Nintendo published the original Yo-kai Watch game outside Japan.
The game was developed and published in Japan by Level-5, the company that created the Yo-kai Watch franchise. For its international releases, Nintendo helped publish and distribute the game, bringing it to regions including North America, Europe, Australia, New Zealand, Latin America, and Korea.
This arrangement is easy to mix up because Level-5 remains the game’s developer and its original Japanese publisher. Nintendo’s role refers specifically to the overseas publication of the first game, not to ownership of the entire franchise. The international release also benefited from Nintendo’s hardware and retail ecosystem: the game launched for Nintendo 3DS and was promoted through Nintendo events and eShop distribution.
The original game introduced players to Nate, or Nathan Adams, and the Yo-kai Watch that lets him see normally invisible Yo-kai. Players investigate problems around Springdale, befriend Yo-kai, and battle using a distinctive real-time party system. Its overseas publication helped establish the series beyond Japan alongside the anime, toys, manga, and other merchandise.