Crank-a-kai

The is an ancient  machine that appears at the base of the Sacred Tree, located behind the Mt. Wildwood Shrine. The capsules within the Crank-a-kai is known to contain various imprisoned Yo-kai as well as other various items.

History
The Yo-kai trapped inside the Crank-a-kai were sealed within over two-hundred years ago by a priest and his colleagues, who believed all Yo-kai were evil. It was also said that an innocent Yo-kai was imprisoned along with them. It remained behind a series of physical barriers behind the Wildwood Shrine.

In the games
In the present day, Nate/Katie is searching for bugs for their collection and come across a gate that mysteriously disappears after a tree is searched for bugs. Now unobstructed, the player moves on and find the Crank-a-kai. They capitulate to the machine after it vocally demands they insert a coin and wind up freeing Whisper, who gives them the Yo-kai Watch as thanks.

In Yo-kai Watch 2, there are now multiple Crank-a-kai machines. The number of draws the player is allowed varies from day to day. There are also different contents in the Crank-a-kai depending on whether the player is in the present day or the past.

In Yo-kai Watch 3, two different Crank-a-kai machines are available; the Dream Roulette Crank-a-kai in St. Peanutsburg, and the regular Crank-a-kai in Springdale. Both function similarly as the other games, but with the Dream Roulette Crank-a-kai, the Dream Medals from the Yo-kai Watch Dream toy can be used as well.

In the anime
In the anime, Nate instead ignores the barriers blocking the Crank-a-kai in search of a rare bug and finds the machine. Like in the games, Nate inserts a coin following the instructions of the voice and frees Whisper. Unlike the games, Nate doesn't receive the Yo-kai Watch until later on, and he demanded from Whisper reimbursement for using his money, to no avail.

Beyond that, the Crank-a-kai is never seen again in regular episodes of the anime, even though it makes a quick reappearance in Katie's Yo-kai Butler.

Function
The Crank-a-kai is a prison which holds Yo-kai within it, and the player can free them with various Coins.

In the game, the player can revisit the Crank-a-kai (up to three times per day in the first game) and operate it with special coins, the 8 most common of which come in one color for each Yo-kai tribe, as well as other, more elusive coin types, as well as 10 of the Nintendo 3DS' Play Coins. When inserted and cranked, the Player can then get a variety of items and Yo-kai from the Crank-a-kai. The freed Yo-kai are generally amicable and happy once freed, automatically giving over their Yo-kai Medals in return for freeing them.

The odds to getting a certain Yo-kai from the Crank-a-kai is predetermined every time when a new game is started, and cannot just simply reset and try again if the odds are bad.

In Yo-kai Watch 2, messing with the in-game clock of the Nintendo 3DS may lock the player out of the Crank-a-kai for a few days, depending on how many times the clock was changed in the settings.

In Yo-kai Watch 3, both Crank-a-kai machines (Dream Roulette machine in St. Peanutsburg, and the regular machine in Springdale) show a probability chart, showing the possible Yo-kai or item the player might receive from a single crank. Each day (real life time) starts with a minigame that the player can do, for a chance at up to 30 cranks (on a single day, or they can choose the standard 3 daily cranks). As mentioned, the Dream Medals from the Yo-kai Watch Dream toy can be used as well. When a charged Dream Medal is scanned with the NFC reader, a few gold spots are added to the roulette, giving the player a bit of a higher probability at the gold capsules.

Capsules
The capsules the Crank-a-kai give out vary in color, which can be a hint to players as to what is sealed inside.


 * Grayish-white: These capsules usually provide Items, most of which are common. However, it is possible to get the Crank-a-kai exclusive Yo-kai. (i.e. Cruncha or Shad. Venoct)


 * Blue: Blue capsules vary between common Yo-kai and uncommon to rare Items.


 * Red: Red capsules vary between uncommon Yo-kai and rare Items.


 * Gold: Solid gold capsules always give out Rare Yo-kai. Rare is it that these capsules can give the Rank S Rare Yo-kai, that can happen when using tribe-specific Coins, special coins, and Five-Star Coins.


 * Black: Black-hued capsules always give out the Rank S Crank-a-kai-exclusive Rare Yo-kai needed to unseal Gilgaros, Slurpent, and Batan Q.
 * Rainbow: ???

Locations
Crank-a-kai Coins are found by opening boxes, searching certain spots in the overworld, completing requests, getting them through Bonus Scenes in the first two games, and through special QR Codes or Passwords, the latter of which being able to be redeemed in the Lambert Post Office and  Piggleston Bank.
 * Additionally, the Yo-kai Medals' toys (aside from the Gemnyans in the first game & the Fruitnyans, Robot Yo-kai, Wondernyan, Jibakoma, and Hovernyan/Darknyan in the second) have a QR code on the back, which offer a tribe-specific coin when scanned by using the Piggleston Bank's QR Code reader in-game.

Obtainable Yo-kai
There are some Rare Yo-kai can only be obtained with the Crank-a-kai, 8 of which are Rank S Yo-kai of their respective tribes, and are necessary to free the Legendary Yo-kai of the Tough tribe, Gilgaros.

