We’ve lastly carried out it. After beginning each article that considerations both Story of Seasons or Harvest Moon with a potted explainer of the schism between Natsume and Marvelous XSEED, we have lastly sat down and put (digital) pen to (digital) paper and written out a long-form clarification of what “Harvest Moon” and “Story of Seasons” really imply. Phew. Let’s get into it…
Trimming Back The Tangle: The Story Of Harvest Moon
The TL;DR
- Japanese firm hires English-speaking firm to translate and publish their video games within the west
- Because they picked it, the translated title is technically the mental property of the English-speaking firm
- Japanese firm decides to translate and publish the video games themselves
- Because they do not personal that translated title, they’re legally not allowed to it, so that they give you a brand new one
- Meanwhile, the English-speaking firm decides to capitalise on their possession of the title through the use of it to make their very own sequence of video games
- Everyone will get very confused
But the longer clarification is a bit more difficult than that.
The seed of all of it: 1987 – 1996
Confusing already? Yeah, it solely will get worse
The first Harvest Moon recreation wasn’t printed till 1996, however this story begins in 1987, with the founding of a Japanese firm known as Natsume.
You needn’t know an excessive amount of about Natsume’s previous, besides to know that they established an American division in 1988, known as Natsume Inc. In 1995, Natsume Inc. — the American-based arm of the corporate — determined to from Natsume to change into its personal impartial firm, though they stored the identify. Confusing already? Yeah, it solely will get worse.
Back in Japan, although, a online game designer named Yasuhiro Wada was dreaming of a recreation that represented his idyllic childhood in rural Japan. The recreation was known as Bokujō Monogatari in Japan — actually “Farm Story” — and garnered sufficient curiosity after its 1996 SNES launch to attract the eye of publishers in different international locations.
Eventually, it could be printed by Nintendo within the EU, and Natsume in North America, and retitled as “Harvest Moon” as a part of Natsume’s English localisation. Thus, Harvest Moon was born.
Taking root: 1997 – 1999
Harvest Moon on SNES did not do gangbusters, particularly as a result of the Nintendo 64 was already out by the point it launched, but it surely did effectively sufficient to benefit a sequel: Harvest Moon GB, which refined the system, and which was then re-released as Harvest Moon GBC a 12 months later, each helmed by Yasuhiro Wada at a studio known as Victor Interactive Software.
[Reviews] have been curious if such a sedate farming recreation may ever actually change into greater than only a area of interest style
Natsume was the chosen writer in North America for each of those video games, cementing their relationship with Victor Interactive Software, Wada, and Harvest Moon.
Lukewarm and restricted opinions praised Harvest Moon GB, however have been curious if such a sedate farming recreation may ever actually change into greater than only a area of interest style.
How flawed they have been.
The fourth Bokujō Monogatari recreation, named Bokujō Monogatari 2 regardless of being the third recreation within the sequence (don’t fret an excessive amount of about it) was the place the video games actually started to seize folks’s hearts. Until then, Harvest Moon had been a cult favorite — one thing that a couple of folks liked, however most individuals had not heard of.
Here’s what IGN needed to say about Bokujō Monogatari 2 — translated to Harvest Moon 64 — of their glowing 1999 overview:
“It’s a uncommon event these days {that a} recreation with such easy graphics would even make it to retailer cabinets, however Harvest Moon as that uncommon high quality of being completely partaking and difficult.
We had completely an excessive amount of enjoyable taking part in it for hours on finish and disregarding the entire methods the sport comes up brief. An extraordinarily partaking authentic expertise on the N64. Doesn’t fairly fulfill the RPG-thirst, however you will not be capable to put it down when you begin taking part in.”
Isn’t it wild to learn a overview a couple of farming sim recreation earlier than the idea of “farming sim game” existed?
Anyway, gross sales of Harvest Moon/Bokujō Monogatari video games began to rise with the discharge of HM64, and thus was the farming sim craze born finally — with Natsume alongside for the journey.
Growing quick: 2000 – 2012
We can quick ahead by the subsequent few years, roughly, with some necessary stops.
[2000-2012] is when numerous the very best video games got here out
Between the 12 months 2000 and 2012, Natsume Inc. continued to localise and publish the Bokujō Monogatari video games in North America (and infrequently Europe) as “Harvest Moon”. This is when numerous the very best video games got here out — Harvest Moon: A Wonderful Life on GameDice, Harvest Moon: Friends of Mineral Town on Game Boy Advance, and Harvest Moon DS: Grand Bazaar are simply a few of the highlights.
In 2003, Victor Interactive Software was acquired by Marvelous Entertainment, and was merged into the corporate to create Marvelous Interactive Inc.
In 2004, Marvelous Entertainment based a UK-based firm known as Rising Star Games, and started publishing the Harvest Moon video games by Rising Star in Europe. They ultimately offered it to another person, however don’t fret about that an excessive amount of.
In 2008, Marvelous Entertainment additionally introduced that it could be partnering with Xseed Games, an American studio based by former Square Enix staff, to publish video games in North America. This started with PSP recreation Valhalla Knights 2, a recreation that was printed by Marvelous Entertainment in Japan, Rising Star Games in Europe, and Xseed Games in North America.
