News

New Story of Seasons/Harvest Moon Game's Mechanics, Hamtaro Crossover Previewed in Video

Marvelous began streaming an introduction video for its Bokujō Monogatari: Mitsu no Sato no Taisetsu na Tomodachi (Harvest Moon/Story of Seasons: Precious Friends From Three Villages) Nintendo 3DS game on Wednesday. The video explains the game's mechanics, including farming, pets, and marriage.

In addition the video and the website revealed two new NPC characters that the player character can eventually marry, as well as Hamtaro — the hamster (from the manga and anime of the same name) who can be the player's pet.

Ford

Inarichama

Hamtaro

The game celebrates the series' 20th anniversary. It is slated for June 23 in Japan for 4,980 yen (about US$42).

The game features three locales: Lulucoco Town (Lulucoco Mura), Tsuyukusa Village (Tsuyukusa no Sato or Dew Grass Village), and Wes Town.

Players are able to build facilities on their farm, which modifies the rate of crop growth and efficiency depending on their arrangement. Players are also able to raise pets that live with them in their home. They can take the pet to festival events in the village. The game includes the ability to fish, participate in seasonal festivals, and work part-time jobs. Players are able to create a custom character, and are able to choose their gender and appearance. NPCs exist in the game that the player can build relationships with. Players are able to eventually marry NPCs, and can have children with them.

Natsume published most of the previous games in the franchise under the umbrella title of Harvest Moon in North America. However, since Xseed Games — Marvelous AQL's own subsidiary — published the most recent game in North America, it cannot use Natsume's Harvest Moon title. The last game, Bokujō Monogatari: Tsunagaru Shin Tenchi for Nintendo 3DS, debuted in North America under the title Story of Seasons in March 2015.

[Via Gematsu]