Popular Games by Natsume
Reviews of Natsume Games
Review Harvest Moon 64 - Rose-Tinted Specs Recommended For This Beloved Farm Sim
Aged like a fine bottle of milk
To paraphrase a bunch of anti-Nazi singing nuns: How do you solve a problem like reviewing a game that's almost 25 years old? The nuns never came up with an answer, but we have to, because this is a review, not a convent, and it's the issue at the heart of this review, after all. Harvest Moon 64 came out in 1999 —...
Review Harvest Moon: The Winds Of Anthos (Switch) - Terrible Title, Pretty Alright Game
Harvest Dew
If the 'Uncanny Valley' is the term for something being almost-human-but-not-quite, then Harvest Moon: Winds of Anthos is in the Uncanny Stardew Valley. It's so close to being a really good farming sim game, but doesn't quite manage to hit the mark. However, for the first time in the
Review Pocky & Rocky Reshrined (Switch) - A Thrilling New Interpretation Of A SNES Classic
Rise and shrine
Note: This review is based on the Japanese release — the game launched in North America and Europe on 24th June 2022. Pocky & Rocky, a Super Nintendo top-down run-and-gun, was developer Natsume’s gold standard, fondly remembered for its taut arcade action, adventurous stage design, and beautiful visuals. Where Tengo...
Mini Review Spanky's Quest (SNES) - Surprisingly Charming Monkey Business
Bubbles from Natsume
With five new additions to Nintendo Switch Online's catalogue of NES and SNES games arriving today, we decided to review these new/old releases to help you decide which to play first. Enjoy! In the late 1980s, a simian named Jiro was one of the most popular monkeys in Japan, becoming famous for his 'reflection' pose. He also...
Review Harvest Moon: One World (Switch) - A Poor Imitation Of A Once-Great Series
Time to take this old horse out to the back of the barn
Harvest Moon: One World, to summarise the next few hundred words of complaining, is a badly-paced, unattractive, hollow facsimile of a Harvest Moon game. And yes, we're well aware of the Natsume/XSEED schism, and that Story of Seasons is the "true" Harvest Moon game, but even still, how the...
Review Wild Guns Reloaded (Switch)
Welcome to Westworld!
Back in 1994, Natsume delivered the definitive ‘shooting gallery’ shmup made famous in previous years by the likes of Neo Geo NAM-1975 and TAD’s Cabal. Sadly, a limited number of copies coupled with being a late generation SNES game meant that a lot of people missed out on this slice of space western action. Add in some...
Latest Natsume News
Sunday31st Aug 2025
Poll Box Art Brawl - Harvest Moon (SNES)
Legen-dairy
Hello everyone, and welcome to another edition of Box Art Brawl! Last time, we looked at Chibi-Robo: Park Patrol, in celebration of the launch of the original game on NSO for Switch 2. And let's be honest, we all knew which would win this one. Yes, with 77% of the vote, the far superior US variant won in a landslide. Good job. This...
Thursday28th Aug 2025
News Natsume's Next Harvest Moon Game Arrives On Switch This October
Home Sweet Home
Harvest Moon is returning to the Switch next month with two 3DS games, but it looks like there could be even more on the way. According to a new rating that's popped up in Taiwan, the mobile game Harvest Moon: Home Sweet Home is making its way across to the Switch and PlayStation 5. As mentioned by Gematsu, this game originally made...
Thursday10th Jul 2025
News Harvest Moon's New "Cozy" Bundle Slightly Delayed For Switch
Update: Here's an official trailer while you wait
[Tue 1st Jul, 2025 03:30 BST]: Natsume previously announced it would be releasing a Harvest Moon double pack on the Switch at the beginning of this month, but it seems there's been a slight delay. Instead of the 3rd July 2025 release, it seems farming and life simulation fans will now have to...
