Harvest Moon: The Lost Valley gets a North American release date

Natsume has published on their official Facebook page that Harvest Moon: the Lost Valley will be released in North America on November 4th, 2014. There's still no announced European Release, though.

Also, all 3 bachelors have been revealed by Siliconera. Here's a transcription of their individual descriptions:

Tony, the eldest son of Brutus the Blacksmith, is a talented young man who loves his dad, but struggles with his expectations. Sensitive, serious, yet gentle, he rebels against his father’s strictness. He is training to follow in his father’s footsteps, but there is just one problem: he doesn’t want to be a blacksmith. You’ll need to woo Tony sweetly to discover what his secret ambition is, and to encourage him to reach out and grasp it!
 Gilbert is a travelling bard who will stay in the Lost Valley if he finds reason to put down roots; Gilbert rhymes when he talks! Thus, Gilbert’s knowledge is deep and wide; his knowledge of history and lore will be an asset by your side. Humble and gentle to a fault, yet his heart is locked inside the tightest of vaults. He’ll teach you the art of fishing when he arrives; it’s a necessary skill for long winters you must survive! His knowledge of the Harvest Goddess is important to your task, and his wit is as sharp as your favorite axe. Will you woo the poet’s soul so he writes verses for you?
 Hunter is a local farmer specializing in animal husbandry. Both he and your first animal will wander inadvertently into the Lost Valley and begin a wonderful friendship…and possibly more!  Not just an animal specialist, Hunter’s quiet demeanor hides a keen knowledge about different animal feed recipes, and is one of the characters who will teach you the recipes for the different feeds. Hunter has always known what he wanted to do: care for all things with hooves, feathers, and fur. His four-legged friends have always been his preferred companions, but can you convince him that two-legged companions are even better?

Fear not! Rune Factory 4 will be coming to Europe, after all.

Source: Nintendo Life

The farming simulation / monster taming / RPG will be getting an European release date. It will be available via Nintendo eShop only, though. The game had previously been cancelled in the old continent, after its developer Neverland closed down.

New PoPoLoCrois title to fuse with Harvest Moon

Source: Siliconera

A new RPG is set to be released in Japan which fuses the PoPoLoCrois storyline with farming and life simulation elements taken directly from the Harvest Moon franchise.
Popolocrois, an obscure Japanese RPG based on a manga series of the same name, has spawned three Playstation titles, one for PSP and one for Playstation 2. The game is yet to be named, but most gaming websites are calling it PoPoLoCrois Farm Story.

Life Simulation in 2014

2014 is a year full of life simulation game releases. While arguably some people consider this genre to be casual (the games tend to absorb a lot of your free time so "casual" may not be the most appropriate choice of a word), it is somewhat niche. By niche we mean that, while some games have become immensely popular, others, such as Japanese dating sims, appeal less to the masses. The two most relevant games already released this year fit in the latter category:


Tomodachi Life (Nintendo 3ds)

Know as Tomodachi Collection: New Life in Japan, this Nintendo 3ds title has arrived a full year later in western countries. The game sees you taking care of your Mii's, by giving them a dedicated room in an apartment complex, feeding them, and watching them develop relationships with each other. They can even get married and get baby Mii's, which you may let go on a journey through other 3ds handhelds (via StreetPass), or keep them in your apartment complex. There are some other activities/events that your characters can engage in, such as rap contests and going to a funfair complete with a roller-coaster.





Hometown Story (Nintendo 3ds)

Released back in 2013 in North American and Japanese territories, this game finally saw a European release back in the 2nd of May, 2014. It puts you in charge of shop you inherited from your deceased grandmother while you befriend other townspeople. Does this concept sound familiar to you? It's probably because it came from the mind of Yasuhiro Wada, the creator of Harvest Moon. Among the things you can do to improve your shop and customer satisfaction you get to choose your shop's stock and upgrade its size.





