Level-5 CEO Akihiro Hino is aware that making Yo-kai Watch a success in the west will be challenging. In an interview with Technobubble, he said:

“We’re working in a market packed with both Pokémon and all kinds of other attractive content, so for a new entry like ours, it was going to be challenging no matter what.”

One reason behind the tough localization process is due to the “yokai” term being inherently Japanese. In other territories, there isn’t a quick and direct equivalent.

As Hino said:

“To Japanese people, yokai aren’t monsters precisely — they’re a more special kind of thing. In the past, we used the term to refer to the personified souls of people, animals, or things that made contact with and grew attached to people.”

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More: Akihiro Hino, interview, Level-5

Nintendo has posted the European launch trailer for Xenoblade Chronicles X. Take a look at the video below (warning: spoilers).

And for those that are interested, here’s another look at the European Xenoblade Chronicles X Limited Edition:

More: Monolith Soft, Xenoblade Chronicles X

EnjoyUp’s 3DS support continues with yet another game. Today, the company announced RV-7 My Drone for the eShop.

RV-7 My Drone has players solving different puzzles using an instant teleportation system. Here’s an overview of features:

* Procedural generation where scenarios and enemies are generated randomly to make each experience unique.
* You must face a final boss to complete the most challenging of the missions using all of the resources collected throughout the game.
* Achievements/Challenges: complete each mission, but also earn award stars for each level to become the best drone pilot.

EnjoyUp Games has not yet said when RV-7 My Drone will be available.

Source: EnjoyUp Games PR

More: EnjoyUp Games, RV-7 My Drone

Build-A-Bear Workshop’s new stuffed animals featuring Pikachu were originally planned for release in early 2016. Its launch has now been brought forward though, and product will be available starting later this month.

Consumers can choose between two options. Here’s a breakdown of each:

Web-only

– Pikachu plush pre-stuffed
– Sound clip of its different cries
– Poké Ball hoodie
– Charizard costume
– Special trading card
– $60

In-store pickup

– Make your own Pikachu
– Get the Pikachu alone
– $28
– Can buy the Poke Ball sweatshirt for an extra $12.50

Pre-orders for the Pikachu plush at Build-A-Bear Workshop are now live. You can reserve yours here. Check out some new photos below.

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More: Pokemon

Two Tribes has provided an update on RIVE, covering the game’s release date and more.

First, RIVE is officially slated for 2016. While Two Tribes hoped to have it ready this year, they’re simply “not done yet” with development.

The studio explained:

“Since moving to a three man team early last year we had to rediscover how to handle things with less man-power. This means a lot of tasks have to be handled sequentially, instead of spread throughout the team. If we need a new trailer, the level designs stall for two weeks. If we decide to attend PAX or EGX with a booth, the entire project is paused for several weeks. It’s frustrating, especially since it means we can’t let you play the final game yet, but it’s our current reality and we are adamant to make RIVE the absolute best game we’ve ever created.”

Head on over to Two Tribes’ website for a breakdown of the latest RIVE screenshots, which also has some information about the story.

Source: Two Tribes PR

More: indie, RIVE, Two Tribes

This week’s Famitsu scans are now available. Highlighted games include Food Wars: Shokugeki no Soma: The Dish of Friendship and Bonds, Genei Ibun Roku #FE, Medabots 9, and Monster Strike. Scans of each title can be found in the gallery below.

More: Famitsu, scan

FAST Racing Neo now has a release date. In both North America and Europe, the racer will be out on the Wii U eShop on December 10 – next Thursday. Pricing is set at $14.99 / €14.99 / £10.99.

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More: FAST Racing Neo, indie, Shin'en, top

The latest Japanese hardware sales from Media Create are as follows:

New 3DS LL – 105,629
PS4 – 26,598
Wii U – 20,256
New 3DS – 18,052
Vita – 14,765
3DS – 6,095
PS3 – 1,643
3DS LL – 1,247
Vita TV – 625
Xbox One – 591

For comparison’s sake, here are the hardware numbers from last week:

PS4 – 29,052
New 3DS LL – 28,257
Wii U – 14,684
Vita – 12,258
New 3DS – 5,859
PS3 – 1,624
3DS – 1,012
Xbox One – 889
3DS LL – 596
Vita TV – 583

And here are the software charts:

1. [3DS] Monster Hunter X – 1,488,367 / NEW
2. [3DS] Aikatsu! My No.1 Stage! – 24,918 / NEW
3. [WIU] Splatoon – 23,823 / 825,940
4. [WIU] Super Mario Maker – 18,639 / 410,432
5. [PS4] Star Wars Battlefront – 18,341 / 142,249
6. [PSV] Hyperdimension Neptunia VS Sega Hard Girls – 16,941 / NEW
7. [3DS] Yo-kai Watch Busters – 15,748 / 1,760,188
8. [PSV] Criminal Girls 2 – 15,196 / NEW
9. [PS3] TV Anime IdolM@ster: Cinderella Girls G4U! Pack Vol. 6 – 13,613 / NEW
10. [PS4] Call of Duty: Black Ops II – 13,608 / 220,408
11. [PS4] Blade Arcus from Shining EX – 12,469 / NEW
12. [3DS] Disney Magical World 2 – 12,115 / 117,074
13. [WIU] Taiko Drum Master: Atsumete Tomodachi Daisakusen – 10,007 / NEW
14. [3DS] Animal Crossing: Happy Home Designer – 10,003 / 1,135,805
15. [PSV] Minecraft: PlayStation Vita Edition – 8,859 / 413,188
16. [PS3] Blade Arcus from Shining EX – 8,083 / NEW
17. [PSV] Atelier Sophie: The Alchemist of the Mysterious Book – 6,183 / 31,988
18. [3DS] Pokemon Rumble World – 6,130 / 16,250
19. [WIU] Animal Crossing: amiibo Festival – 6,022 / 26,325
20. [PSV] Omega Labyrinth – 5,623 / 30,736

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More: charts, Japan, Media Create, sales, top

Dragon Quest Monsters: Joker 3 is launching in Japan on March 24, Square Enix revealed today. Pricing is set at 5,250 yen. The newly-opened website can be found here.

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More: Dragon Quest Monsters: Joker 3, Japan, Square Enix

The Shovel Knight amiibo has started to reach certain parts of Europe. Check out an unboxing video for the figure below.

More: Amiibo, unboxing