Natsume News Articles
Wednesday8th Apr 2015
News Natsume Has Eight Game Boy Advance Titles Prepped For The Wii U Virtual Console
Medabots! Medabots DX! Pocky & Rocky with Becky! More!
Publisher Natsume has eight GBA titles ready for launch on the Wii U Virtual Console, according to director of operations Graham Markay. Markay dropped the news during the latest Fragments of Silicon podcast, adding that the company had been planning its Virtual Console attack for quite some...
Friday9th Jan 2015
News Natsume Thanks Fans for Strong Launch of Harvest Moon: The Lost Valley in North America
Performing beyond expectations in the region
Harvest Moon: The Lost Valley is a diversion for the series, as Natsume took the franchise in some new directions, with the title being the first to go "fully three-dimensional". Story of Seasons, previously released as a Harvest Moon game in Japan but being published under a different name - due to IP...
Tuesday16th Dec 2014
News Game Boy Advance Shooter Pocky & Rocky With Becky Gets Rated Down Under
Rocking up for a PAL release soon
A rating for the 2002 Game Boy Advance title Pocky & Rocky with Becky has appeared on the Australian Classification Board site. A sequel to Taito's Kiki Kaikai — which made its début in arcades back in 1986 — Pocky & Rocky with Becky follows in the footsteps of previously localised titles Pocky &...
Tuesday21st Oct 2014
News Harvest Moon: The Lost Valley Heading to PAL Regions in Early 2015
Bergsala strikes a deal with Natsume
Harvest Moon: The Lost Valley hits North American stores on 4th November, the latest franchise entry for 3DS and one of its most ambitious titles to date. While the blend of farming, relationship building and RPG elements will be present and correct, this entry offers significant editing tools to shape the...
Friday10th Oct 2014
News Harvest Moon: The Lost Valley Set to Bloom on NA Store Shelves This 4th November
Europe barren for now
Natsume, Inc recently confirmed via Twitter that the North American release date for Harvest Moon: The Lost Valley will be 4th November: [tweet 520216714311520256] Although no European release date has been set, Natsume also confirmed that a publisher is being sought out and that it expects the title to reach the otherpart of...
Friday22nd Aug 2014
News Alphadia Genesis Set to Begin at the Beginning in North America
Natsume releasing the RPG on Wii U eShop this Fall
Natsume has released more information on Alphadia Genesis, an upcoming RPG release that will hit consoles exclusively on the Wii U eShop. According to the publisher, the story takes place 15 years after the Energi Wars, a torrid affair where clones were used as weapons. The kingdoms of Augustine...
Friday15th Aug 2014
News Animal Traits and Unique Features Outlined for Harvest Moon: The Lost Valley
We'd be impressed by an Elegant Cow
Ahead of the release of Harvest Moon: The Lost Valley later this year, Natsume has promised monthly developer logs that'll introduce a new aspect of the game. Last time we were told about the item system, and the latest entry is focused on the animals that you'll look after and utilise for your farm. Producer...
Thursday17th Jul 2014
News Harvest Moon: The Lost Valley Re-Tools Its Item System
Throws in a bag of holding at no extra charge
The ability to raise and lower the land is one of the bigger and more obvious changes seen in Harvest Moon: The Lost Valley, but there are some other tweaks to the farming formula worth noting. In the first of a monthly series of developer diaries, producer Taka Maekawa discusses how the development...
Wednesday16th Jul 2014
News Yumi's Odd Odyssey Hooks In Permanent Price Drop In North America
Now just $19.99
Yumi's Odd Odyssey — released under its Japanese name Sayonara UmiharaKawase in Europe — remains one of the most charming titles on the 3DS eShop, a welcome continuation of a franchise seen on systems as diverse as the Super Famicom, DS and PSP, and the first to arrive on Western shores. Its unique combination of platforming and...
Friday13th Jun 2014
News Natsume Confirms Two Game Boy Color Titles Coming to 3DS Virtual Console
Harvest Moon rising
If you're the superstitious type, you might be cowering at the fact that today is both Friday the 13th and the rising of a full moon; a doubly "unlucky" coincidence. If you're a Harvest Moon or Lufia fan, however, today's news from Natsume brings much more benevolent tidings. Natsume has posted a roundup of their 3DS digital...
