Crank-a-kai

The is an ancient  machine that appears at the base of the Great Tree located behind the Wildwood Shrine. Instead of the normal prizes, the capsules within the Crank-a-kai contain various imprisoned Yo-kai as well as other random items.

History
The Yo-kai trapped inside the Crank-a-kai were sealed within over two-hundred years ago by a priest. 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 present day, Nate/Katie is searching for bugs for their summer collection and come across a gate that mysteriously disappears after the player searches a tree 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 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. Beyond that, the Crank-a-kai is never seen again, however it made quick appearance in Katie's Yo-kai Butler.

In the Yo-kai Watch 2 games, there are multiple Crank-a-kai within the games. 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.

Function
The Crank-a-kai is a prison which holds Yo-kai within it, and the player can free them with Crank-a-kai 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 capsules the Crank-a-kai give out vary in color, which can be served as a hint to players as to what is sealed inside.


 * Grayish-white: These capsules always provide Items, most of which are common.


 * Violet: Violet 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, though that can only happen when using tribe-specific 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.

It must be stressed out that what the player will get from the Crank-a-kai via Coins is predetermined when a new game is started, and thus, one cannot just simply reset and try again if they find their results lacking.

In the first game, one can still mess with the 3DS' Date settings to gain additional draws. Changing the date settings in future games starting in Yo-kai Watch 2 however will lock the player out of the Crank-a-kai for two days.

Crank-a-kai Coins are found by opening boxes, randomly 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.
 * Additionally, the Yo-kai Medal toys (aside from the Gemnyans in the first game & the Fruitnyans, Robo Yo-kai, Wondernyan, Jibakoma, and Hover/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, with all being 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.

Other Coins

 * Jewel-nyan 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: Sapphire Bell
 * Emerald Coin: Emerald Bell
 * Ruby Coin: Ruby Bell
 * Topaz Coin: Topaz Bell
 * Diamond Coin: Diamond Bell


 * One-Star Coins
 * Yo-kai Watch: Wibble Wobble


 * Rank D Win: Enefly
 * Rank C Win: Elloo


 * 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.


 * Robonyan
 * Pookivil
 * Sir Berus
 * Tunatic

Select-A-Coin and Select-A-Coin +

Allows you to pick from:
 * Roughraff
 * Manjimutt
 * Tattletell
 * Komasan
 * Noko
 * Buchinyan

Coins exclusive to Yo-kai Watch: Wibble Wobble

 * Raw Easter Coin
 * Rank D Win: Mynimo

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. The capsules can be bought in the USA on amazon.

In other languages

 * Italian: Slot-Kai
 * German: Yo-kaimat