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Classic Titles Throwback Thursday

Legend of the River King (3DS VC)

For this week’s Throwback Thursday, we’re travelling back in time to 2013…

Originally released in November 1999, The Legend of the River King is a unique fishing RPG that offers two fantastic gameplay modes, putting your angling and survival skills to the test!

FISH MODE
Follow a young boy’s quest for the elusive Guardian Fish. Only with its magical powers can he save his sister from a mysterious illness. Choose a fishing spot from the quiet lakes to the raging rapids. Check the water conditions, and then select from a variety of fishing rods and tackle.
But watch out, because dangerous animals will attack you along the shores!

  • Stop at the local villages to sell your catch and restock supplies.
  • Rest at an inn before moving on to the next big bite.
  • Catch all 40 different species of fish to reveal new fishing spots!

RAISE MODE
Looking for a more relaxed experience? Try your hand at raising pet fish!

  • Keep your fishie happy by regularly checking its status
  • Clean the tank to ensure it stays healthy
  • Watch your new friend as it evolves into a different species!

Sounds like a lot of fun right? Good news: you can play Legend of the River King right now on your 3DS via the Virtual Console. Click here to learn more about the game or buy it directly from your 3DS console on the Nintendo eShop.

Categories
Throwback Thursday

How Plushies Were Born

Did you know: plushies were intended to just be a one-time bonus to celebrate the first Harvest Moon game on PlayStation 2? It’s true!

Newcomers to the series may be surprised to know, only one plushie was ever planned, for a single Harvest Moon game: Save the Homeland. The little cow sat up and had four cute little legs, with an adorable pink collar! She was so popular that we almost didn’t have enough to cover pre-orders — a lesson we took to heart with future plushies.

Harvest Moon: Save the Homeland also had several notable differences from other titles in the Harvest Moon series, including being the first game on PS2, having a specific time limit, a heavy penalty for not carefully caring for animals, and no marriage.

If you haven’t jumped into this classic title, now’s the perfect time! The game is available now in both North America and PAL territories on the PSN: Click here to learn more and buy Save the Homeland

Did you play Save the Homeland? If so, let us know which of the nine endings you completed the game with on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram!

Categories
Throwback Thursday

Yumi’s Odd Odyssey (3DS)

For this week’s Throwback Thursday, we’re travelling back in time to 2014…

Swing from a fishing line, but watch out above and below – you never know what strange creatures might be waiting to pounce on you!

Yumi’s Odd Odyssey is a game unlike any other: using nothing but a fishing line and sheer ingenuity, this young lady (and her companions) must navigate up and down levels full of peril, defeat challenging bosses, and discover hidden exits. Oh, and did we mention her line is EXTRA springy, too?

  • Master Yumi’s fishing line to find secret items and hidden exits!
  • Use the Ranking feature to see how your high score compares against other players worldwide!
  • Fight freaky fish and other bizarre enemies, including huge bosses!
  • Before you’ll know it, you’ll be a master at exploration — and fall hook, line, and thinker in love with Yumi’s Odd Odyssey!

Sound fun? Swing into action today on your 3DS: https://www.nintendo.com/games/detail/yumis-odd-odyssey-3ds/

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Cosmic Defenders Natsume Indies

Cosmic Defenders – Natsume’s Indie Program

In case you missed it, one of our most exciting announcements in 2019 was the introduction of our Indie Program! We’re pairing with up-and-coming smaller devs to help them publish and promote the unique, family friendly games that Natsume is so well known for.

Recently, Henry Fernández — the creator behind Cosmic Defenders — sat down with Nintendo Life for an interview! We’ve been enjoying the simplicity of Cosmic Defenders’ combat system…and even when things get a little hairy we can call in a friend to play too.

Read the full interview here: http://www.nintendolife.com/news/2020/02/feature_cosmic_defenders_dev_on_partnering_with_natsume_and_life_as_a_tokyo-based_indie

Categories
Classic Titles

World’s Most Dangerous Warriors Arrive on Nintendo Switch

It’s the year 2029 and America is ruled by the evil Emperor Garuda. Two shadowy ninjas from the Iga clan have to infiltrate and battle all the way through multiple stages to overthrow the emperor and save the nation.

That’s right – Shadow of the Ninja is available now on the Nintendo Switch Online NES service! Did you know? This title was called Blue Shadow in PAL territories.

If you’re already a subscriber of the Switch Online service, you can download the NES games app totally free right now. For more information, including pricing and game availability, see Nintendo’s site for Switch Online Services.

As a special treat, please enjoy a classic ad for Shadow of the Ninja!