Wednesday30th Apr 2025
News Two 3DS 'Harvest Moon' Games Find New Pastures On Switch In July
A refreshed crop
Natsume is bringing Harvest Moon: The Lost Valley and Harvest Moon: Skytree Village to Switch on 3rd July 2025 as a double-pack. Pre-orders are open now for the physical edition of Harvest Moon: The Lost Valley & Skytree Village, which will also net you an adorable little acrylic standee featuring a host of cuddly farm animals...
Wednesday12th Mar 2025
Gallery Harvest Moon's New "Cozy" Switch Bundle Shares First Screenshots Ahead Of June Launch
3DS games optimised for the current gen
In case you missed it, Natsume announced in January it would be releasing a "cozy bundle" for the Nintendo Switch featuring the 3DS titles Harvest Moon: The Lost Valley and Harvest Moon: Skytree Village. This new package, now optimised for Switch, comes with updated UI, updated controls, and higher...
Wednesday29th Jan 2025
News Harvest Moon's New "Cozy" Switch Bundle Revives Two 3DS Titles This Summer
"Optimized for the current generation"
Natsume has announced it's releasing a "cozy bundle" for the Nintendo Switch featuring the 3DS titles Harvest Moon: The Lost Valley and Harvest Moon: Skytree Village. This two-in-one release will launch in Summer 2025, with both games included on a single cartridge. Harvest Moon: The Lost Valley originally...
Thursday12th Sep 2024
News Harvest Moon: The Winds Of Anthos Plants 'Great Outdoors' DLC Next Month
You wanted s'more?
Publisher and developer Natsume Inc. has today announced that Harvest Moon: The Winds of Anthos will be treated to a new paid DLC on 3rd October titled 'The Great Outdoors Pack'. Marking the game's first anniversary, the DLC adds treasure hunting, camping, two new characters and the ability to bring your animals along with you on...
Wednesday28th Aug 2024
Exclusive Shadow Of The Ninja - Reborn's Legendary Devs Reveal Details In New Mini-Doc
"Looking back, it feels like my dream has come true"
As we gear up for the release of Shadow of the Ninja - Reborn, a remake of Natsume's classic NES action platformer, today we can exclusively reveal a new behind-the-scenes look at the development story behind the reimagined version. As put together by publisher ININ Games, the mini-documentary...
Saturday2nd Sep 2023
Feature Harvest Moon 64’s Relationship With Alcohol, The "Magic Liquid" Of Flowerbud Village
Surviving the censors
Alcohol takes on an almost spiritual quality in Harvest Moon 64 Update: Of course, three months after this article went live, Nintendo expanded its roster of N64 games on Nintendo Switch Online to include this one. Cheers! Nintendo games are usually all-ages affairs, but every once in a while a game breaks the...
Thursday13th Jul 2023
News New Harvest Moon: The Winds Of Anthos Trailer Gives First Look At Gameplay Footage
Ready for harvest this September
Things have been quiet around Harvest Moon: The Winds of Anthos for a while now. The game was first announced at the end of last year, and the only glimpse that we have got in the ensuing months was a couple of screenshots in March and a release date of 26th September. But now, Natsume Inc. has released the first...
Tuesday30th May 2023
"I think it's your destiny to take on this farm"
In a little less than a month, Story of Seasons: A Wonderful Life will finally be making its way to the West on June 27th, 2023. The game joins Story of Seasons: Friends of Mineral Town as the second modern remake of a farming classic, introducing new players to a franchise that's now been running for...
Wednesday15th Mar 2023
News First Harvest Moon: The Winds Of Anthos Images Tease What's Next For The Farm Sim Spin-Off
Farming AND romance? What a concept!
We're all looking forward to the remake of Story of Seasons: A Wonderful Life, right? Even if you're not, it's fair to say that it has been a long time coming, especially when you consider just how much has gone on behind the scenes for this series since the original GameCube release back in 2004 — see, it's...
