TGS 2010: Konami booth to have 8 of its own games, 6 from other publishers

Section: Gaming News, Features, Japanese Imports, Consoles, PS3, Xbox-360, PCs, Windows, Handhelds, DS & DSi & DSi XL, Game-Companies, Developers, Publishers, Genres, 3D, Action, Adventure, Fighting, Shooter, Horror & Suspense, Music, Sports, Sim, Conventions, Tokyo Game Show, Web-Sites, Official-Sites

Konami’s among the many companies announcing its Tokyo Game Show 2010 plans. Which is to be expected, of course. The event is September 16-19, 2010, and companies want attendees to be informed well in advance so people know whether or not they want to visit certain booths. Konami’s booth will be quite full this year, with eight new Konami games and six games from other, smaller publishers on display.

Like Square Enix and Level-5, Konami’s also created a Konami Tokyo Game Show 2010 site with preliminary information. You can see links to websites for most of the games, find out event dates and check out Konami Japan’s twitter page. It doesn’t top Square Enix’s TGS 2010 efforts, but is slightly better than Level-5’s.

Let’s look at all the games people will be able to see at Konami’s booth:

Adrenalin Misfits (Cross Board 7)
Publisher (Developer): Konami (Konami)
Platform: Xbox 360
Japanese Release Date: November 2010
Genre: Sports (Snowboarding)
Note: This is a Kinect game.

Hot Japanese Imports Review: Heart no Kuni no Alice for PSP

Section: Reviews, Exclusives, Originals, Features, Columns, Japanese Imports, Handhelds, PSP & PSPgo, Game-Companies, Developers, Publishers, Genres, 2D, Adventure, Sim

Title: Heart no Kuni no Alice
Price: $58.90
System(s): PSP
Release Date: August 20, 2009
Publisher (Developer): Prototype (Quinrose)
ESRB Rating: N/A, Cero C for Ages 15 and up.
Pros: Interesting take on the Alice in Wonderland story, lots of characters, tons of CGs and events, can control time, two UMDs worth of content, good voice acting.
Cons: Not very import friendly. Art style may not appeal to all players.
Overall Score: 9/10

Hot Japanese Imports followers should already be familiar with the title Heart no Kuni no Alice, since I recently reviewed the first volume of the translated manga adaptation, Alice in the Country of Hearts. That shojo harem manga was inspired by a 2008 PlayStation 2 game called Heart no Kuni no Alice an otome (girl’s dating sim) offering a new take on Alice’s Wonderland trip. In 2009 the game was rereleased for the PSP as a two UMD adventure with more content.

Alice is dragged down the rabbit hole, arrives in Wonderland and meets lots of handsome, single men.

Heart no Kuni no Alice‘s Alice didn’t fall down a rabbit hole. She was forced down it by Peter White – the white rabbit. He forces her to drink a potion which makes her stay in Wonderland, because he’s in love with her. So now she’s there, and caught wondering what to do and how to get back. She learns that if she interacts with the people of Wonderland enough, she’ll fill up her vial and be able to return home.

This version of Wonderland is made up of different districts, most at war with one another over territory. There is Blood Dupre’s mansion, which houses a Mafia-style group, the Heart Castle, which is home to Queen Vivaldi and her servants, Merry Goland’s amusement park with his workers and crew and, finally, the only neutral area, Julius Monrey’s clock tower. Alice is free to visit all areas, in her quest to form bonds with people so she can go home.

Lots of walking and talking.

Okay, technically there isn’t any real walking. You’re just moving Alice’s little cursor/indicator thing to the different areas of Wonderland. But I think you get the general idea. Heart no Kuni no Alice is a very straightforward visual novel. You spend your time guiding Alice around Wonderland, hoping to meet and talk to various characters, perhaps even building a relationship with one of them. As you go through the game, you’ll eventually be able to change the time of day to help make meetings easier.

QuinRose games are always known for their unique heroines, and Alice is definitely one of them. She isn’t a typical video game stereotype – she’s stubborn, strong-willed, more often than not a realist and very driven. She’s not waiting for anyone to come and rescue her and is quite forward. She also has a tendency to grab the ears of any character with rabbit or cat ears, even if they’d rather she didn’t. (Which isn’t very polite.) The supporting characters are well developed as well, and though some may fall into certain dating sim “types,” most stand out and have unique and unexpected qualities. The Elliot March (March Hare) and Nightmare characters are two good examples of how interesting the supporting cast can be.

