Natsume is bringing a new Harvest Moon to PS4 and Nintendo Switch
We'll get more details at E3
Natsume announced that Harvest Moon: Mad Dash, another entry in the popular life simulation genre, is coming to both Nintendo Switch and Playstation 4. We'll get more information on how it plays at E3 on June 11.
"We are excited to announce a new Harvest Moon game and reveal a first look at its gameplay and features at E3 2019,” said Natsume president and CEO Hiro Maekawa in a press release. “Fans might be surprised at what we have in store for Harvest Moon this year. This different take on the Harvest Moon experience will let players enjoy the classic features of the series in a new and exciting way.”
Natumse said Mad Dash is a spinoff from the regular series of games, we don't have any details on what that means though. Entries usually focus on the player running a farm, building relationships, and starting a family.
Harvest Moon has been a different series since 2014, when Natsume stopped localizing Bokujo Monogatari as Harvest Moon in the West. The original developer, Marvelous, started using one of their subsidiaries to localize their games and Natsume continued using the Harvest Moon brand with their own titles. The Harvest Moon we knew became Story of Seasons in western territories.
A completely new group of developers works on games like Harvest Moon: Mad Dash, but they haven't received the greatest reception in recent years.
No one knows if we'll get a game as magical as Harvest Moon 64 again, but developers are certainly trying to strike gold again. A new Story of Seasons game is currently in development and Yasuhiro Wada, the creator of the original Harvest Moon, released Little Dragons Cafe last year. Here's hoping the series gets back to its successful roots soon.
Looking for something new to play on your Nintendo Switch? Check out our list of the 25 best Nintendo Switch games you can buy right now.
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Aron Garst is a journalist and writer exploring the future of games and interactivity. Follow him on X at @GarstProduction.