Rising Star News, Rising Star Features

Become a cropper

The limited edition Harvest Moon artwork giveaway announced last week was, let's face it, rather confusing. Now we have the full picture on how you'll be able to get three sets of PAL-exclusive, limited edition Harvest Moon-themed artwork. The first set of art cards will be included with every copy of Harvest Moon: Grand Bazaar. The second set will be available to customers who..

Collect 'em all

Natsume, publisher of the Harvest Moon series in North America, has made a bit of a name for itself by offering plush toys as incentives for customers to pre-order new entries in the series: cute, admittedly, but European counterpart Rising Star Games has something a little classier to offer. The publisher has announced the commission of 30 pieces of limited edition artwork,..

Third DS instalment due

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..

Due to sprout in 2011

Rising Star Games has been bringing Harvest Moon games to European Nintendo fans for years, and the publisher has just confirmed it's continuing this tradition by releasing Harvest Moon: Grand Bazaar across Europe this year. The game was released in North America last year, so read through our Harvest Moon: Grand Bazaar review to get the lowdown on what to expect from the..

For your eyes ONI

Wii adventure Little King's Story was a critical, if not commercial success, with countless gamers falling in love with it since it went on sale two years ago. European publisher Rising Star Games realises the game still carries a loyal following, and has released some concept art exclusively for members of its Hoshi club. The art depicts dragons, mushrooms, snails and more, all..

10p donated to Save the Kiwi Trust

You don't see many video games about kiwis, though this is Rising Star Games' second game to feature the flightless bird following DS romp New Zealand Story. The lack of kiwi-based games might be due to the increasing danger of extinction faced by its real-life counterpart, but if you want to do something about that – and we know you do – there is something..

Animal Parade and Sunshine Islands, to be precise

You wait six months for a Harvest Moon game to reach Europe, and then three come along at once. Rune Factory 2 sprouted across Europe today, and now publisher Rising Star Games has teamed up with Namco Bandai Partners to distribute two more titles before the end of November. Harvest Moon: Animal Parade for Wii and Harvest Moon: Sunshine Islands for..

Yuji Naka's latest opus nearly hatched

Ivy the Kiwi? for Wii and DS is the latest game from Yuji Naka, best known for his involvement in the creation of Sonic the Hedgehog. It's been out in North America for some time, but a European release is just around the corner, with publisher Rising Star Games announcing the game will launch on Friday, October 29th. You can read our Ivy the Kiwi? Wii review..

Gamers will have to continue to wait for certain games to get localised

Gamers old enough to remember destroying bouncing balloons in the 1989 two-player arcade game Pang might also be aware that due to its popularity, instalments on the SNES and Game Boy were eventually released, and Rising Star Games is continuing to entertain gamers by launching PANG: Magical Michael on the DS today. In a recent..

Farming RPG hits at last

Some of our readers on the Western side of the Atlantic may be anxiously anticipating Rune Factory 3 and its multiplayer charms, but over in Europe there's just one month to go until Rune Factory 2 does the rounds. With more of the same mix of fighting and farming, not to mention a heavy amount of romance, Rune Factory 2 looks set to continue where its acclaimed predecessor..

Rising Star and Gamebridge expand Stateside

The G.G Series just hit the Western world with G.G Series Ninja Karakuri Den, and now a second influx of short Japanese titles have been announced with Rising Star Games and Gamebridge set to launch the GO Series later this year. Running from September to December and launching with 10 Second Run and...

Potatoes and puzzles courtesy of Rising Star

It may have been available on North American shores for nearly twelve months – in fact, our first and only news story about this game was almost exactly one year ago – but European gamers are yet to sample the sweet taste of Harvest Moon: Frantic Farming, but Rising Star Games is set to rectify that by launching the handheld title this Autumn..

Let them know and who knows what may happen

Rising Star Games has already brought European gamers the likes of Rune Factory Frontier and both No More Heroes titles, and later this year is releasing Yuji Naka's Ivy the Kiwi? games, Eldar Saga and Rune Factory 2 for DS. It's quite a busy year for the publisher but it's hungry for more, and is opening the lines of communication for gamers to suggest..

Home of Japanese Games picks up Yuji Naka's latest

You've probably only just wiped away your tears of sadness following yesterday's introduction to the story of Ivy the Kiwi?, but you may now start weeping tears of joy with the announcement that Rising Star Games is bringing the title to Europe this Autumn. Developed by former Sonic Team head honcho Yuji Naka's studio PROPE, Ivy the Kiwi? for Wii..

My World, My Way and Eldar Saga on the way too

European publisher Rising Star Games is responsible for bringing across some of the more original critically-acclaimed titles, localising feudal side-scrolling slasher Muramasa: The Demon Blade, monarchic masterpiece Little King's Story and most of the Harvest Moon series in recent years. Just before E3 the company has put out a short press release..

No More Heroes tie-in with British fashion label

No More Heroes and clothing go together like beams and katanas: Australian gamers can look forward to an exclusive Bizarre Jelly t-shirt, last week saw the announcement of No More Heroes lingerie and now a British fashion retailer has had a complete makeover to become a real-life Airport 51. Chateau Roux, on London's famous fashion epicentre Carnaby..

Publisher and community work together as one

The Wii's upcoming near-apocalyptic adventure Fragile Dreams: Farewell Ruins of the Moon is on course for a European release on March 19th, with plenty of intriguing characters and a rather moving script all painstakingly translated from its original Japanese. Naturally such translations are huge, costly productions that don't always include every..

Mark your calendar for the 19th of next month

If you're a fan of subtle Japanese pseudo-supernatural survival adventure RPGs, today is your lucky day. Not as lucky as Friday, March 19th though, as that's when Fragile Dreams: Farewell Ruins of the Moon is confirmed to launch across Europe. We've already spent a good few hours with the game and were undeniably intrigued by what we played, so there's..

Growing a beaut

US readers may scoff at the "First Impressions" title of this article as Rune Factory Frontier has been available in the Western hemisphere for nearly a year, but as always European gamers are left waiting for any Harvest Moon-related titles. However, farming fans need not fret much longer, as Rune Factory Frontier is due for release in the near future, and looks set to be..