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DS releases for the week of April 9th
Well, unless you're just dying for a little portable Cake Mania -- and we know some of you are, you baking fiends -- then if you're in the U.S., all you can do is see what everyone else is going to be playing this week. And the you can make time for that stack of games you haven't finished yet.U.S. releases Cake Mania For the rest of the world, hit the jump.
Upcoming releases for Europe
If you are the kind of person who might have a few euros in your pocket, then you might want to break out a calendar and that special red pen, because the latest list of upcoming DS releases is full of stars. Even better? The next two months are pretty packed. Makes up for a few of those lackluster weeks, eh? Hit the jump if you wish to grok the list in fullness, and remember, this is by no means complete. Do we need to mention also that it's subject to change? In fact, since it's a European list, we're pretty sure it will change, and probably often.
Harvest Moon screens sprout up
A few days ago we went over the ridiculous number of RPGs coming to the PSP this year. Harvest Moon was one of the games on that list and we already have some screenshots of the game. No additional details were revealed with the screens, but I'm willing to bet there will be farm tending involved. This seems to be one of the best looking Harvest Moon games to come out yet, so it should please fans of the series. Go to DCEmu to see all the screens.
"The Best" budget line expands in Japan
The PSP's lineup of Greatest Hits games in America is relatively small, and hasn't grown in quite some time. (In order to qualify for Greatest Hits status, a game must sell more than 250,000 copies and be more than 9 months old.) Japan's "The Best" series in Japan, though, continues to grow. Sure, it features really ugly packaging, but at the low, low price of 2800 yen (about $25), it might be worth it. The latest additions to the budget lineup include: Metal Gear Acid 2, Sengoku Musou, Bleach Heat the Soul 2, and Harvest Moon Portable. If you're wondering how these titles are selected, don't: unlike in America, it doesn't appear the Japanese budget program actually has qualifications.[Via Siliconera]
Harvest Moon: The Island I Develop With You screens
While the title itself is different, it still contains one key element -- Harvest Moon. The popular series that took the sweat and toil out of real farming and made it fun in a game is branching out to sea. After a terrible disaster while at sea you are stuck on an island with a few other colleagues. Instead of just being stranded on an island, you are going to be stranded on an island and farm it. Genius! Take a look at the new screens and see the excitement yourselves. We are thinking pineapples. Lots and lots of pineapples.
Harvest Moon DS movies
IGN posted three Harvest Moon DS movies yesterday. They showed "HotBoy", as he was named, doing regular tasks like cleaning up his plot by removing branches, shrubs and breaking up rocks. Other activities included getting told he is lazy by townsfolk, playing fetch with his dog and, get this, taking a few swings at the mayor with gardening tools. Not the best way to make new friends but hey, the guy was a jerk, what can we say? Though Harvest Moon DS has been pushed back, things continue to look good.
Further down on the farm with Harvest Moon
Nintendo Wii Zone has a whole page of farmalicious goodness from Harvest Moon, including screenshots from the upcoming Wii game and character sketches, all from Famitsu. A close look at the screens offers some further insight into the control scheme as well. And all farm animal gags aside, the conceptual pictures are beautiful.
A bounty of DS scans
Gotta love those fans who are so dedicated when it comes to sharing their pretty-shinies with the rest of us. These Famitsu scans of Chocobo and the Magic Picture Book surfaced at NeoGAF amidst a bevy of other drool-worthy images. Luminous Arc and Ninja Ja Ja Maru-kun: The Pen is Mightier than the Sword are also featured, along with Chocobo, at Go Nintendo. The original post boasts some peeks at Harvest Moon and Gundam titles as well. Surely there's something to rev every motor there![Thanks, creamsugar!]
Final Fantasy III & Rune Factory go head-to-head in Japan
On August 24, Final Fantasy III and Rune Factory: Shin Bokujou Monogatari (Harvest Moon spinoff) will be released in Japan fo DS. While FFIII certainly has the brand edge, both titles look to boost the DS's credibility as a viable RPG platform. Famitsu recently published its reviews for the two games, suggesting that FFIII is slightly superior: Final Fantasy III (Square Enix): 9/8/9/8 - 34/40* Rune Factory (Marvelous Interactive): 8/9/7/9 - 33/40 Keep in mind that, back in March, Children of Mana scored even higher than FFIII, earning a 36/40, and will be released in the US on October 30. FFIII will land stateside in November (hopefully). Rune Factory: Shin Bokujou Monogatari has not been confirmed for release outside of Japan, but Harvest Moon DS is scheduled for September 12. *C3 News notes that Famitsu's score for the original FFIII (NES) was 35/40.
Harvest Moon: The Island I Grew Up On
An all new Harvest Moon has been announced! Harvest Moon: The Island I Grew Up On has a very catchy name and it obviously tells gamers that they are changing it up a bit and taking the farm to a whole new level of island goodness. So many wish they could live on an island, including us, and now is our chance. Well, this is as close as some of us may get anyway. Some new features include the ability to grow rice and being able to choose between either a male or female character right at the beginning. Time to get back into Harvest Moon!
Rare to unleash Pinatas on 360s this holiday season
Rare's next project is apparently an original IP concerning living piñata animals that will be featured in a Saturday morning TV/3-D/CG show and then in an Xbox 360 game debuting this holiday season worldwide.
Harvest Moon DS bound for Europe
Good news for our farm animal loving European readers now, with farm animal loving European website Eurogamer reporting that the upcoming Harvest Moon DS (that game that's all about loving farm animals) has been confirmed for a European release by Rising Star Games. We're not sure what the game's all about, but we think it may cater to those with a love for farm animals. Naturally, you can expect the game to make full use of the DS' features, no doubt implementing a highly advanced cow milking simulation in the process. It won't be long before that becomes a fully fledged genre all on its own. Just you wait.