You’ll get plenty of opportunities to see these characters in action, because there are tons of events in Heart no Kuni no Alice. You’ll learn a lot about pretty much everyone, and if you choose to try and follow certain characters’ storylines, you’ll not only learn the secrets from their past, but also more about Wonderland itself. Plus, you’ll unlock lots of CG images you can view later in the gallery.

If you love Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland and speak Japanese, go for it. If not, go read the Alice in the Country of Hearts manga.

Odds are, if you’re interested in Heart no Kuni no Alice, then you’re going to love the game when you pick it up. After all, most of the people who know about it enjoy otome games, are familiar with visual novels and enjoy Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland or the recent Disney Alice in Wonderland movie. As long as you can read or understand spoken Japanese, you’ll probably love it and spend hours trying to win over your favorite characters. If you can’t understand the language, then you should spend your money on Tokyopop’s Alice in the Country of Hearts manga series instead.

COMING NEXT WEEK: Hot Japanese Imports talks about Selfy/TinierMe.

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT: Last week Hot Japanese Imports listed some great video game soundtracks to pick up.

Site [Play-Asia] Site [YesAsia] Site [NCSX] Site [Himeya Shop] Site [Strapya World]

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Japan Import: Phantasy Star Portable 2 Infinity makes other version obsolete

Section: Gaming News, Features, Japanese Imports, Handhelds, PSP & PSPgo, Game-Companies, Developers, Publishers, Genres, 3D, Action, Role-Playing

The hip new thing to do with mission-based PSP games is update and rerelease them within a year. Namco Bandai’s doing that with God Eater and it’s slightly modified successor God Eater Burst, and now Sega’s doing that with Phantasy Star Portable 2. Phantasy Star Portable 2 Infinity is now in development and adds a whole new Episode 2 storyline after the existing Phantasy Star 2 Portable story, the Duman race, a Visual Lobby when searching for online compansion, more monsters from Phantasy Star Online and new gameplay features.

Episode 2 of Phantasy Star Portable 2 Infinity introduces Nagisa, the Duman in the picture at the right there. Dumans are an existing race supposedly, but haven’t gotten any face time or recognition until now because they’re essentally mutated humans, weren’t recognized as a race and are targets of discrimination. They’re incredibly strong physically, and good with magic, but have terrible defense. Nagisa basically appears and you have to go through Episode 2 to learn more about her, her motives and the Dumans themselves.

That and the new gameplay features might make double dipping into PSP2 Infinity worthwhile. There’ll be an additional Infinity difficulty level, which should help make old missions more interesting. You’ll also be able to take pictures in the game and in battle that you can collect and view later. Finally, it’s taking a cue from games like Dragon Quest IX with a tag mode which will exchange information with other PSP2 Infinity players you pass by. Instead of treasure maps, you get a mission you can go out on with this new friend character.

Think about this when your English-language copy of Phantasy Star Portable 2 September 14, 2010. The brand new game you’re getting is now nothing compared to the slightly more awesome Phantasy Star Portable 2 Infinity that’ll be out before the end of 2010 in Japan. Of course, the success of Phantasy Star Portable 2 in North America will probably help determine whether or not PSP2 Infinity gets localized, so it may be a good idea to pick it up anyways.

Read [Andriasang] Also Read [Phantasy Star Fan Blog] Site [Phantasy Star Portable 2 (Japanese)]

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Japan Import: Over 1 million people already preordered Pokemon Black & White

Section: Gaming News, Features, Japanese Imports, Handhelds, DS & DSi & DSi XL, Game-Companies, Developers, Publishers, Genres, 2D, 3D, Role-Playing

The Pokemon Company has a huge hit on their hands, and it hasn’t even been released yet. The latest reports from Japan say that over 1.08 million people have placed preorders for their copies of Pokemon Black and White.

Pokemon Black and White don’t come out until September 18, 2010, but that hasn’t stopped Japanese DS owners from racing to stores to make sure they’ll have a copy on launch day. Stores have been taking preorders for the game for about a month now, so the fact that over one million have been taken is pretty impressive.

Unfortunately, the data doesn’t state how many people preordered Pokemon Black and how many people preordered Pokemon White. I know it doesn’t really matter, since they’re both basically the same game, but it would have been an interesting information nugget.