Although August is already coming to an end, there's still plenty more games to come in the remainder of the present year:


Harvest Moon: The Lost Valley (Nintendo 3ds)

The latest entry in the Harvest Moon franchise lets you manage a farm in a more blocky, Minecraft-alike world you get to customise. The story starts with a Harvest Sprite telling you that all seasons have disappeared, except for Winter. It's your duty to recover the missing seasons with the help of the other characters. The game is rumoured to be released in North America on the 21st of October, while a release date for other territories is still pending.

Story of Seasons (Nintendo 3ds)

Yet another entry in the Harvest Moon series for 3ds. The publisher Marvelous was forced to drop that label, tough, because the name "Harvest Moon" belongs to Natsume in North America. The gameplay is mostly similar to previous iterations of the series, in the sense that you are put in charge of a farm and do the usual tasks, like taking care of crops and animals, and sell your products through a trading station. It also features a Safari Park where it's possible to interact with exotic animals. The game is already out in Japan and has a pending release of 2014 for North America. There's still word on the release for other territories.





Castaway Paradise (iOS)

We usually don't cover mobile games, but this one seems to be like a fully fledged experience. While it's been widely criticised for being an Animal Crossing clone, the game offers a more goal-oriented gameplay and fixed characters. It's already out in Canada, Australia and Vietnam, but it may come to other territories later this year. It's a free download, with a paid monthly subscription to unlock some extras.






Fantasy Life (Nintendo 3ds)

This is an RPG with some elements of life simulation like customising the player's house with crafted furniture and establishing relationships with the villagers. The player gets to choose one of the following 12 character classes: Paladin, Mercenary, Hunter, Wizard, Miner, Woodcutter, Angler, Alchemist, Carpenter, Blacksmith, Cook and Tailor. The active class can be changed at any time without loosing the acquired skills. Despite being out in Japan since late 2012, the game is yet to launch in other territories. It's set to be released in Europe on the 26th of September and a month later in North America, on the 24th of October.





The Sims 4 (PC)

The king of life simulation games starts anew in early September. After tons of store stuff, and expansion and stuff packs, The Sims 3 era has come to an end. Despite being involved in some controversy due to the cut of key features from previous games (especially Create-a-Style, toddlers and swimming pools), the game got some good impressions from the few who got to experience it first-hand. Key features are the introduction of emotions with gameplay effects, new jobs, improved buy/build mode, more intuitive Create-a-Sim (with a demo now available for download) and smarter AI.



So, which game are you most interested in? Let us know in the poll the on the right side of the page.

There's a new developer diary for Harvest Moon: The Lost Valley

The official Natsume Facebook page has just published another monthly developer diary for Harvest Moon: The Lost Valley. This time it focusses on animal personality traits, a feature that's never been implemented in previous Harvest Moon games. Here's the full text:

Our monthly developer diary series will give you a little bit of insight into the development behind Harvest Moon: The Lost Valley. Fans have regularly asked us to "peel back the mysterious curtain" on game development, and we're happy to share some of what goes into a game.
While we were first developing Harvest Moon: The Lost Valley, we called it by a code name: Back to Basics. We've applied this philosophy to many aspects of the game, including the animals available on the farm. We went back to the basics: cows, sheep, chickens, and, of course, horses.
But we didn't just want to reduce the number of animals; we wanted to make each animal feel unique in some way, and we wanted there to be a better reason to keep animals – whether you've previously kept a full barn or eschewed animal husbandry all together. Now, each animal will have its own personality traits, called “skills” in the game.
We really like this push-pull mechanic of this system,because it lets players seek out animals with the traits they desire most for their own personal play style.  Some farmers may aim for a barn with all of the same traits, while others may look for a selection of traits for a balanced barn or coop.
Here's a sample of a few traits:
Winter/Spring/Summer/Fall– This season is the animal’s favorite! Their affection level will go up faster in that season.
Calm/Strong-Willed/Patient– These animals will have a higher tolerance for stress in different situations.
Elegant – These animals really, really hate being dirty! You'll get a big affection bonus when you brush them. The higher an animal's affection, the higher quality products they'll produce, as well as a higher quantity of that product!
Like a particular trait? You can breed that particular animal and get the same skill over and over or, even better, you can breed them into a rare, super version of that skill! Here's a few skills, and how they level up:
Great Goods becomes High-Quality Goods: These animals have a strong and powerful body! Because of that, they will sometimes produce higher-quality products.
More Goods becomes Super Goods: These animals are gifted with fantastic health! Because of that, they will sometimes produce a higher quantity of products.
Rarely, animals can also be blessed with the skill of Learning, which allows them to learn skills quickly and easily.
One exciting way you can have your animals learn skills is by feeding them special animal feed. In Harvest Moon: The Lost Valley, there's a large variety of animal feeds that can be made! However,exactly how you'll make these special animal feeds is a secret we'll save for another day!
We'll be talking more about animal skills in the coming months, so keep watching for the next Developer Diary!  

