the theme song pretty well ._. )

Suicunesol
It’s not for 3DS for sure.
The gameplay graphics are too good. It could be for Vita… but I’m really not sure.
I’m not buying it either way. XD It’s a bit silly to me.

http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100002395146276 Peace Legacy
“It’s not for 3DS for sure.
The gameplay graphics are too good”
Not sure if trolling, or just being a plain ol’ fan boy

Suicunesol
Haha, I was referring to the gameplay footage that wasn’t posted here. I think you’d agree if you saw it. :o
I am a 3DS fanboy, but I trust my judgment regarding the 3DS’s limits.

http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100002395146276 Peace Legacy
I am sorry for that statement, that was a bit harsh
Anyway, I just saw a bit of gameplay footage from the trailer
The 3D model does look nice (which make it very misleading), but with such simple texture (to simulate the cartoonish look), the 3DS would have no problem running the game graphic

Suicunesol
Mm, no sorry I don’t think so. :( What makes me say this is not the main character’s model. It’s the lush, high-resolution world. The main character’s textures are simple, but the environments are not.
Nice to dream…
http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100002395146276 Peace Legacy
I just give the trailer a closer speculation at 720P
The tree does look impressive, but trust me, texture can be deceiving (If the tree would look that detail and jagged free using a realistic texture as it put more stress to the processor, I would say without a doubt that it is PS3 graphic)
What should we be looking for are jagged lines in 3D model, but since there are virtually almost no jagged lines or pixels in any footage. Your speculation might be true, but with the cartoonish texture (as previously mentioned, put less work to the engine): This is either a 3DS game that boost the 3DS spec to near its limit, or a Vita game like you said
but here is something to ponder: why would they releases low res images to promote a game if they are on advance-tech console
Suicunesol
@facebook-100002395146276:disqus
Low res images? I assume you’re talking about the screenshots in this particular topic. Those are cutscene, anime images. As such, I don’t think they’re representative of the actual resolution of the game. I imagine they’re that small because any higher resolution would be unnecessary. It’s not like they have much detail.
http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100002395146276 Peace Legacy
even how much detail shown on a bush of a tree in an anime can show an approximation of how much production value the overall title has
but oh well, let just see how this one turn out (my best bet is a multi platform between WiiU, Vita and 3DS)

James Beatty
Time travelers, Beyond the labyrinth, RE revelations all run on the 3DS. Why can’t this?

Solomon_Kano
Those all look good yes, but the footage in the video looked better. Better than Time Travelers, at least. It makes most sense to compare this to that since they have a similar graphical styling.
Comparing this to Revelations just doesn’t work. Art style goes a long way in determining how “good” a game looks.
Suicunesol
The resolution of the gameplay footage that was shown at the show was too high for it to be a 3DS game. That’s my only reasoning.

LezardValeth
Wat…
http://twitter.com/Megawarrior345 Elle
“….wears a watch to allow him to see ghosts” lol I guess glasses/goggles is a bit unoriginal. It has piqued my curiosity so I’ll be looking forward to more news about it. Oh and that ghost looks like something I would see Ni No Kuni.

http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100002395146276 Peace Legacy
watch that give special ability is still cliche as heck
Might as well make it special c*nd*m or t3nga that give special ability if they want to be original

http://twitter.com/GetsugaZoro Pedro Tavares
Yokai aka demons, its about demons…
Kid seems to go around and help people that are being haunted by demons or something like that and captures those demons in his watch, yes Pokemon like or atleast that is what it looked to me in the conference video.
http://geekouts.blogspot.com/ miruki
Looks awfully childish.
They should just pick up Ushiro again and release it. :(

IVDLAMHT
so what’s the problem here?
level-5 makes video games for young children (mostly boys).

http://geekouts.blogspot.com/ miruki
Besides others, yeah. They do not ONLY develop games for young children, you know.
Since it said youkai and ghosts I was hoping they gave Ushiro a new name and concept and started it over, but this definitely got nothing to do with it. Ushiro was a game they announced at the Tokyo Game Show in 2008 (with a story & gameplay trailer and everything) and a little less than 2 years later Level5 deleted the game’s webpage and nobody has heard from the game ever again – to me, that’s the problem. :P

Lexaus_the_Alchemist
Well it definitely looks like they’re taking aspects from Ushiro and adding it to this game. I remember that trailer having some ghosts possessing people and your character having to fight them. I guess this is a more… kid-friendly version of that.

http://geekouts.blogspot.com/ miruki
Yeah, it seems to be very different tho. Since Ushiro had a somewhat evil protagonist (the shinigami) and he would possess / make deals with people who consider suicide as their only option, so yeah.. not exactly childfriendly material. But such an interesting premise…
I don’t mind this game, I’m glad the gamer kids will get a new great game (probably), but I’m just sad that the game I had been looking forward to the most for a long time just vanished without any word. :(
Solomon_Kano
By this point you may as well have assumed it was cancelled. Especially since Level-5 erased all traces of it from their sites.

Okuni-chan
Hmm It would be interesting if it turned out to be semi serious. Child dealing with growing up, the stories of lost loved ones or something like that. Of course I’m probably WAY off on that but I’ll withhold judgement till more info comes out.
That youkai behind him… that smile… just a wee bit creepy o.o;
nazna
@ Everyone claiming this isn’t 3DS “because of the graphics” those arne’t in-game graphics, those are anime FMV, and not remotely indicative of platform. The resolution, on the other hand, is. Only 3DS screens are EVER given in 400 x 240. It’s a 3DS game.

http://www.siliconera.com Ishaan
It’s not 200 x 240, I specifically pointed that out.

http://profiles.google.com/dnlblue Daniel blue
Those are are probably -letterboxed- FMV, which might explain the difference in vertical resolution.

http://www.youtube.com/user/Kamek20xxExtra?feature=mhee Michael Stevens
That ghost reminds me of Boos from SA2B that still scare the crap out of me. -_-
http://www.cubiz.co.cc/ Chris Thomas
225 Height rather than 240 Height… hmm… Meh whatever system it comes to I will buy it. I hope it’s Vita or 3DS even WiiU would be ok. PS3 maybe but I would prefer it not to be on that. With the resolution though it will probably be a handheld so Vita or 3DS.
mogster
im thinking xbox360 …..lol
Solomon_Kano
My guess is Vita or Wii U. The first thing that popped into my head when I saw the in-game footage was that this could make for a cool Wii U title.
But right now the Vita is the only system with no Level-5 exclusive from that conference.
PS3 – Ni no Kuni (since White Witch is its own thing apart from the DS one)
PSP – Gundam AGE, LBX Boost
Wii – Inazuma Eleven Strikers 2012 Extreme
3DS – Guild 01, Girls RPG, Fantasy Life
Wii U doesn’t have one either, obviously, but the Vita is the more imminent system which is what leads me to believe it may be for that.
Joanna
I’m a sucker for these pokemon-like games. So it’s definitely on my list of games to keep an eye on.

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