If you want to join in the fun, you can always preorder too! Pokemon Black and White costs about ￥4,800 ($56) if you want to import it. Of course, the games already have a North American and European early 2011 release window, so if you can be patient, it’d probably be better to just wait.

Read [OnlinePlayer Ex (Japanese)] Via [Siliconera] Also Read [Andriasang] Site []

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Hot Japanese Imports: 10 game soundtracks every gamer should own

Section: Exclusives, Originals, Features, Columns, Japanese Imports, Lists, Gear, Audio

Many video games are reknowned for having wonderful soundtracks which create a perfect atmosphere while you play. So if you are a game fanatic, you may find building a game music library will help heighten your appreciation for the accompanying instrumentals and songs.

Getting such a library started can be a bit daunting though. There are many wonderful soundtracks out there and going out and buying randomly could result in CDs with only one or two songs on them that you really like. So in today’s Hot Japanese Imports, I’ve compiled a list of 10 Japanese game soundtracks which can really add something special to a game music library.

Acquiring Video Game Soundtracks

I already went over game soundtrack buying in an earlier column, but here’s a quick summary in case you don’t feel like revisiting and rereading. Most video game soundtracks you’ll have to import from Japan. There are exceptions, and iTunes and Amazon are expanding their game soundtrack selection every day. The first step is to check iTunes and Amazon now, to see if the game soundtrack you’re looking for is available there. If it is, then you’ll probably be able to get it for between $9.99 and $19.99.

If the soundtrack you’re looking for isn’t there, you’ll have to import. Since bootleg CDs can be a problem, your best bet is to use a reputable site like Play-Asia, YesAsia or AmiAmi and see if they have what you’re looking for. It’ll be a bit more expensive, costing between $20 and $45 for a complete soundtrack, but it’ll be authentic and in good condition.

10 Great Game Soundtracks You Should Own

1. Persona 3 Original Soundtrack: The Persona 3 soundtrack is a perfect staple for a video game soundtrack collection due to the varying music. You have wonderful instrumentals that perfectly accentuate the themes of Tartarus dungeon exploration and events, but also have Japanese pop, rock and hip hop mixed in that were used for the “everyday life” segments of the game. If you really enjoy the music and the game, you may also want look into the Persona 3 FES Original Soundtrack and Persona 3 Portable Original Soundtrack. Each one should cost between $21.90 and $31.90, if you decide to import them.
2. Katamari Damashii Soundtrack: Katamari Fortissimo Damashii: Expect to pay around $30 for this soundtrack. Also, Beautiful Katamari Damacy Original Soundtrack and Boku no Watashi no Katamari Damacy – Complete Sounds of Katamari CDs are available.
3. Miku Hatsune – Project Diva – 2nd Nonstop Mix Collection: This may seem a bit of a stretch, but the music from the Hatsune Miku: Project Diva games is quite catchy, and if you enjoy rhythm games and JPop it’s worth a listen. They’re the kind of tunes which will energize you and get caught in your head. I suggest the Hatsune Miku: Project Diva 2nd soundtrack, just because it includes the best songs from the first game and a few music videos. Expect to pay around $30, since it’s a two disc set. The first game’s soundtrack, Miku Hatsune – Project Diva Original Song Collection, is available for about the same price.
4. Silent Hill 3 Original Soundtrack: This one’s out of print, so it may be a bit difficult to find. Personally, I enjoyed it most because it had the best songs by Mary Elizabeth McGlynn. But all Silent Hill soundtracks have the same eerily disconcerting and haunting instrumentals, so you could easily go for the Silent Hill 2 Original Soundtrack or Silent Hill Original Soundtrack instead. Expect to pay around $30.
5. Final Fantasy VII Original Soundtrack: There two distinct versions of the Final Fantasy VII soundtrack available, the Original Soundtrack and the Piano Collection. As you can guess, the Piano Collection has all the songs performed by a piano. Both are equally lovely, and I highly recommend both. If you’re a general fan of the series, then the Original Soundtrack is the way to go. Expect to pay $40 for that one. The Piano Collection is usually about $10 cheaper.
6. Mother 1 + 2 Original Soundtrack: Don’t let the title fool you – this is actually the soundtrack for Earthbound. Earthbound is part of the Mother series in Japan, and was known as Mother 2 there. So if you pick up this particular soundtrack, you’ll get the music from both the first and second game. It’s jazzy and one of the best SNES era soundtracks out there. Expect to pay around $30 for it, if you get it.
7. Kingdom Hearts Original Soundtrack: Like Final Fantasy VII, there are a few version of the Kingdom Hearts soundtrack out there. For an initial video game soundtrack collection, the Kingdom Hearts Original Soundtrack should serve you well. It usually costs between $30 and $35 and is filled with wonderfully lush instrumentals and reinterpretations of Disney themes and Hikaru Utada’s theme song, “Hikari.” There are also two piano collections, Kingdom Hearts Piano Collections and Piano Collections Kingdom Hearts: Battle & Field, and a Kingdom Hearts Original Soundtrack Complete box set, for over $150, that has nine CDs filled with music from the game.
8. Nintendo Sound History Series: Zelda the Music This CD is a Legend of Zelda fan’s dreams. It covers all Zelda games from the original Legend of Zelda to Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker. There are 70 themes from the games, and you can usually pick up a copy for around $20. If you search for it, try looking under both Nintendo Sound History Series and Famicom Sound History Series, as it could be listed under either. Zelda fans may also want to look for the Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time Rearenge Soundtrack, which offers 12 remastered and rearranged songs from Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time. It’s slightly more expensive though, and costs around $30.
9. Nintendo Sound History Series: Mario the Music: This CD is out of print, so it may be a bit difficult to find. If you can, it’s worth it. It is filled with 79 tracks from the original NES Mario games. All the Super Mario games, and also music from Dr. Mario and Mario Bros.. Again, check for it under both Nintendo Sound History Series and Famicom Sound History Series, if you go shopping for it. And expect to pay around $20.
10. DDR Max Original Soundtrack: The Dance Dance Revolution soundtracks are filled with great feel-good music, perfect for parties or working out. Whichever works best for you. The DDR Max soundtrack is filled with a number of classic DDR tunes which have appeared in multiple games, and while the songs are short you get a lot. Expect between $30-40.