In Yo-kai Watch 2, there are 8 more Rank S Rare Yo-kai, with being Classic Yo-kai, that are also only obtainable through the Crank-a-kai in the past, and are necessary to free the Legendary Yo-kai of the Slippery tribe, Slurpent.

In Yo-kai Watch 3, there are 8 more Rank S Rare Yo-kai, all Merican Yo-kai that are also only obtainable through the Dream Roulette Crank-a-kai, and are necessary to free the Legendary Yo-kai of the Eerie tribe, Batan Q. Due to the lack of time travel within, the Yo-kai needed to free Slurpent were moved elsewhere.

Tribe-specific Coins
Red Coins are Crank-a-kai coins that are tied to the Yo-kai of the Brave tribe. In the English version of Yo-kai Watch: Wibble Wobble, these coins merely have a high chance of winning Brave Yo-kai, instead of solely consisting of Brave Yo-kai.

Yellow Coins are Crank-a-kai coins that are tied to the Yo-kai of the Mysterious tribe. In the English version of Yo-kai Watch: Wibble Wobble, these coins merely have a high chance of winning Mysterious Yo-kai, instead of solely consisting of Mysterious Yo-kai.

Orange Coins are Crank-a-kai coins that are tied to the Yo-kai of the Tough tribe. In the English version of Yo-kai Watch: Wibble Wobble, these coins merely have a high chance of winning Tough Yo-kai, instead of solely consisting of Tough Yo-kai.

Pink Coins are Crank-a-kai coins that are tied to the Yo-kai of the Charming tribe. In the English version of Yo-kai Watch: Wibble Wobble, these coins merely have a high chance of winning Charming Yo-kai, instead of solely consisting of Charming Yo-kai.

Green Coins are Crank-a-kai coins that are tied to the Yo-kai of the Heartful tribe. In the English version of Yo-kai Watch: Wibble Wobble, these coins merely have a high chance of winning Heartful Yo-kai, instead of solely consisting of Heartful Yo-kai.

Blue Coins are Crank-a-kai coins that are tied to the Yo-kai of the Shady tribe. In the English version of Yo-kai Watch: Wibble Wobble, these coins merely have a high chance of winning Shady Yo-kai, instead of solely consisting of Shady Yo-kai.

Purple Coins are Crank-a-kai coins that are tied to the Yo-kai of the Eerie tribe. In the English version of Yo-kai Watch: Wibble Wobble, these coins merely have a high chance of winning Eerie Yo-kai, instead of solely consisting of Eerie Yo-kai.

Light Blue Coins are Crank-a-kai coins that are tied to the Yo-kai of the Slippery tribe. In the English version of Yo-kai Watch: Wibble Wobble, these coins merely have a high chance of winning Slippery Yo-kai, instead of solely consisting of Slippery Yo-kai.

Other Coins

 * Gemnyan Coins
 * These special event coins give out Jewel Bells to summon their respective Jewel-nyans in the over-world. They can only be obtained by scanning the QR Codes of their Yo-kai Medals at Piggleston Bank.
 * If someone has managed to acquire more than one Jewel-nyan Coin-bearing Code of the same variety, they would work, but the won items from the used Coins would be discarded, as they are placed in the Key Items in the player's Inventory, and thusly prevents multiples.


 * Sapphire Coin: Sapphinyan
 * Emerald Coin: Emenyan
 * Ruby Coin: Rubinyan
 * Topaz Coin: Topanyan
 * Diamond Coin: Dianyan


 * One-Star Coins
 * Enefly
 * Elloo
 * Cruncha
 * Frostail
 * Hornaplenty
 * Swelterrier
 * Auntie Heart
 * Count Cavity
 * Eterna
 * Shadow Venoct

Five-Star Coins

Special Coins


 * 3DS Play Coins
 * NOTE: It uses 10 Coins and they are permanently used no matter if someone soft resets. Also, these coins are far more likely to reward someone Items.
 * NOTE: It uses 10 Coins and they are permanently used no matter if someone soft resets. Also, these coins are far more likely to reward someone Items.


 * Robonyan
 * Pookivil
 * Sir Berus
 * Tunatic
 * Belfree
 * Kapunki

Select-A-Coin/Select-A-Coin +

Allows you to pick from:
 * Roughraff
 * Manjimutt
 * Tattletell
 * Komasan
 * Noko
 * Buchinyan
 * Excitement Coins
 * Mystery Coins
 * Glitzy Coins
 * Traveler's/Region Coin
 * Cheerful Coins
 * Oni Coins
 * Mystery Way Coins
 * Lucky Crank-a-coins
 * Vortex Coins
 * Full Moon Coins
 * VIP Coins

Freedom Quotes
Once freed, the Yo-kai will express some words in gratitude with a few saying so in their own ways, before the player automatically befriends them.

Trivia

 * As a Gashapon machine, the Crank-a-kai, as well as any of its variations, fall under the jurisdiction of Gutsy Bones.
 * In Japan, several sets of Yo-kai Medals were released in actual Gashapon machines, emulating the Crank-a-kai.

In other languages

 * Italian: Slot-Kai
 * German: Yo-kaimat
 * Spanish: Expendekai
 * French: Bingo-kai