Friday13th Jan 2023
Feature What Is The Difference Between Story Of Seasons And Harvest Moon? A Handy Explainer
I was elected to weed, not to read
We've finally done it. After starting every article that concerns either Story of Seasons or Harvest Moon with a potted explainer of the schism between Natsume and Marvelous XSEED, we've finally sat down and put (electronic) pen to (electronic) paper and written out a long-form explanation of what "Harvest Moon"...
Sunday18th Sep 2022
Poll Box Art Brawl: Duel - Harvest Moon: A Wonderful Life
"Your dad and I shared the same dream, you know..."
Hello everyone; welcome to another edition of 'Box Art Brawl'! It's kind of mad that another week has passed already, right..? Where is the time going?! Never mind. Last week, we took a look at one of the all-time greats on SNES: Mega Man X. It was a ruddy close one, too! Europe and North America...
Tuesday8th Mar 2022
News Pocky & Rocky Reshrined Available To Pre-Order Now
With a limited edition to follow later
Natsume has announced that you can now pre-order the newest entry in the beloved multi-directional shooter series, Pocky & Rocky Reshrined, in America and the UK! Controlling Shinto shrine maiden Pocky and her tanuki companion Rocky, this is the first new entry in the Kiki Kaikai series in nearly 21 years...
Friday18th Feb 2022
PSA Get All The Harvest Moon Games Before The 3DS And Wii U eShops Close
They've bought the farm
If you're embedded within the farming game community, you'll know all about the Harvest Moon / Story of Seasons schism, in which (Western localisation team and publisher) Natsume and (developer) Marvelous went their separate ways. Natsume kept the Harvest Moon name in the West, and cranked out a bunch of wildly disappointing...
Monday17th Jan 2022
News Pocky & Rocky Reshrined Finally Gets A Release Date On Nintendo Switch
Five playable characters and a host of new modes also confirmed
Pocky & Rocky Reshrined, which was delayed from last year, has finally gotten a solid release date for Japan. Published by Natsume Atari and developed by Tengo Project, the game is the latest entry in the popular KiKi KaiKai series. The franchise has seen instalments on a wide...
Tuesday1st Jun 2021
Soapbox Why Harvest Moon 2 GBC Is Still The Best Farming Game Around
Less is more
We recently published our reader-ranked top 50 Game Boy Color games, and we've taking a look back at a handful of our favourite GBC carts. Today, Kerry reminisces about her very favourite farming sim... There have been a lot of Harvest Moon games ove
Thursday25th Mar 2021
Feature Should You Buy Harvest Moon: One World, Or Story Of Seasons: Pioneers Of Olive Town?
We did a direct compare and contrast to answer that question for you!
Right, farming fans and friends: let's get it out of the way. Harvest Moon is not Harvest Moon. The series known as Bokujo Monogatari in Japan was translated as "Harvest Moon" when it came out back in 1997, and that title stuck with the series until 2013, when Natsume - the...
Tuesday9th Mar 2021
Video Natsume Releases Trailer For Pocky & Rocky Reshrined, Plus Autumn Release Date
Pocky and Rocky in the Nintendo Switch docky
We first found out about the Pocky & Rocky sequel back in September last year, when it was tentatively titled "KiKi KaiKai: Kuro Mantle no Nazo". Today, Natsume Inc. revealed a new teaser trailer for the game, which now bears the title of Pocky & Rocky Reshrined. The game follows on from the 1992...
Monday8th Mar 2021
Soapbox Why Do People Love Games Like Stardew Valley And Animal Crossing?
Playing games shouldn't feel like work, right?
One of my favourite things to do after a long day of nine-to-five work is crack open a beer, get cosy on the sofa, and play two to five hours of a game where I have a nine-to-five job. It seems ludicrous to spend my free time doing exactly what I do in my non-free time, and yet, here I am - one of...
