The Ushi No Tane websites specialize in information, FAQs, and guides about the Nintendo console versions of the Harvest Moon, Story of Seasons, and Legend of the River King video games. These game genres are created and published in Japan by Marvelous (JP). In other regions, you'll find Natsume, XSeed Games/Marvelous (USA), Marvelous (EU), and Rising Star involved in the series' release.

The latest version of the mainstream farming series that have been released in various regions of the world are:

• Japan: Story of Seasons: Grand Bazaar (August 2025)
• North America: Harvest Moon: Home Sweet Home Special Edition (October 2025) and Story of Seasons: Grand Bazaar (August 2025)
• Europe: Harvest Moon: Home Sweet Home Special Edition (October 2025) and Story of Seasons: Grand Bazaar (August 2025)

The latest version of River King, in all regions of the world, is River King: Mystic Valley (JP 2007, NA 2008, EU 2009).

Since 2000, Ushi no Tane has been run by a grouchy old lady who happens to be fond of video game agriculture along with two feline helpers: Intern Captain Bootu and Intern Hondo Mewnaka. The website is not officially affiliated, sponsored, endorsed, or employed by the developers of Harvest Moon, Story of Seasons, or River King. This is simply a fan site.

Latest Farming Video Game News

Happy Farm'n Friday! I have been enjoying Donkey Kong Bananza, though I have switched back to playing Harvest Moon: Home Sweet Home in anticipation of its home console release later this year. In my place, Mr.Fogu has been hunting down bananas until I decide to switch back to something unrelated to HM/SoS. Now there's the 3DS HM ports available, and Grand Bazaar at the end of the month. August is looking to be a heavy farm'n month!

HM Cozy Bundle Released

The digital verisons of Harvest Moon: The Lost Valley and Harvest Moon: Skytree Village for Nintendo Switch are now available on the eShop. The two-game cozy package has a price tag of $39.99, while each game individually is $29.99. So, about $20 a pop if bought together, with a $10 penalty if you just want one game.

FYI, the retail price for Lost Valley in 2014 was $29.99, as was the retail price of Skytree in 2016. Other Skytree options included a bluebird plush bundle for $39 and a bobcat plush bundle for $49.

I would have hoped the digital versions would be less expensive than the physical version ($39), since these are 10-year-old, previously 3DS games. A price of $15 individually with a $25 bundle sounds better to me. But, with the higher costs put on all games (RF: Azuma is $60!), I may just be shaking my fists at the clouds and yelling about kids getting off my lawn. Most likely, we'll see digital discounts in the future that more align with other farming game offerings

SoS: GB Updates

With now less than a month before the release of Story of Seasons: Grand Bazaar (I should probably start getting to work!), Marvelous has revealed some more information about the horse companion in this week's Zephyr Town Walker.

This week's article reveals the multiple coat colors for the horse: the standard chestnut, chocolate brown, white, and black. The horse can even jump from high cliffs to the ground below. Talk about rough on the knees!

Training with the horse will help improve its friendship and training level for competing in the summer and winter horse competitions. To work with your four-legged companion, head to the horse track area on the west side of town. In the original game, this area unlocks beginning in the summer of year 2. A horse's friendship determines the animal's maximum speed, while its training level determines how much bonus friendship it earns for completing a training run (e.g., 1 star = +6 FP after training, 2 stars = +7 FP after training, etc.). Training stars are earned for continuous successful combo jumps while racing around the training track.

In the SoS version of this game, practice training can be either for the summer horse race or the winter race, with each having different levels of difficulty. Race around the course, successfully making combo jumps to earn training points, snagging carrots to restore stamina, and achieving a practice score by catching floating objects. During the actual competition, you'll have 60 seconds to earn as many score points as possible.

This week, Marvelous EU/US released an English version of the 5-minute video released by Marv JP last month:

One note confirmed in the EN release of the video is that the little pixies are once again called Nature Sprites.

With only a few weeks left to go before the release, media outlets have started publishing their experiences with the farming game. Some are positive (The Gamer, Operation Rainfall), while some are mixed (Lords of Gaming), but the review over at RPG Site tested the performance of the three platforms the game will be available on: Switch 1, Switch 2, and Steam. For farmers undecided about which platform to play the game on, I recommend checking out their preview.

New Farm'n - Honogurashi No Niwa

During the Nintendo Direct presentation in Japan, Nippon Ichi revealed a new game with farming aspects. No information is available yet whether there'll be localization outside of Japan.

Roughly translated to Garden of Faint Life, in this game, a lost protagonist wanders into a mountain village, where they are rescued and welcomed by the villagers. With nowhere to go, the residents of Kagatsu Village invite the protagonist to work for the village's benefit in exchange for living arrangements on an old farmstead. The protagonist will sow and grow crops, care for livestock, go fishing, forage for wild goodies, construct decor and machines, and raise relationships with the villagers by helping with their requests and participating in festivals. Sounds like a lovely farming game where players lead a peaceful life through the seasons, surrounded by nature in the rural mountains.

Ah ha, no. Not quite.

This is a game in the studio's yomawari series, a spooky adventure with gore, mature themes, evil spirits, and creepy atmospheres. During the day, we have our charming and cozy farming sim, but at night, when the village becomes quiet, things go very sideways. Survival is essential to discovering the secrets hidden in the dark.

Honogurashi no Niwa is scheduled to be released in Japan on July 30, 2026 (next year) for Switch 1/2, PlayStation 5, and Steam.

• Honogurashi no Niwa | Official Website

The previous entries in the yomawari series were released by NIS America on Steam in multiple languages, so there's a chance we might get this one, too.

Until next time!

- Cher
(naaaa na na na na naaaa na na katamari damacyyyyy.....)

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