COMING NEXT WEEK: Hot Japanese Imports reviews Heart no Kuni no Alice for the PSP.

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT: Last week Hot Japanese Imports talked about Sanrio.

Site [Play-Asia] Site [YesAsia] Site [NCSX] Site [Himeya Shop] Site [Strapya World]

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Japan Import: Atlus preparing Catherine for the PS3 and Xbox 360

Section: Gaming News, Features, Japanese Imports, Consoles, PS3, Xbox-360, Game-Companies, Developers, Publishers, Genres, 2D, 3D, Action, Adventure, Horror & Suspense

Atlus’ first HD game is weird. Very weird. It’s going to be called Catherine and follows a man named Vincent’s disturbing dreams, involving massive staircases, bloody lambs and the notion that falling in your dreams equals death in the real world.

Let’s start from the beginning. Vincent is a fairly normal, 30-something single man. He worries he won’t find the right woman for him. Then he meets the buxom Catherine. That’s them up there, in the screenshot together. After that meeting, Vincent starts having nightmares. Of course, if you’ve played the female storyline of Persona 3 Portable and ventured into the club in the bar, you’ve probably already met Vincent and heard all about his problem from him.

Vincent’s daily life then goes on as normal. But his nightlife changes forever. He keeps having horrible nightmares. That’s where the player steps in. It looks like players will be helping Vincent survive these terrors, where he avoids huge hands, scary situations and a surprising number of anthropomorphic, seriously depressed lambs. The only gameplay clues given so far is that Vincent is going to have to keep climbing a neverending staircase. There’ve also been ominous references to falling, both in the Persona 3 Portable cameo and all the recent screenshots and Catherine propaganda released in Japan.

There’s no definite release date or price set yet, but Famitsu’s reporting a Winter 2010 Japanese release window. I’m sure after the Catherine website opens August 23, 2010, we’ll know more. There also hasn’t been any formal North American localization announcement, but I think that Persona 3 Portable cameo says a lot.

