Rune Factory 3 Sprouts in Europe in September

Rising Star Games has just announced its line-up for the rest of the year, and DS RPG Rune Factory 3 is coming to Europe in a few months' time.

The third and final DS instalment in the series released in North America last year, bringing with it several big features: co-operative play for up to three players, the ability to bring villagers into battle with you and even transform into a monster.

Europe will get Rune Factory 3 in September, and we'll have a full review shortly after release.

Just before that, Rising Star will release Harvest Moon: Grand Bazaar for DS, another farming adventure with a twist: instead of shipping your items daily, you hold a stall at a weekly bazaar and must buy and sell items there. It's a different approach to the series, but an enjoyable one, as our Harvest Moon: Grand Bazaar review explains.

Rising Star Games unveils stellar fourth-quarter line-up
Harvest Moon: Grand Bazaar, The KING OF FIGHTERS XIII, DoDonPachi Resurrection, Rune Factory 3 and Cradle of Rome 2 all coming this year

Thursday 28thJuly 2011: Leading independent videogame publisher Rising Star Games today unveiled an all-star line-up of titles for the final six months of 2011.

The latter half of the year will cement the firm’s reputation as a publisher that delivers what its fans want. Catering for five different genres, Rising Star Games’ line-up includes some of the best loved franchises in their respective categories, all of which have been high on gamers’ wish lists.

Martin Defries, managing director, Rising Star Games said, “We have a reputation for publishing games that fans want and the final half of this year is no different. We’re releasing some of the biggest titles we’ve ever had the pleasure of handling, including THE KING OF FIGHTERS XIII and DoDonPachi Resurrection, as well as the next instalment of our flagship series, Harvest Moon. It’s an incredibly exciting period for us and we’re delighted to be working on such distinguished titles at the top of their genres.”

In release order:

Harvest Moon: Grand Bazaar – Neverland/MMV
The mother of all farming games and top farming brand on the DS returns with all new features, pets and crops. Harvest Moon: Grand Bazaar has all the classic gaming features of the series and great additions including windmills to let you combine ingredients to make goods to sell at the Bazaar, a new jump movement that enables players to jump up hills and over streams, the horse race festival returns and you can own multiple pets to help work your farm. Players can use the Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection to help their friends with farming, shop at their bazaar, or go fishing in their streams.

Harvest Moon: Grand Bazaar is out on Nintendo DS in September 2011.

Rune Factory 3: A Fantasy Harvest Moon – Marvelous Entertainment
Rune Factory 3: A Fantasy Harvest Moon continues the proud tradition of its predecessors by offering a combination of Harvest Moon farming mechanics and RPG action, all wrapped in an engrossing storyline. Players can train monsters while farming, fishing and gathering, and friendly villagers will join them in battle. The new online multiplayer mode allows up to three players to combine forces, conquer dungeons, and compare their accomplishments.

Rune Factory 3: A Fantasy Harvest Moon is out on Nintendo DS in September 2011.

Cradle of Rome 2 – Cerasus Media
Puzzle adventure title Cradle of Rome 2 follows in the footsteps of its best-selling predecessor by offering addictive gameplay for a casual audience, perfect for DS owners of all ages and lifestyles. Swap tiles to match three or more identical tiles to build beautiful houses and magnificent palaces as you develop your small settlement into a flourishing empire.

Cradle of Rome 2 is out on Nintendo DS in October 2011.

THE KING OF FIGHTERS XIII – SNK PLAYMORE
THE KING OF FIGHTERS is the flagship series of legendary fighting game publisher - developer SNK PLAYMORE. The series is a dream festival of SNK's 2D fighting series, and a household name in the genre. THE KING OF FIGHTERS XIII features fighters from the entire history of the series and concludes the Ash Saga storyline. Hugely improved features include global online play with optimised net code. There are now also over 30 characters to choose from, and fan favourite Mai returns. Vast improvements have been made to gameplay as well; with new NEO MAX super special moves, faster gameplay, and refined visuals & in-game camera (perspective).

THE KING OF FIGHTERS XIII is out on Xbox 360 and PS3 in October 2011.

DoDonPachi Resurrection - CAVE
The fourth game in the DonPachi series, from legendary shoot-em-up creator CAVE. DoDonPachi Resurrection takes the DonPachi Corps back into the action. Players will have the task of fighting hundreds of enemies while dodging thousands of bullets in this renowned bullet hell title. Dash from enemy to enemy to string together long combos which send your score into the stratosphere! DoDonPachi Resurrection is converted directly from the Arcade version for the Xbox 360 in full HD resolution. The Xbox 360 release will be a deluxe edition featuring three different modes of gameplay and the game’s soundtrack. The Black Label arrange mode will be available to download as DLC on the day of release. This is Rising Star Games’s second CAVE shoot-em-up of this year, following the hugely popular Deathsmiles.

DoDonPachi Resurrection is out on Xbox 360 in November 2011.

Each release will be supported by tailored marketing campaigns, with an emphasis placed on continuing the community interaction and speaking directly to fan bases. For breaking news, follow Rising Star Games via Twitter and Facebook.

Harvest Moon: Grand Bazaar, Rune Factory 3, Cradle of Rome 2, The King of Fighters XIII and DoDonPachi Resurrection will all be released in 2011 courtesy of Rising Star Games.