Yo-kai Watch 2

is the second installment in the Yo-kai Watch series. It was developed by Level-5 for release on the Nintendo 3DS as two separate games, subtitled and  on July 10, 2014. A third edition, subtitled, followed on December 13, 2014. Bony Spirits and Fleshy Souls are now scheduled for release outside Japan on September 30, 2016. It is announced that the game will see an European release somehere in Spring 2017 and in Australia and New Zealand in October 15, 2016.

A demo version of Yo-kai Watch 2 was released on the North American eShop on September 15, 2016, and interestingly was never released in Japan, due to the popularity of the series was starting to sell itself. It features the main area of Harrisville for the player to explore, set at the point in the game at which Meganyan is battled. It also includes two secret battles against Arachnus and Toadal Dude, as well as a demo of Yo-kai Watch Blasters.

Plot
One night, mysterious Yo-kai appear and wipe away the memories of the player and all Yo-kai they befriended during the course of the previous game. The player's family spends the next day downtown, where they decide to buy doughnuts. However an argument erupts when the player's father is set on spirits doughnuts and the player's mother is set on soul doughnuts. They reach an agreement by having the player decide. In Bony Spirits and Fleshy Souls,the choice is fixed and the player chooses the doughnuts reflected by the game version. In Shinuchi, the player freely decides which ''doughnuts' and this choice has a major impact on the plot, including which Yo-kai are encountered for the rest of the game.

The player leaves their parents to their next discussion and runs into Barnaby "Bear" Bernstein and Edward "Eddie" Archer, who eagerly show off their new megawatches, triggering a faint reminder of the Yo-kai Watch the player carried until the incident the night before. The player's interest is later caught by the sight of the Memory Shop, which carries watches similar to the ones seen earlier. The shopkeeper digresses that his watches reveal hidden things to people and carry a ridiculously low price of only one-hundred yen. The player purchases one and the shopkeeper encourages to use it at the gacha machine outside the store.

The player inserts a coin into the gacha machine but is disappointed when a rock pumps out for a prize. The player leaves it behind but is pulled back when a voice calls from the object, beckoning the player to open it. In doing so, the player releases the ghostly Yo-kai butler Whisper from the gachapon, who explains the Memory Shop's Yo-kai Watch is what allows the player to interact with Yo-kai. The player has the feeling of deja vu, realizing he knows how to operate the Yo-kai Watch. The watch begins to emit strange lights as the player and Whisper find their memories restored.

The player and Whisper seek out their old friend Jibanyan at the Fish Place, where he is still taking revenge on the traffic that ended his past life. Jibanyan is shocked at being spotted by a human and does not recognize the player, so he repeats the story of his tragic death and the player consoles him. Again, the Yo-kai Watch emits unusual lights and Jibanyan recovers the memories of his friendship with the player. Jibanyan returns his Yo-kai Medal to the player and the three friends ponder if the Memory Shop owner knows more about what happened to them.

The group returns to the Memory Shop but discover it has vanished. On the way home, the player and Whisper encounter a cleanly Yo-kai named Brushido. The player summons Jibanyan into battle and Whisper motivates him to fight with the promise of a Choco Bar. Brushido is overwhelmed and offers the player his Yo-kai Medal as well. They continue home, unaware that they are being watched by the previous night's culprits, Kin and Gin, alarmed that the player has reacquired the Yo-kai Watch.

Yo-kai
One of the most notable additions to Yo-kai Watch 2 is the substantial increase in Yo-kai. Bony Spirits and Fleshy Souls contain 184 new species of Yo-kai, though some are exclusive to one version and the other. Furthermore, the third version Shinuchi adds an additional 19 types of Yo-kai, bringing the total Yo-kai Medallium count to 448. Especially notable is the player's ability to befriend Yo-kai who served as bosses in the previous game, which was not possible in Yo-kai Watch through legitimate means. Changes were also made to Yo-kai evolution trees. For example, Manjimutt, Tattletell and Noko evolve by leveling instead of fusion.

Fifteen Yo-kai in in the game belong to a new Tribe called Wicked. These Yo-kai can only be battled in Bony Spirits and Fleshy Souls. However, their Yo-kai Medals were later made obtainable in Shinuchi.

Befriended Yo-kai can now be converted into Soul Gems at Harrisville's shrine, which is used to upgrade other Yo-kai the player has collected.

In Yo-kai Watch 2, Jibanyan can be defused from Coughkoff or Roughraff. This change may have been inspired by creative choices made in the anime adaptation after the release of the first game, where Jibanyan became Baddinyan and Thornyan but reverted back to his base form by the next episode. Nosirs also had their first appearance in the anime, before making their video game debut in Yo-kai Watch 2.

Watches and Medals
In addition to the standard Yo-kai Watch, the player can also acquire a Yo-kai Watch Model Zero which is central to the game's plot. It can also be used in battle to funnel adjacent Yo-kai's Soul Meters into a "Moxie" or M-variant Soultimate Move. Yo-kai Medals' appearances are also adjusted to have green frames for Present Yo-kai and red frames for Classic Yo-kai.

Exploration
The player can traverse Springdale, as well as new areas such as San Fantastico, Harrisville and Excellent Tower, which can be reached by train. Time travel is also an important mechanic, allowing the player to explore Springdale 60 years into the past, where only certain types of Yo-kai can be met.

The Yo-kai Watch light can be used in new ways throughout town. Shining the light in some spots challenges the player to determine which Yo-kai needs to be summoned for a special event. Shining the light on some walls uncovers hidden doors to hostile Yo-kai who yield special orbs.

Most of the Yo-kai are now able to follow you outside of being restricted to Whisper.

Connectivity
Players can scan the previous Yo-kai Watch game using their Nintendo 3DS to unlock a special Crank-a-kai coin used to unlock their choice of Buchinyan, Komasan or Noko. As with the previous game, QR codes can also be scanned from various promotional materials which unlock special items in the game.

Battles
Contrasting the main battle system, occasionally hostile Yo-kai may challenge the player to a full six-versus-six battle, rewarding the player's victory with bonus items or their Yo-kai Medal.

In combat, opposing Yo-kai's favorite foods can now be seen by hovering over them using the Nintendo 3DS touchscreen. This offers other information including disclosing their elemental weaknesses.

Minigames
The player can participate in many minigames including bicycle racing, eating contests, parades and pole-climbing. These minigames offer items as prizes.

Terror Time
Orbs collected during Terror Time can be used to empower special Crank-a-kai coins if escape from the Oni is successful. A new battle mode is also introduced, allowing four players to each choose a Yo-kai and fight against Oni Yo-kai.

Music
Kei'ichiro Saigo reprised his role as composer for Yo-kai Watch 2. The soundtrack contains new themes, as well as returning ones from the first game and others from the anime adaptation.

Reception
The Bony Spirits and Fleshy Souls versions scored 36/40 with Famitsu. Between the two versions of the game, over three million copies of Yo-kai Watch 2 were sold, making it the best-selling video game in Japan in 2014. Months later, Shinuchi was released to an identical Famitsu score of 36/40. This third version sold over two million copies alone. The combined sales of Yo-kai Watch 2 are now estimated to be six million copies.

Yo-kai Watch 2 won three awards at Japan Game Awards 2015.