Thursday4th Mar 2021
Video Watch Harvest Moon And Story Of Seasons' First Half Hour, In This Side-By-Side Comparison
Speedrun Any% Pre-Cow
In the race for "best farming game of March 2021", there's still everything to play for. Harvest Moon: One World came out earlier this week, and Story of Seasons: Pioneers of Olive Town has a release date of 23rd/26th March depending on whether you're in North America or Europe/Australia, and we've been reporting on the battle...
Tuesday2nd Mar 2021
Video Check Out Harvest Moon: One World's Launch Trailer
"The biggest Harvest Moon game in history"
Harvest Moon: One World is out today, so it's finally time to check out the game with this detailed launch trailer. Showing off the festivals, different locations, bachelors and bachelorettes, the fishing, and the mining, as well as the new Expando-Farm, it's clear that there's a lot to spend your time on...
News Limited Run Games Is Republishing Two Natsume Game Boy Games This Year
Sea of Solitude: The Director's Cut also gets a physical edition on Switch
Of all the strange things to happen this last year, we didn't count on a Game Boy resurgence. Between Twitter's Pokémon Red playthrough, horror game Deadeus and Kickstarter project
Saturday27th Feb 2021
Memory Pak When Harvest Moon Taught Me About Death
You can't just save scum this one away
Welcome to the latest instalment in our new column, Memory Pak, where we're going to be doing a deep-dive into some of the most memorable moments in gaming – good and bad. We hope you've got some tissues ready because this one's going to be a bit of a weepy. People play Harvest Moon games for their...
Friday8th Jan 2021
News Get A Peek At A New Harvest Moon: One World Bachelor And His... Camel?
Rural romance
Every month or so, the Harvest Moon: One World website gives us a look at one of the eligible bachelors and bachelorettes that will be available to woo in the game. With the advent of a new year, that means a new boy or girl ready for us to feast our eyes upon, and decide whether or not they will make the cut. Harvest Moon is a...
Thursday17th Dec 2020
News New Harvest Moon Trailer Shows Off Bachelors To Woo And Animals To Wuv
Camels and reindeers and goats, oh my
The Harvest Goddess has disappeared again, and she's taken all the crops in the world with her. For someone who literally has one job, she's not very good at it. But that's how Harvest Moon: One World starts, and at least it gives your farmer avatar something to do: restore the land, find all the harvest...
Sunday30th Aug 2020
Poll Box Art Brawl #57 - Shadow Of The Ninja / Blue Shadow
Rattling the Kage
Welcome back, one and all, to the latest edition of Box Art Brawl. After a week-long hiatus to charge our hadouken, we're returning with another bout featuring regional box art variants battling for your pleasure (and votes). Last time we took a look at Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door in a particularly close-run duel between...
Tuesday11th Aug 2020
News Embrace Farm Life With This Harvest Moon: One World Limited Edition For Nintendo Switch
You can pre-order it right now
The Switch isn't exactly in short supply of farming, social and lifestyle sims, and later this year Natsume is adding another one to the mix - Harvest Moon: One World. The game was announced in May, and more recently we got our first look. Now, NIS America has revealed the limited edition physical offering for $79.99...
Sunday21st Jun 2020
Poll Box Art Brawl #48 - Wild Guns
Wild world
Welcome to Box Art Brawl, our weekly dust-up to find out which of three regional box art variants is the best. Last week it was Shadowrun's turn to battle itself. Japanese Shadowrun obliterated the competition with over 70% of your approval, leaving second-place North America and third-place Europe to mop up the remainder. This week...
Wednesday20th May 2020
News New Game+ Expo To Feature 14 Publishers This June, Including SEGA, Atlus And SNK
Livestream event to include KOEI TECMO, AKSYS and Inti Creates
E3 may be skipping 2020, but other bodies are stepping up to fill the summer video game vacuum. There's Geoff Keighley's Summer Game Fest, which will be delivering news and announcements throughout a four-month window, but there's also a new Expo in town, and it's got some big names...