Read [Famitsu (Japanese)] Via [Andriasang] Also Read [Siliconera] Site [Catherine (Japanese)]

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Japan Import: Monster Hunter Diary bursting with Felyne cuteness

Section: Gaming News, Features, Japanese Imports, Handhelds, PSP & PSPgo, Game-Companies, Developers, Publishers, Genres, 3D, Action, Role-Playing

Monster Hunter Diary: Poka Poka Airu Village, also known as MonHun Nikki: Poka Poka Airu Mura, comes out next week in Japan on August 26, 2010 and will absolutely change the way you think of Monster Hunter. Even though it’s only a spin-off PSP game, once you see it, you can’t unsee it. I mean, can you really go back to hunting Popo as a human character after watching a group of adorable Felynes undertake the same hunt? Of course not!

Let’s watch the trailer. Brace yourself – it’s adorable!

As you can see, Monster Hunter Diary follows Felynes. You create your own, then live in Airu village. You work to make it successful and everyone happy. This means you’ll go on hunts, fish, mine, hunt bugs and enter poogie races. You’ll also be able to decorate your Felyne, or your Felyne’s home, to make it more special.

When you head out to battle, you take a cluster of Felynes with you. You’ve got to love a kitten flash mob. You then guide them through the quest they’re undertaking, by issuing orders/controlling their actions with the action buttons. You can make them advance, retreat, hold their ground, dig into the ground, attack and unleash skills and abilities. It looks like the key to successfully passing each quest is to use the correct combination of orders to make it through the area and hunt down whatever creature is their target within a certain amount of time.

Decorating sounds like it has potential too. Well, really you’re just equipping your feline. It’s just like how you’d equip a character in any standard Monster Hunter game. The weapons and armor show up on your Felyne character just like they would on a human character. Except the armor for Felynes is downright heartwarming. I don’t want to get you too excited, but I have seen screenshots of Felynes wearing Poogie hats. The only thing cuter than a Felyne wearing a Poogie hat is a Felyne wearing a Hello Kitty hat, which is also an option in Monster Hunter Diary.

There will also be multiplayer and data transfering in Monster Hunter Diary. You can adventure with friends over local Wi-Fi. Also, you can connect your game to Monster Hunter Portable 2nd G to import items and Felynes from your previous game.

Of course, since Monster Hunter Diary is a PSP game, it’s region-free and can be played on any PSP system. So import away! The game alone costs around either $38 or $45, depending on whether you go for the Asian or Japanese release. (It’s the same game, so I’d go with the cheaper Asia version. If you have a lot of spare cash lying around, you could also search for an online store with the Monster Hunter Diary game and PSP bundle. It should cost around $220 and will also come with a Monster Hunter Diary x Hello Kitty PSP theme voucher. Capcom hasn’t made any announcements stating whether or not Monster Hunter Diary will receive a worldwide release, but let’s hope it does!

Read [Andriasang] Also Read [Siliconera] Site [MonHun Nikki: Poka Poka Airu Mura]

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Hot Japanese Imports: Sanrio

Section: Exclusives, Originals, Features, Columns, Japanese Imports, Consoles, Consoles-Other, PCs, Windows, Handhelds, DS & DSi & DSi XL, GBA, Genres, 2D, 3D, Action, Casual, Children’s, Role-Playing, Sports, Sim

Everyone has heard of Sanrio, thanks to Hello Kitty. Her fame has made the company a household name. But she isn’t the only famous character the company has created, and Sanrio isn’t just about cranking out assorted Hello Kitty products for cash. (Though it does create a lot.)

Sanrio’s been around for over 30 years, and has accomplished quite a bit in that time. It’s created a profitable line of adorable mascot characters, and successfully branched out into anime series, amusement parks and video games.

Sanrio itself

Sanrio didn’t always start out as Sanrio. It was originally the Yamanashi Silk Company until the 70’s, when it actually became Sanrio. It always did make little gifts, greeting cards and novelty presents with cute characters and designs though.

It didn’t really start making successful and memorable charcters until after the company took the Sanrio name in 1973. Some of the first few characters may sound familiar, as they’re still part of Sanrio’s stable of mascots. Hello Kitty, Little Twin Stars, My Melody and Tuxedo Sam.

Sanrio also focuses on other endeavors though, which people may not realize. As mentioned earlier, they’re a huge greeting card company in Japan. It also makes movies, TV shows and original animation videos (OAVs) as Sanrio Films. It even has Sanrio amusement parks in Japan, Sanrio Puroland and Harmonyland.