Compounding the difficulty was the truth that the unique builders of Bokujō Monogatari have been turning into much less concerned with the video games. Creator Yasuhiro Wada’s position modified from recreation designer, to producer, to government producer all through the 2000s, till lastly he left Marvelous a while between 2008 and 2010. He made some new initiatives, separate from Marvelous Interactive, known as Hometown Story and Little Dragons Café. They have been each not superb, though it was clear that Wada was making an attempt to recapture the previous spirit of Bokujō Monogatari — a easy, pastoral existence.
The schism: 2014
All of this leads as much as 2014: The cut up between Natsume Inc. and Marvelous Inc.
We might by no means know the precise causes for it, however in 2014 — after the discharge of Harvest Moon 3D: A New Beginning on the 3DS — Marvelous Inc. determined to half methods with Natsume Inc. for good, saying that, any longer, the sequence could be titled “Story of Seasons”, starting with their subsequent recreation.
Known as Bokujō Monogatari: Tsunagaru Shin Tenchi in Japan — “Farm Story: To The New World” — this new recreation for the Nintendo 3DS could be recognized within the west as merely “Story of Seasons” to cement the brand new English identify and localisation. It launched in Japan on February twenty seventh, 2014, and within the following 12 months for Europe and North America, with Xseed because the NA writer (and localiser) and Nintendo because the EU writer.
Evidently, Natsume had some warning [about the split]
Evidently, Natsume had some warning, as a result of they introduced their very own recreation, Harvest Moon: The Lost Valley, throughout E3 in June 2014, for a launch later that 12 months — undercutting the western launch of Story of Seasons by a number of months.
Story of Seasons has a rating of 76 on Metacritic. Harvest Moon: The Lost Valley has 46.
A narrative started to develop across the two video games, that what was now “Harvest Moon” was an inexpensive cash-in from Natsume, hoping to capitalise on the identify with out the Bokujō Monogatari dynasty and legacy behind it. Here’s an excerpt from our overview of Lost Valley:
“The Lost Valley is a Harvest Moon recreation by identify and premise solely, leaving the core mechanics which have outlined the sequence up till this level apart and aiming to start out from scratch.
It’s a daring transfer for Natsume to develop a recreation that strays away from the sequence’ conventions and tries new issues, however the total expertise is missing the polish and attraction that the Harvest Moon identify has come to symbolize.”
We gave it 4/10.
Growing collectively, however aside: 2014 – 2021
In the next years, Natsume continued to make Harvest Moon video games, and Marvelous teamed up with Xseed to make Story of Seasons video games. Their launch dates have usually jostled for place, with Natsume sometimes beating Marvelous Xseed to the punch, as you’ll be able to see right here:
Phew.
But did Natsume’s Harvest Moon video games get any higher than the 4/10 recreation that was Harvest Moon: The Lost Valley? Well… sure. But not by a lot. Here are the remainder of the video games’ Metacritic averages:
For comparability:
- Story of Seasons (3DS): 76
- Story of Seasons: Trio of Towns (3DS): 74
- Story of Seasons: Friends of Mineral Town (Switch): 77
- Doraemon: Story of Seasons (Switch): 75
- Story of Seasons: Pioneers of Olive Town (Switch): 71
Admittedly, none of these scores are going to blow anybody away, however there is a clear distinction in high quality all the identical that has led to folks warning followers of the unique Bokujō Monogatari away from something new labelled “Harvest Moon”.
Where are we now? 2023 onwards
There’s lots that we have overlooked of this explainer for each time and complication causes, however that principally brings us updated. There is, apparently, no ailing will between Marvelous Xseed and Natsume, even when the cut up was a “surprise” to the latter, and it is a bit of inaccurate to name Marvelous the “original” creators of Harvest Moon anyway, since many of the authentic builders have since departed the corporate, they usually technically solely got here onto the scene in 2003.
The distinction is much like whether or not you can purchase name-brand or grocery store own-brand cereal
But, for probably the most half, the distinction between Story of Seasons and Harvest Moon is much like whether or not you can purchase name-brand or grocery store own-brand cereal. The high quality is often larger for name-brand cereal, however in case you actually like cereal, you’ll be able to at all times discover one thing to love concerning the lower-quality one — and who is aware of, some day the lower-quality one may even style nicer.
You may argue that this seemingly adversarial relationship is sweet for enterprise, too — in any case, it was Natsume who first printed a Harvest Moon recreation on PC in 2017, which Marvelous did not do till they introduced Friends of Mineral Town to PC in 2020.
Sure, it is complicated whenever you’re a recreation store’s shelf [Surely no one goes to physical game shops any more — Ed.] and the title “Harvest Moon” brings again fond reminiscences of GameDice and Game Boy Advance video games, just for a close-by gamer to dive in entrance of the shelf like they’re taking a bullet, yelling “NO THAT’S NOT THE ORIGINAL BOKUJO MONOGATARIIIIII”, however hopefully this explainer has… defined why that’s.
And now .
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