We have lastly performed 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 rationalization of what “Harvest Moon” and “Story of Seasons” really imply. Phew. Let’s get into it…
Trimming Again 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
- As a result of 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
- As a result of they do not personal that translated title, they’re legally not allowed to make use of it, so that they give you a brand new one
- In the meantime, the English-speaking firm decides to capitalise on their possession of the title by utilizing it to make their very own collection of video games
- Everybody will get very confused
However the longer rationalization is a bit more difficult than that.
The seed of all of it: 1987 – 1996
Complicated already? Yeah, it solely will get worse
The primary Harvest Moon sport wasn’t printed till 1996, however this story begins in 1987, with the founding of a Japanese firm referred to 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, referred to as Natsume Inc. In 1995, Natsume Inc. — the US-based arm of the corporate — determined to separate from Natsume to change into its personal impartial firm, though they stored the identify. Complicated already? Yeah, it solely will get worse.
Again in Japan, although, a online game designer named Yasuhiro Wada was dreaming of a sport that represented his idyllic childhood in rural Japan. The sport was referred to 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 nations.
Ultimately, it will 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, however it did effectively sufficient to benefit a sequel: Harvest Moon GB, which refined the components, and which was then re-released as Harvest Moon GBC a 12 months later, each helmed by Yasuhiro Wada at a studio referred to as Victor Interactive Software program.
[Reviews] have been curious if such a sedate farming sport might 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 program, Wada, and Harvest Moon.
Lukewarm and restricted evaluations praised Harvest Moon GB, however have been curious if such a sedate farming sport might ever actually change into greater than only a area of interest style.
How unsuitable they have been.
The fourth Bokujō Monogatari sport, named Bokujō Monogatari 2 regardless of being the third sport within the collection (don’t be concerned an excessive amount of about it) was the place the video games actually started to clutch folks’s hearts. Till then, Harvest Moon had been a cult favorite — one thing that a number of folks beloved, however most individuals had not heard of.
This is what IGN needed to say about Bokujō Monogatari 2 — translated to Harvest Moon 64 — of their glowing 1999 assessment:
“It is a uncommon event these days {that a} sport with such easy graphics would even make it to retailer cabinets, however Harvest Moon has that uncommon high quality of being completely participating and difficult.
We had fully an excessive amount of enjoyable taking part in it for hours on finish and disregarding all the methods the sport comes up quick. A particularly participating authentic expertise on the N64. Would not fairly fulfill the RPG-thirst, however you will not have the ability to put it down when you begin taking part in.”
Is not it wild to learn a assessment a couple of farming sim sport earlier than the idea of “farming sim sport” 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 eventually — with Natsume alongside for the journey.
Rising quick: 2000 – 2012
We are able to quick ahead by the subsequent few years, kind of, with some necessary stops.
[2000-2012] is when plenty of 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”. That is when plenty of the very best video games got here out — Harvest Moon: A Fantastic Life on GameCube, Harvest Moon: Mates of Mineral City on Sport Boy Advance, and Harvest Moon DS: Grand Bazaar are simply among the highlights.
In 2003, Victor Interactive Software program was acquired by Marvelous Leisure, and was merged into the corporate to create Marvelous Interactive Inc.
In 2004, Marvelous Leisure based a UK-based firm referred to as Rising Star Video games, and started publishing the Harvest Moon video games by Rising Star in Europe. They finally offered it to another person, however don’t be concerned about that an excessive amount of.
In 2008, Marvelous Leisure additionally introduced that it will be partnering with Xseed Video games, an American studio based by former Sq. Enix staff, to publish video games in North America. This started with PSP sport Valhalla Knights 2, a sport that was printed by Marvelous Leisure in Japan, Rising Star Video games in Europe, and Xseed Video games in North America.
Compounding the problem 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 function modified from sport designer, to producer, to govt producer all through the 2000s, till lastly he left Marvelous a while between 2008 and 2010. He made some new tasks, separate from Marvelous Interactive, referred to 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 Starting on the 3DS — Marvelous Inc. determined to half methods with Natsume Inc. for good, saying that, any further, the collection could be titled “Story of Seasons”, starting with their subsequent sport.
Referred to as Bokujō Monogatari: Tsunagaru Shin Tenchi in Japan — “Farm Story: To The New World” — this new sport 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 sport, Harvest Moon: The Misplaced 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 Misplaced Valley has 46.
A story 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. This is an excerpt from our assessment of Misplaced Valley:
“The Misplaced Valley is a Harvest Moon sport by identify and premise solely, leaving the core mechanics which have outlined the collection up till this level apart and aiming to begin from scratch.
It is a daring transfer for Natsume to develop a sport that strays away from the collection’ conventions and tries new issues, however the general expertise is missing the polish and allure that the Harvest Moon identify has come to symbolize.”
We gave it 4/10.
Rising collectively, however aside: 2014 – 2021
Within the following 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 typically jostled for place, with Natsume sometimes beating Marvelous Xseed to the punch, as you’ll be able to see right here:
Phew.
However did Natsume’s Harvest Moon video games get any higher than the 4/10 sport that was Harvest Moon: The Misplaced Valley? Nicely… sure. However not by a lot. Listed here are the remainder of the video games’ Metacritic averages:
For comparability:
- Story of Seasons (3DS): 76
- Story of Seasons: Trio of Cities (3DS): 74
- Story of Seasons: Mates of Mineral City (Swap): 77
- Doraemon: Story of Seasons (Swap): 75
- Story of Seasons: Pioneers of Olive City (Swap): 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”.
The place are we now? 2023 onwards
There’s quite a bit that we have ignored of this explainer for each time and complication causes, however that mainly brings us updated. There may be, apparently, no in poor health will between Marvelous Xseed and Natsume, even when the cut up was a “shock” to the latter, and it is somewhat inaccurate to name Marvelous the “authentic” creators of Harvest Moon anyway, since a lot 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 should purchase name-brand or grocery store own-brand cereal
However, for probably the most half, the distinction between Story of Seasons and Harvest Moon is much like whether or not you should purchase name-brand or grocery store own-brand cereal. The standard is often increased for name-brand cereal, however should 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 would possibly even style nicer.
You would possibly argue that this seemingly adversarial relationship is sweet for enterprise, too — in any case, it was Natsume who first printed a Harvest Moon sport on PC in 2017, which Marvelous did not do till they introduced Mates of Mineral City to PC in 2020.
Positive, it is complicated while you’re a sport store’s shelf [Surely no one goes to physical game shops any more — Ed.] and the title “Harvest Moon” brings again fond recollections of GameCube and Sport 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 .