Another bachelor has also been announced:

Gilbert is the second BACHELOR we’re revealing for Harvest Moon: The Lost Valley. A travelling bard, Gilbert has a unique speech pattern among the residents this time – this eligible gentleman speaks in rhyme! 
“I am called Gilbert, my friend. Farewell until we meet again.”

Gilbert’s knowledge is deep and wide; his knowledge of history and lore will be an asset by your side. Humble and gentle to a fault, yet Gilbert’s heart is locked inside the tightest of vaults. He'll teach you the art of fishing when he arrives; it's a necessary skill for long winters you must survive! His knowledge of the Harvest Goddess is important to your task, and his wit is as sharp as your favorite axe.

“I've been seeking somewhere to plant seeds, the perfect spot for their growing needs."

Gilbert is a wanderer at heart, traveling from place to place. However, it seems there is a specific reason he has come to visit the Lost Valley. Do you have what it takes to get Gilbert to open up to you about why he really came here, and also convince him to plant his roots firmly in the Lost Valley?

Harvest Moon: The Lost Valley: the first harvest sprite has been revealed

Nintendo World Report has revealed the first harvest sprite for the game. You can find the information on the original article published here.

Harvest Moon: The Lost Valley: yet another villager revealed

Jimmy is the new villager revealed at Natsume's official Facebook page. Here's the info:

Jimmy is the next villager revealed in #HarvestMoon: The Lost Valley! A mischievous 12-year-old, he's already got his whole life plan figured out, and won't let anyone deter him from what he wants to do! He's one of Brutus' sons, and the younger brother of Tony.

"My brother is such a wimp! He needs to stand up for himself more!"

Jimmy doesn't have a lot of respect for his older brother Tony, who he views as unreliable and a wimp. Unlike his brother, Jimmy is always on the lookout for food and other items that will make him big and strong, like his father. However, he's usually not the biggest fan of the things he needs to eat and drink that will make him big and strong, so eating things like vegetables is a huge challenge for him! Can you help him overcome his vegetable-phobia?

"I'm gonna be a great blacksmith like my dad when I grow up!"

Jimmy worships his father, and wants to follow in his large footsteps. He's already started training to become a master blacksmith, and will do anything to become as good as his father at shaping metal and creating tools. Much like his father, he's not good at discussing feelings and is terrible at arguing, leading to him become frustrated and obstinate. Jimmy also has a bit of a one-sided "rivalry" with Sally, who he sees as competition, but Sally doesn't really pay him any mind...

New Screenshot for Story of Seasons

A new screenshot for Story of Seasons, a Harvest Moon game (do not confuse with Harvest Moon: The Lost Valley) coming later this year, has been published in the game's official Facebook page:

New characters revealed for Harvest Moon: The Lost Valley

As usual, a new batch of characters has been revealed at the official Natsume Facebook page, including the first bachelorette. Here's the info:

Emily is the first BACHELORETTE we’re revealing from #HarvestMoon: The Lost Valley!
"Welcome to Hanna's Groceries! Home to all your shopping needs!"
Daughter of the motherly Hanna, Emily is the unofficial cheerleader of the Lost Valley. Always quick to smile, she is both very energetic and active. You'll quickly make friends with her exploring around the Lost Valley.