Saturday15th Feb 2020
Feature Cosmic Defenders Dev On Partnering With Natsume And Life As A Tokyo-Based Indie
"Living in Japan has been an amazing experience"
Last year Natsume announced details of a new Indie developer partnership program with 2D revolving shooter Cosmic Defenders (originally Cosmos Defenders) the first title scheduled for release this year. The game charges you with defending the universe from chaotic aliens who want to steal the Tree of...
Saturday4th Jan 2020
News Harvest Moon Publisher Natsume Working On "Exciting New Projects" For This Year And Beyond
"Please stay tuned"
Natsume president Hiro Maekawa recently shared a special message reflecting on last year and looking ahead to the future. He stated how the Japanese publisher, responsible for series such as Harvest Moon, was hard at work on "exciting new projects" for this year and beyond: We are currently working on exciting new projects to...
Wednesday17th Jul 2019
News Harvest Moon: Light of Hope Special Edition Complete Launches On 30th July
And it includes all of the DLC
In May, it was discovered Natsume would be releasing a complete version of Harvest Moon: Light of Hope Special Edition. This game was originally released last year and outperformed Natsume's expectations. Now, the worldwide publisher and developer, has announced Harvest Moon: Light of Hope Special Edition Complete...
Friday31st May 2019
News Natsume Announces Harvest Moon: Mad Dash For Nintendo Switch
All will be revealed at E3 2019
With less than two weeks until E3 begins, more and more developers are getting certain announcements out of the way before being overshadowed by much bigger releases. The Pokémon Company even got in on the action earlier this week, sharing news about new Pokémon games and apps currently in development. Natsume has...
Tuesday21st May 2019
News Round-Up The Animals Again, In The Complete Edition Of Harvest Moon: Light Of Hope
The special version is finally complete
If Harvest Moon: Light of Hope Special Edition wasn't special enough for your liking, publisher Natsume will be releasing a "complete" edition of the Switch title, according to a listing on the GameStop website. This version will include all of the previously released DLC, adding up to around $18 of extra...
Wednesday25th Apr 2018
Weirdness Gal*Gun 2 Has Wild Guns Reloaded Artwork On The Inside Cover
Mix up
We didn't think much to Gal*Gun 2 if we're perfectly honest, but it seems that many people picked up the physical version when it launched in North America recently. Strangely, a printing error means that copies of Gal*Gun 2 have artwork for Wild Guns Reloaded printed on the inside of the cover. Yep, we don't get it either. Gal*Gun 2...
Wednesday4th Apr 2018
News Spin Your Six Shooters Because Wild Guns Reloaded Is Coming 17th April
I wanna be a cowboy, baby!
First, we knew it was coming in the Spring, then it was sometime in April, and now - finally - we have a solid, tangible release date for Wild Guns Reloaded. Natsume's remake of the SNES classic will be arriving on Nintendo Switch on 17th April. With confirmation from Natsume that the game has now gone gold, the finished...
Wednesday28th Feb 2018
News Wild Guns Reloaded To Shoot Its Way Onto Nintendo Switch This April
You can also pre-order it digitally or at retail
It was only last week that Nintendo Life was reporting on news that Wild Guns Reloaded - the remake of the Natsume classic - was due this spring, and now it's been confirmed the gunslinging retro revival is headed to Nintendo Switch this April, with both a digital and a physical version of the game...
Monday19th Feb 2018
News This Kickstarter Campaign Wants To Give Harvest Moon 64 The Guide It Never Had
It's only 19 years too late
One avid gamer and graphic artist is looking to bring their own fan-made guide for Harvest Moon 64 to the masses, and they've turned to Kickstarter and the power of the crowdfunding dollar to do it. The guide itself has already been made and is based off Kansas City-based Gerry's Guides own experience with the game, as...
Thursday25th Jan 2018
News Wild Guns Reloaded Is Saddling Up For A Switch Release This Spring
Westworld, Natsume-style
Wild Guns is one of the many gems to be found in the SNES library. Taking place in a future where the Wild West meets robots, it has gone down as something of a cult classic on the console thanks to its lovely visuals and engaging gameplay. When Natsume announced some time ago that it was creating a remake in the form of...