PS: We’ve run out of Shadow of the Ninja t-shirts. Sorry~
Categories
Sales

PSN Remasters & Retro Sale

The North American PSN has kicked off a sale on retro titles, and we’ve got a pair of classic Harvest Moon titles included! If you haven’t picked up this pair, now’s a perfect time to do with a sweet discount. This sale runs from February 7th through February 21st at 8:00am Pacific.

Harvest Moon: Save the Homeland

Your goal is to successfully save your family’s farm and the surrounding village from being turned into a resort. Constructions begins in a year, so you have your work cut out for you! But don’t worry, if you earn the friendship and trust of the villagers they will be sure to lend a helping hand. Remember…It’s up to you to SAVE THE HOMELAND!

  • Nine endings and plenty of events make every day on the farm anything but routine!
  • Cook up new meals using recipes or invent tasty homegrown concoctions in your kitchen!
  • Explore an innovative non-linear game system with a bushel of subplots and entertaining storylines!

Harvest Moon: A Wonderful Life Special Edition

A lifetime of farming takes on new meaning in Harvest Moon: A Wonderful Life Special Edition. Besides planting crops, raising animals and rebuilding your father’s farm, you’ll make friends in Forget-Me-Not Valley, find your future bride and hopefully cultivate a happy family!

  • Raise a son or daughter and help him or her learn to farm or choose a new career path!
  • Discover new farming enhancements like the fertilizer machine!
  • Carefully nurture better grades of produce or create your own hybrids!
Categories
News

Retail Release Dates

We know our fans are amazing — you can’t wait to hear all the exciting news for an upcoming title or pre-order a game releasing in the near future.

This is just a little reminder that unless a release date comes from us (that is, right here on our Community blog, or on our Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram accounts), it is not an official date.

Retailers use filler dates, or guesstimates, to list upcoming titles — this is why you see many games as releasing on December 31st, 2020, but other times they’ll simply pick the first Tuesday of a month and use that.

So remember, if you see a date on a website, double check with us! We only announce release dates close to a title’s actual launch. This is especially true during the current global health crisis, as we truly do not enjoy having to push back a release date due to the additional time required for ratings and game approval.

Categories
News

Wikipedia: A Confusing Source of Info

We see a lot of mix-ups around this, so here’s a quick PSA:

There are THREE companies named Natsume.
They are ALL lumped together on Wikipedia.
But they’re not all the same company.

  1. Natsume Co Ltd (Natsume-Atari) is a company distinct and separate. They used to make solely console games; Natsume Inc localized some of them. They develop a lot of licensed titles for other companies, such as Bandai Namco.
  2. Natsume Inc USA (Natsume) is a company distinct and separate from Natsume-Atari. It is not the US branch of Natsume Co Ltd; it is independently owned and operated.
  3. Natsume Inc Japan (Natsume Japan) is owned by Natsume Inc USA. Yes, you read that right – a US company owns a Japanese branch 🙂 This is where games like Harvest Moon and Reel Fishing are made.
Categories
News

RT to Win! Official Rules

1. Contests open with the first “Follow us and RT this” posting, and end when each tweet notes.  Times are always indicated in the Pacific Time Zone (GMT-8) unless explicitly noted.  Late, misdirected, and ineligible entries are not accepted.

2. Winners will be contacted within 24 hours of each “RT to win” end time.  Winners must be following the @Natsume_Inc Twitter and be capable of receiving a Direct Message (DM); entrants who do not automatically, without notification, forfeit their prize and it will be re-distributed.  Digital prize winners must respond within two (2) days or the prize will be forfeit and redistributed; physical prize winners must respond within seven (7) days or the prize will be forfeit and redistributed.

3. RT to win contests are open to individuals 16 or older except where prohibited by law; the onus is on the entrant to know local regulations, but this generally excludes any region or country which requires a skill-testing question to receive a prize or other qualification (including Québec and Puerto Rico).  Sorry, bug your lawmakers!

4. Prizes will be awarded as-is; no substitutes will be offered. No delivery estimate is guaranteed.  Prizes will be restricted to specific regions as follows:

  • For Nintendo Switch games, including eShop: USA & Canada, unless specifically noted otherwise, such as “Open to Europe and Australia/New Zealand”
  • For PSN games: Owners of a US PSN Account, unless otherwise noted, such as “Open to both North America and Europe” 
  • For Steam games: Owners of a Steam Account.
  • For physical prizes, including plushies: USA & Canada, unless otherwise noted.

5. All contest decisions are at the discretion of Natsume Inc., and are final.  Contest rules may be edited at any time at the discretion of Natsume Inc.

6. Employees of Natsume, their partners and their families, are not eligible for a prize.