"Eek! A bug!!! Get it off me! Get it off me!"

Emily is terrified of insects, but otherwise is adventurous, and practically fearless. Like her mother Hanna, she's very straightforward, and loves working as a waitress, carrying on the family tradition. As she works at the restaurant, Emily is a force to be reckoned with in the Cooking Festival! You'd better give it everything you've got if you want to beat her cooking!

"I want to make people feel GOOD by making food that is uplifting!"

Emily's dream is to cheer up people with her delicious food. She looks up to her mother very much, and is constantly trying her hardest to become a great chef like her. However, compared to Hanna, Emily feels her food is always second-best. Can you help Emily become a great chef, and make her dream come true? Emily is a marriage candidate.
 

Hanna is this week’s featured villager in Meet the Residents of The Lost Valley! Hanna is the owner of the local café. With a mix of a feminine appearance and a tomboy personality she's never outgrown, Hanna is a bit of a contradiction.

"Buy some of my food, will ya? I'm sure you're gonna love it!"

Though she can be a little careless with her words and actions, Hanna has a big heart, and plenty of love for all her customers – and her daughter, Emily! As a middle-aged woman, she's comfortably settled into the slower-paced lifestyle of the Lost Valley, and couldn't think of living anywhere else. Stop by, and Hanna will be sure to feed you plenty of delicious food, cooked and served by fellow family members.

"My hubby and I have a restaurant in town! Emily is the hostess!"

Hanna runs the local eatery, while her daughter Emily serves as the hostess of the restaurant. Hanna is very proud that her daughter Emily is carrying on the family tradition by working in the restaurant. 

Harvest moon: The Lost Valley gets 2 new screens

Two additional screenshots have been published on Natsume's official facebook page. One shows the recently announced character Sally and the other shows a winter scene.

New villager revealed for Harvest Moon: The Lost Valley

Sally is the newest (and youngest) villager that has been recently revealed. Here's her info, as published on Natsume's official facebook page:

Sally is a youthful villager from Harvest Moon: The Lost Valley! One of the youngest residents in the Lost Valley, Sally always tries to be strong and reliable, though sometimes she can't resist acting her age.
"Don't patronize me just because I'm a kid!"

A mix of self-sufficient and precocious, Sally always tries to be strong, and thinks she can take care of herself without anybody's help. However, still being a young girl, she sometimes gets frustrated when she can't do something on her own. Raised by her grandmother, Sally was orphaned as an infant, and yearns to know more about where she truly comes from. However, she hides these yearnings deep inside her heart.

"I don't need any help! I can do it myself!"

You'll need to earn Sally’s trust and friendship before she’ll open up to you, but when she does, you'll discover a whole new side of her! Sally also has a 'rivalry' with a boy around her age named Jimmy – watch for his story coming in August!

Harvest Moon: The Lost Valley, latest news recap

Since we haven't published any news regarding the game, here's the the summary of the latest July news:

Natsume has started releasing a monthly developer diary on the official Facebook page. Here's the info for July:

Our monthly developer diary series will give you a little bit of insight into the development behind Harvest Moon: The Lost Valley. Fans have regularly asked us to “peel back the mysterious curtain” on game development, and we’re happy to share some of what goes into a game.

JULY'S DEVELOPER DIARY: THE NEW TOOL SYSTEM

When we sat down to design Harvest Moon: The Lost Valley, we wanted to really study what made the game fun. We wanted to maintain the core value of hard work leading to great rewards while minimizing what may detract from a fun game. So we took a long, hard look at the tool system and decided to go back to the drawing board.
We came to the conclusion that gameplay should flow. So we decided to make the following changes to the tool system:

1. Make tools context-sensitive. When you are standing in front of a tree, for example, there are only certain actions you are logically able to do to the tree. You can't shear or milk the tree, so, if you have an axe in your bag, the game will automatically know that you want to chop the tree down. All you have to do is walk up to the tree, push the A Button, and you will chop the tree down! Now you don't need to open the menu to select and equip a tool, slowing down the flow of gameplay.