Tuesday19th Sep 2017
News Natsume Has a New Sale Available on the eShop
Whaddya buyin’?
One of the more welcome features of the vastly improved eShop of last generation was the introduction of sales on Nintendo’s digital storefront. Though the company rarely discounts its games—and when it does, there’s not a whole lot being dropped—it nonetheless has at least provided third parties with a means of enticing...
Wednesday12th Jul 2017
News Natsume's Hiro Maekawa Talks Harvest Moon, Switch And Making "Everyone Happy"
"Natsume is probably known most as a non-violent, family friendly company"
Natsume is a publisher famous for its Harvest Moon series, which has now racked up more than 30 entries across a variety of systems and continues to sell briskly all over the world. However, there's been quite a bit of upheaval within the company of late, and boss Hiro...
Tuesday30th May 2017
News Natsume Confirms Two River City Games for 3DS This Year
Knights of Justice and Rival Showdown
Earlier this week Natsume confirmed that River City: Knights of Justice is coming to 3DS in the West; now we have a release window for that game and news of another entry in the series due this year. First off, Knights of Justice will be a 3DS eShop release and is due in the summer - some PR spiel and one of...
Monday29th May 2017
News Natsume Teases Western Release Of River City Spin-Off Downtown Nekketsu Jidaigeki
Update: Natsume confirms the news
Update: Natsume has confirmed that the game is coming to the west as River City: Knights of Justice, and that it will be a 3DS eShop exclusive. It would seem that the Japanese setting will be switched for a European setting. Original story: Natsume appears to be teasing a western release for the 3DS...
Tuesday16th May 2017
News Harvest Moon: Light of Hope to Brighten Up the Nintendo Switch
Natsume promises 'depth' and a 'robust story'
The launch of the Nintendo Switch brought a bit of land management-sim gameplay to the eShop with New Frontier Days: Founding Pioneers, but fans of the genre will no doubt want more extensive retail options. Perhaps Natsume and Rising Star Games will deliver that, as they've released a joint press...
Tuesday21st Feb 2017
News Harvest Moon 64 Heading to Wii U in North America This Week as Part of Anniversary Celebrations
More surprises promised throughout 2017
This week's European Nintendo Download Update details included the happy news that Harvest Moon 64 will be heading to the Wii U Virtual Console; that was a welcome surprise as the title originally skipped the region and it was previously thought that plans to release it as a download had been dropped. North...
Thursday8th Sep 2016
News River City: Tokyo Rumble Will Be Roughhousing 3DS Consoles At The End Of This Month
Digital and physical releases planned
Natsume has confirmed that River City: Tokyo Rumble will launch on the 3DS in North America on September 27th. Developed by Arc System Works, the game will be released in physical and digital formats, and those who order a copy from Natsume's new Amazon store will receive a limited edition Kunio keychain. Here
Friday12th Aug 2016
Gallery Get to Know the Cast of River City: Tokyo Rumble
Get ready to rumble
In the earlier days of gaming, sidescrolling beat 'em ups were far more common than nowadays, with classics such as Double Dragon and River City Ransom regularly lighting up TV screens. Though this genre has since become fairly niche, it's certainly not dead, as evidenced by the upcoming River City: Tokyo Rumble. We loved what...
Saturday18th Jun 2016
First Impressions Kicking It With Kunio-kun in River City: Tokyo Rumble
Return of the King
If you're a retro fan, chances are you've come across at least one game in the longstanding Kunio-kun series. Running steadily for the past 30 years in Japan and localized under such varied names as Renegade, River City Ransom, Street Gangs, Crash 'n The Boys, and Double Dragon, the series has been incredibly prolific and...



































