Thursday5th Jun 2014
News Natsume Confirms A-Train: City Simulator For 3DS and Alphadia Genesis for Wii U
Some story background for Harvest Moon: The Lost Valley also included
Natsume recently announced that Harvest Moon: The Lost Valley is coming to 3DS in 2014, and has today used its pre-E3 press release to confirm two more titles coming to Nintendo systems; both seem like candidates for the eShop, though that's not confirmed. First up we have...
Tuesday3rd Jun 2014
News Natsume Announces Harvest Moon: The Lost Valley for a 2014 Release on 3DS
Moving into a three-dimensional setting
Natsume has been teasing multiple E3 reveals for titles on Nintendo systems, and has fired an early shot today with the announcement of Harvest Moon: The Lost Valley for 3DS, the newest entry in the series which will arrive — in North America at least — later this year. For its part the publisher is keen...
News Yumi's Odd Odyssey Receives Discount in North America
Reel in the savings before 15th June
If you've been nibbling at the fishing rod-flinging, platforming puzzle adventure that is Yumi's Odd Odyssey but have yet to bite, perhaps a $10 discount on the North American eShop will be enough to lure you in. Until 15th June, the 3DS entry in this cult favourite series will be available for $19.99. We gave...
Wednesday28th May 2014
News XSeed Games Localizing Newest Harvest Moon for North American Release
Will not be using Harvest Moon brand for legal reasons
XSeed Games will be localizing the latest 3DS Harvest Moon, previously translated as Harvest Moon: Connect to a New Land, under a new title: Story of Seasons. Previously, XSeed localized the excellent Rune Factory 4 for North American 3DS owners. Unfortunately, XSeed's participation in the...
Thursday1st May 2014
News Harvest Moon 3 And Lufia: The Legend Returns Rated For 3DS Virtual Console Release
New Game Boy Color games incoming
If you're looking forward to playing more handheld classics on your 3DS then you'll be pleased to learn that the Australian Classification board has handed out ratings for two new Game Boy Color games. Harvest Moon 3 and Lufia: The Legend Returns have both been given a "General" rating, which is a good sign that...
Thursday6th Mar 2014
News Yumi's Odd Odyssey Casting Into North American Waters this 20th March
Catch this release
It's been a long journey, but puzzle platformer Yumi's Odd Odyssey, known as Farewell Umihara Kawase in Japan, will finally be available on the North American 3DS eShop on March 20th, according to publisher Natsume: [tweet 441598023252975616] Natsume also confirmed a $29.99 price tag for the title. This is the first time the...
Monday17th Feb 2014
News Natsume’s Graham Markay and Kiyoshi Sakai Talk About Yumi’s Odd Odyssey and Nintendo
“We’re definitely fans of Nintendo”
The times they are a-changing. Whereas two decades ago Japanese-only games often remained Japanese-only, nowadays the West is getting best-selling franchises thick and fast. Monster Hunter has now sunk its claws everywhere, and JRPGs are getting more and more popular by the month. Perhaps this is a sign of...
Friday31st Jan 2014
News Nintendo Still Working On Bringing Game Boy Advance Titles To 3DS Virtual Console, Says Natsume
Publisher excited about DS support on Wii U, more GBC on the way
Remember the 3DS Ambassador campaign? Of course you do — it rewarded early adopters by giving them a raft of awesome Game Boy Advance titles for free. At the time, many assumed that the exciting prospect of downloading and playing even more GBA games on the 3DS Virtual Console was...
Tuesday7th Jan 2014
News Natsume Hints Toward Nintendo Announcements Before E3
Let's see what sprouts up
The puzzley adventure-platformer Yumi's Odd Odyssey (also affectionately known as Farewell Umihara Kawase) is slated for release by Natsume on the North American eShop sometime this month. Not much else is currently known about Natsume's future plans for the 3DS, but its Twitter account implies that we may know more by...