Sanrio’s most popular characters

The most famous Sanrio character, without a doubt, is Hello Kitty. Reportedly inspired by the maneki neko (lucky cat), her face has appeared on countless products around the world. Not to mention her tv series and games have been quite well received. But there are a number of other famous faces from Sanrio’s character line which also enjoy a bit of worldwide popularity. Even Hello Kitty’s boyfriend and pet, Dear Daniel and Charmmy Kitty, have become international stars.

Keroppi and Badtz Maru, the chipper green frog and the surly black penguin, are both reknowned characters. Cinnamoroll and My Melody, puppy and bunny characters, are also quite popular. And Chococat, a little black cat, has always encroached on Hello Kitty’s fame. Even Pochacco and Spotty Dotty, the white sporty dog and the dalmation with a pink bow, enjoyed 15 minutes of fame in the late 80’s and early 90’s. One of Sanrio’s most recent and successful line of characters are Jewelpet, which were designed with Sega and are actually a collective of cute, bejeweled animals.

Worthwhile Sanrio games

There have been many video games released over the years starring Sanrio’s characters. Most are geared towards children. Even so, there are still quite a few that are very good, and fun for anyone who takes the time to try them.

Here are a few of the most interesting:

• Hello Kitty Online (Windows PC) – released in 2009 worldwide. It’s a free-to-play massive multiplayer online game.
• Hello Kitty: Big City Dreams (DS) – released in North America and Europe in 2008. It’s a simulation.
• Hello Kitty: Happy Party Pals (GBA) – released in North America and Europe in 2005. It’s a mini-game collection.
• Cinnamon Roll: FuwaFuwa Daibouken (GBA) – released in 2005 in Japan. It’s an action game.
• Kero Kero Keroppi no Bouken Nikki: Nemureru Mori no Keroriinu (SNES) – released in 1994 in Japan. It’s an RPG
• Onegai My Melody: Yume no Kuni no Daibouken (DS) – released in 2005 in Japan. It’s an action game with some mini-games tossed in.
• Sanrio World Smash Ball (SNES) – released in 1993 in Japan. It’s a little like Pong.
• Jewelpet: Kawaii Mahou no Fantasy (DS) – released in 2009 in Japan. It’s a pet simulation where you take care of a Jewelpet and play mini-games.

COMING NEXT WEEK: Hot Japanese Imports lists some import video game soundtracks you should own.

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT: Last week Hot Japanese Imports talked about the some Japanese summer festivals.

Site [Play-Asia] Site [YesAsia] Site [NCSX] Site [Himeya Shop] Site [Strapya World]

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Japan Import: More about Harvest Moon: Twin Villages

Section: Gaming News, Features, Japanese Imports, Handhelds, DS & DSi & DSi XL, Game-Companies, Developers, Publishers, Genres, 3D, Sim, Web-Sites, Official-Sites

After a few delays, Harvest Moon: Twin Villages (Bokujou Monogatari: Futago no Mura) was finally released for the DS in Japan on July 9, 2010. This means that now we know exactly how the new game, which pressures players into picking one of two rival villages to live in, works. We also learn that the village rivalry isn’t too serious.

Once you’ve created a male or female avatar, you are tasked with choosing a village to live in, Bluebell or Konohana. People in Bluebell focus on raising animals, while people in Konohana focus on raising crops. The real choice is what environment you prefer, as you can still grow crops in Bluebell and raise animals in Konohana. You can even visit the opposing village in your spare time, or change allegiances and move to the opposing village each season.

There are also a few other neat little additions to Harvest Moon: Twin Villages. For example, there are a lot more wardrobe options for your characters, to make them stand out. Pierre the gourmet from Harvest Moon: Sunshine Islands and Harvest Moon: Island of Happiness also makes a cameo appearance as the judge for the Cooking Festivals. Twin Villages also introduces an irrigation system to the game, village-specific festivals, an owl as a pet and a Wi-Fi system where you can maintain a plot of land near the Harvest Goddess’ pond with friends. Oh, and you can raise alpacas now.

There’s no word on a US release yet, but I don’t think Natsume will let us down. Harvest Moon: Grand Bazaar comes out in North America in two weeks on August 24, 2010. We’ll probably hear something about a Harvest Moon: Twin Villages localization a month or two after that.

Read [Famitsu (Japanese)] Also Read [Gamertell] Site [Bokujou Monogatari: Futago no Mura (Japanese)]

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