Prerelease:Yo-kai Watch (Nintendo 3DS)/Later Development
This is a sub-page of Prerelease:Yo-kai Watch (Nintendo 3DS).
January
Corocoro Ichiban January 2012 Issue
Yo-kai Watch was covered for the very first time in the January 2012 issue of Corocoro Magazine. Though it gives a brief recap of the characters and story, while it speculates what kind of game it might be, this article mistakenly calls Yo-kai Medals as called "Yo-kai Coins". Though it confirms that Yo-kai Mirapo was going to appear.
circa. Spring-Summer
Early Infinite Tunnel Concept Image?
On June 19, 2021, some concept art of the Infinite Tunnel from Yo-kai Watch 2 surfaced on the official Yo-kai Watch Games Twitter account, but it has Nate's 3D model from the Level-5 WORLD 2011 Trailer build, used as scale reference. It's assumed to be a slightly later model because the pants are slightly different in shape, matching closer to his later artwork.
Two more images were posted on July 10, 2023 as part of the 10th anniversary special.
Switching Engine for Development
Between its initial reveal in 2011 and later showing in October 2012, development was moved to the Nintendo 3DS. The reasoning for this is that Akihiro Hino likes the Nintendo 3DS's "beautiful graphics" and said that monster-catching games were popular, so he wanted to transition it to the new age with youkai.
Designing Interiors
The keyword that comes to mind when designing the interior buildings for Yo-kai Watch is "Hakoniwa" box gardens. The note comes from how the interiors are designed in a detailed manner, along with designing hidden spots for where the player could find hidden Yo-kai. Judging from the perspective, the interiors may have been conceptualized around the point when the hardware was transferred to the Nintendo 3DS in 2012.
Interiors were designed as a floor plan, which would later be made 3D in Photoshop as well as the addition of furniture. Oddly, the first concept art shows Sushi Springdale, a location that goes unused in the final and wouldn't appear until Yo-kai Watch 2.
An example shown for interior design process is for the Adams House.
Later Character Concepts
Jibanyan
Jibanyan went through a redesign phase before he was finally revealed again to the public.
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| Jibanyan's design from the LEVEL-5 WORLD 2011 trailer. | A slightly later Jibanyan design from concept art, featuring the face marking and mouth of the finalized design. |
A near-finalized Jibanyan design, with pointy hitodama tailflames oddly featured as stock art in Yo-kai Watch Dance: Just Dance Special Version. |
The final design. |
Komasan & Komajiro
Komsan was initially designed to be a "friend to Jibanyan".
https://www.famitsu.com/news/201704/18131221.html?page=2 https://twitter.com/uO1NvqpM4yqb4GT/status/1188749688733753345?s=20
Later Location Concepts
Creating the Yo-kai World
For the "Mix" theme of the game's target, Yangi stated that he took influence from Gegege no Kitaro very early in development so he took five different categories to design a world for Yo-kai. When he first drew an early concept of what would be the Yo-kai World, He wasn't impressed at the result.
Interestingly, Dismarelda's final design can be seen in the concept art, while Walkappa's original design with the darker eyes can also be spotted, where the concept may have been designed months before the game's second reveal in 2012.
But Yangi decided to combine the realism of the human world such as cityscape buildings, while adding human eyes in many places to give it a "mix of contrasting elements" in the final result.
Many of the Yo-kai in that concept art appear in their final designs, with the exception of Helmsman, who was blue instead of blue-and-yellow.
Location Concept Arts
Many of those concept arts were recovered from the Korean and Taiwanese version of Yo-kai Medalland Omikuji Battle, but some were shown off at the 10th Anniversary Website.
Springdale Elementary School Street
- The early streetlights from the later concept art can be seen.
- The top-left part of the area isn't accessible in the final, but the cage would be moved to the leftmost part.
- The crosswalk at the bottom is in a different position.
- The street wasn't on a ramp at the bottom right.
Triangle Park
A much later design of what would be Triangle Park, looking more like an actual playground...even though it isn't angled like a triangle at all.
Springdale Elementary School
The basic finalized design of Springdale Elementary School, the location shown most out of prerelease.
Mt. Wildwood Shrine
It's tilted to the northeastern side, like in 2012 prerelease as opposed to the northern side in the final.
Alleyway
Concept art of an alleyway, which would be used as a battle background.
Mt. Wildwood
Concept art of a forest location, resembling either Mt. Wildwood or the Rugged Path in the final.
Gourd Pond
Concept art of Gourd Pond in Breezy hills, appearing slightly different; the swan boats are pink instead of white and Gourd Pond Museum looked a bit more generic.
Gourd Pond Museum
Gourd Pond Museum concept art, which would be used as a battle background.