Wednesday4th Dec 2013
News Harvest Moon: The Tale of Two Towns Discounted on North American eShop
Only 20 potatoes through December
Prospective farmers in North America may want to ready their hoes, as Natsume has announced its digital crop of Harvest Moon 3D: The Tale of Two Towns will be on sale all through December on the 3DS eShop: [tweet 407920309547704320] That's a saving of $10 off the original price to put the towns of Bluebell and...
Tuesday29th Oct 2013
So long, and thanks for all the fish
Natsume has revealed that it will be localising Agatsuma’s Farewell Umihara Kawase for North American release under the new title Yumi's Odd Odyssey. A sequel to the much-loved Super Famicom game Umihara Kawase, this 3DS outing introduces extra characters like time-bender Noko, a young version of Yumi called...
Monday7th Oct 2013
News Hometown Story Collector's Edition Planned for November Release
Game also scheduled for Q1 in Europe
If you’ve pre-ordered Hometown Story, Natsume’s new life sim coming to North America on 22nd October, you may be due for a cute Ember plushie depending on where you go: green at Gamestop, red at
Thursday3rd Oct 2013
News Hometown Story Will Be Released This Month In North America
A new 3DS title from the creator of Harvest Moon
Natsume has officially announced a release date for the upcoming 3DS life sim Hometown Story. It will become available this month in North America, on 22nd October to be exact. Those unfamiliar with the title may be more acquainted with its creator's other popular game, Harvest Moon. Indeed, Yasuhiro...
Wednesday14th Aug 2013
News New Footage For Medabots: DUAL Blasts into View
Still no news on a Western release
Natsume's Medabots series has quite the following around the world but the games rarely make it outside of Japan, which is a shame. Earlier this year, Medabots: DUAL was announced for 3DS and this adaptation will feature online play and team battles. The developer Rocket Company has now released some in-game...
Friday26th Jul 2013
News Some Hometown Story Pre-Orders Coming with Plush Embers
Let them warm your heart
If you enjoy your games accompanied by soft, squishable companions, then Natsume has been quite the friend to you. Its pre-order deals in the past have included plush cows, yaks and a range of other critters and it looks set to continue that tradition with more plushie pals. For Hometown Story, the upcoming game from
Saturday8th Jun 2013
News Natsume: A Western Medabots 7 Release Not On The Cards
"Hopefully maybe the next one"
Natsume released Medabots 7 in Japan last September and little has been said on the localisation of the 3DS RPG since. The publisher is currently getting ready for E3 and has responded to a fan on Facebook about the chances of Medabots 7 making it to Western shores. Unfortunately, it wasn't good news: It doesn't...
Wednesday29th May 2013
News Natsume's Hometown Story Will Be Playable at E3
Spiritual successor to Harvest Moon will see worldwide release
Natsume has announced that Hometown Story, the new 3DS title from Harvest Moon creator Yasuhiro Wada, will be playable at this year's E3. The title, first announced last year as Project: Happiness, tasks the player with fixing up and developing a shop left to them by their grandmother...
Wednesday15th May 2013
News Harvest Moon GBC Sows Its Seeds in North America This Week
The harvest is ready
Since it was announced earlier this year, and subsequently arrived in Europe at the end of March, a few North American download updates have had at least one polite enquiry along the lines of "where's Harvest Moon?" We haven't had an answer, but thankfully Natsume has confirmed that the Game Boy Color title will hit the 3DS...
Tuesday26th Mar 2013
News Harvest Moon Heading to North American 3DS eShop in Late April
Legend of the River King will be available on 28th March
As we already know, Europe will be able to download the Game Boy Color version of Harvest Moon from the 3DS eShop on 28th March. However, North American farmers have been left in the dark, with many believing they've been put out to pasture. Well fret not, as Natsume has revealed via its...
Friday8th Mar 2013
News Harvest Moon Gets The Hollywood Reboot Treatment
Down on the farm
Hollywood reboots are pretty tiresome these days — it would appear that film-makers have run out of new ideas entirely. Still, every cloud has a silver lining, because the loathsome trend of pilfering ideas from the past has inspired the YouTube series Gritty Reboots, which parodies the process but uses video games for its ideas,...
