Yo-kai Watch: Wibble Wobble
Yo-kai Watch: Wibble Wobble[lower-alpha 1] was a mobile puzzle spin-off title to the Yo-kai Watch video game series. As announced on April 2, 2018, the English versions of the game permanently shut down on May 31, 2018.[3][4]
Yo-kai Watch: Wibble Wobble | |
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Official artwork | |
Developer(s) | NHN PlayArt Corporation |
Publisher(s) | Level-5 |
Series | Yo-kai Watch |
Platform(s) | iOS Android |
Release |
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Genre(s) | Puzzle |
Mode(s) | Single-player |
Gameplay
Yo-kai Watch: Wibble Wobble is a puzzle game and sees the player matching 2 or more matching Wib Wobs (Yo-kai) to make bigger Wib Wobs, which, when popped (clicked), deal damage, with the damage depending on the size of the Wib Wob.[5] Every Yo-kai has a Soultimate meter that increases every time a Wib Wob of that Yo-kai is popped. When the Soultimate meter is full, the Yo-kai can perform a "Soultimate move", which will aid the player in battle in some way.[5]
The game would also often hold events that would feature unique characters, locations, and or items.[6]
Development
The Japanese release of the game was first announced on April 7, 2015[7] at a product presentation held at the Tokyo Dome City Hall.[8] The game was later delayed from summer 2015 to October 2015.[9] The English release of the game was first announced later on March 11, 2016, by the game's publisher, Level-5, via a trailer on the official Yo-kai Watch YouTube channel.[10]
Reception
Aggregator | Score |
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Metacritic | 83/100[11][lower-alpha 2] |
Publication | Score |
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Gamezebo | [12] |
TouchArcade | [13] |
Yo-kai Watch: Wibble Wobble received "generally favorable" reviews from critics, receiving a 61/100 score on review aggregator Metacritic.[11]
In a review for TouchArcade, Chris Carter criticized the game's story, difficulty, and the Spirit feature, a feature that makes the player need to wait before they play levels (which can be bypassed by spending in-game money), however, he praised how the game "captures the essence" of the original TV-show and how the game rewards skill.[13] Gamezebo's Rob Rich praised how the game's characters were "adorable", the amount of Yo-kai to unlock, and how progression "never stops", but criticized the gameplay for being confusing and also noted that the game's difficulty increases early in the game, making grinding necessary.[12]
Sales
On March 11, 2016, the Japanese release of the game, Yo-kai Watch: Puni Puni, was the 28th top-grossing app for iOS in Japan.[10] In December 2016, the English releases of the game surpassed 1 million downloads.[4] In March 22, 2017, the game had achieved over 10 million downloads worldwide.[14] As of January 2019, the Japanese release of Wibble Wobble had surpassed 14 million downloads since its launch in October 2015.[15]
References
- Whritenour, Jacob (March 24, 2016). "Yo-Kai Watch Wibble Wobble is Available Now". Hardcore Gamer. Retrieved August 22, 2020.
- "LEVEL-5's YO-KAI WATCH™ Wibble Wobble Now Available on Android & iOS". Gamasutra. March 30, 2017. Retrieved August 22, 2020.
- Frank, Allegra (April 3, 2018). "The best Yo-kai Watch game is shutting down for good". Polygon. Retrieved August 22, 2020.
- Ressler, Karen (April 18, 2018). "Yo-Kai Watch Wibble Wobble Mobile Game Ends Service Outside Japan". Anime News Network. Retrieved August 22, 2020.
- Purewal, Sarah (April 26, 2017). "Yo-Kai Watch Wibble Wobble brings the animated show to life through colorful puzzles". Macworld. Retrieved August 22, 2020.
- "「妖怪ウォッチ ぷにぷに」,イベント「転生妖怪あらわる~花さか丸~」が開催". 4Gamer.net (in Japanese). May 7, 2020. Retrieved August 22, 2020.
- Sato (April 7, 2015). "Yo-kai Watch Gets A Tsum Tsum-Like Smartphone Game, Too". Siliconera. Retrieved August 22, 2020.
- "スマホ用パズルゲーム「妖怪ウォッチ ぷにぷに」が2015年夏に配信。事前登録受付が本日スタート予定". 4Gamer.net (in Japanese). April 7, 2015. Retrieved August 24, 2020.
- "「妖怪ウォッチ ぷにぷに」の配信が10月,「ファンタジーライフ2」の配信が2016年に延期". 4Gamer.net (in Japanese). September 1, 2015. Retrieved September 1, 2020.
- Grubb, Jeff (March 11, 2016). "New Yo-Kai Watch puzzle game hits March 24 for iOS and Android". VentureBeat. Retrieved August 22, 2020.
- "YO-KAI WATCH Wibble Wobble iOS". Metacritic. CBS Interactive. Retrieved August 22, 2020.
- Rich, Rob (March 24, 2016). "Yo-Kai Watch Wibble Wobble Review: Jelly!". Gamezebo. Retrieved August 22, 2020.
- Carter, Chris (April 25, 2016). "'Yo-Kai Watch Wibble Wobble' Review – Tap, Combine, and Pop". TouchArcade. Retrieved August 22, 2020.
- Cowley, Ric (March 22, 2017). "Level-5 gears up for Yo-Kai Watch Wibble Wobble's European launch after hitting 10 million downloads". PocketGamer.biz. Retrieved August 22, 2020.
- Sato (January 4, 2019). "Yo-kai Watch: Puni Puni Hits 14 Million Downloads". Siliconera. Retrieved August 22, 2020.
External links
- "Official website". Archived from the original on March 29, 2018.