Even though the sequel to Rune Factory: a Fantasy Harvest Moon is starting to get attention, don't forget that the original is due for its North American release over the next few weeks.IGN recently put up some screens, videos and an interview with the game's U.S. product manager. The video shows off the game's new direction: combat. It all looks pretty straightforward, but that energy you spend fighting is going to have to come from somewhere - the crops you produce. We're undecided as to whether this is really going to work, surely the peaceful gameplay is what gives Harvest Moon its unique feel?
Aside from the combat, it looks like all the series' traditional elements are in place: tending crops, making friends and wooing the girl of your dreams by presenting her with vegetables. If only real life were so simple.
Cooking and forging will be handled via the touch screen, along with inventory management. You'll also be able to trade items and screenshots over wi-fi, perhaps landing a husband or wife in the process. The accompanying video gives a July release date for Rune Factory.
[Update: fixed grammatical error]
Well, unless you're just dying for a little portable Cake Mania -- and we know some of you are, you baking fiends -- then if you're in the U.S., all you can do is see what everyone else is going to be playing this week. And the you can make time for that stack of games you haven't finished yet.
If you are the kind of person who might have a few euros in your pocket, then you might want to break out a calendar and that special red pen, because the latest list of upcoming DS releases is full of stars. Even better? The next two months are pretty packed. Makes up for a few of those 
While the title itself is different, it still contains one key element -- Harvest Moon. The popular series that took the sweat and toil out of real farming and made it fun in a game is branching out to sea.
IGN posted three Harvest Moon DS movies yesterday. They showed "HotBoy", as he was named, doing regular tasks like cleaning up his plot by removing branches, shrubs and breaking up rocks.
Gotta love those fans who are so dedicated when it comes to sharing their pretty-shinies with the rest of us. These Famitsu scans of Chocobo and the Magic Picture Book surfaced at NeoGAF amidst a bevy of other drool-worthy images. Luminous Arc and Ninja Ja Ja Maru-kun: The Pen is Mightier than the Sword are also featured, along with Chocobo, at Go Nintendo. The original post boasts some peeks at Harvest Moon and Gundam titles as well. Surely there's something to rev every motor there!
An all new Harvest Moon has been announced! Harvest Moon: The Island I Grew Up On has a very catchy name and it obviously tells gamers that they are changing it up a bit and taking the farm to a whole new level of island goodness.
Good news for our farm animal loving European readers now, with farm animal loving European website Eurogamer reporting that the upcoming Harvest Moon DS (that game that's all about loving farm animals) has been confirmed for a European release by Rising Star Games. We're not sure what the game's all about, but we think it may cater to those with a love for farm animals.