2. Instead of upgrading your tools, the Harvest Sprites now act as your tool upgrades. It can be frustrating hunting down the exact type of ore you need to upgrade your tools, as well as time consuming. Therefore, in this game, all you have to do is ask the Harvest Sprites for their help, and they'll be able to water your crops, mine material stone, collect lumber, and more. You won't ever have to worry about taking your tools to get upgraded, which will let you save time and explore the land!

3. Everything in your bag is at your disposal! Since you can stack up to 255 of each item, storage won't be a problem! You won't have to run back to your house, get items from your tool box or refrigerator, and so on, because you can keep everything in your bag. Therefore, when villagers need an item, you won't have to worry about not having it! Your trusty bag will help you save tons of time.

Everything in Harvest Moon: The Lost Valley has been reinvented, renewed, and reinvigorated!

In the end, it is our goal to make our hardcore Harvest Moon fans happy, bring back players of the series that haven’t played in a while, and introduce new gamers to the loveable, non-violent world of Harvest Moon! We want these and the other features to feel like a very small, smooth change that will have a huge impact on how players spend their time in-game.

 They also revealed 3 new neighbours and a bachelor:

Naomi is the first villager we’re introducing in the new Meet the Residents of Harvest Moon: The Lost Valley Series!
"I've been all over the world, and seen so many things..."
As a journalist, Naomi has traveled all around the world. She’s been to many wonderful places, as well as some not so wonderful ones. She’s helped many people she’s met in dealing with their pain and suffering. She came to the Lost Valley for some down time, and to recover.

"I used to have a daughter, you know..."

Many years ago, Naomi was separated from her two-year old daughter in a tragic accident, an incident she’s been trying to put out of her mind ever since. Will Naomi be able to find the peace she’s been searching for in the Lost Valley?

Iris is the next character we’re introducing in the new Meet the residents of Harvest Moon: The Lost Valley series! We’re revealing two neighbors this week to kick things off; we’ll also start talking about bachelors and bachelorettes soon!

“Do you have any flowers for me today?”

Iris is a calm, unflappable mother figure within The Lost Valley. She’s lived a peaceful, rural life since she was born and wouldn't want to be anywhere else. Together with her husband, she runs a floral shop outside The Lost Valley; she visits the valley in order to find rare and beautiful blooms while he tends the shop.

“That daughter of mine is a shy one…"

Iris is the mother of April; the two share the same soft blonde hair as well as their calm, quiet natures. Keep watching for more about April in a future post!

Brutus is the next villager we're introducing from Harvest Moon: The Lost Valley!
"Nice day. Work hard!"
An immigrant to the Lost Valley, Brutus is the local blacksmith who came to live here with his two sons. He's searching for a rare ore that can only be found in the Lost Valley. As a quiet and solidary man, he struggles to reach out to his children emotionally, and gets in arguments with them from time to time. His work is flawless, however Brutus is always striving to become a master blacksmith, a wish he also shares for his eldest son.

"Brutus not have time for nonsense!"

A man of few words, Brutus habitually gets angry when his sons don't understand what he is trying to convey to them, which leads him to become stubborn, and his stubbornness only makes the situation worse! Brutus needs the help of a kind, patient friend who will help him connect to his two sons.

Tony is the first BACHELOR we’re revealing from #HarvestMoon: The Lost Valley!
"My father doesn't like me... He thinks I'm a weakling..."
The eldest son of Brutus the Blacksmith, Tony is a talented young man who loves his dad, but struggles with his expectations. Sensitive, serious, yet gentle, he rebels against his father's strictness. He is training to follow in his father's footsteps, but there is just one problem:

"I don't want to become a blacksmith..."

Tony may seem distant at times, but once he gains some inner confidence, he's sure to bloom. You'll need to woo Tony sweetly to discover what his secret ambition is, and to encourage him to reach out and grasp it! Tony is a marriage candidate.

Finally, four new screens were also unleashed: