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! While tackling some yard duties this week, I inadvertently uncovered a local member of the wildlife community: a praying mantis. I've only seen them in pictures, and never in my backyard. Sure enough, the critter was letting me know my thistle-pulling chore was not appreciated as it was crawling out of the yard debris bin. Oops!

I have been making the backyard more bug-friendly with little cubbies, access to water, and so on. Glad to see that the bugs are finding a happy place here. Yaay, more bugs!

Except for non-native European Paper Wasps. Screw those guys...

HM: Home Sweet Home SE

This week, Natsume released a new introduction video showcasing the improvements made to the home console release of Harvest Moon: Home Sweet Home.

Highlights include...

• More cut scenes between the characters.
• Introduction of new marriage candidates Nikolai and Ella.
• The convenient barn pooper-scooper.
• Doc Jr's lab.
• Single-person conversation views with marriage candidates.
• The hoverbike for quick movement around Alba.
• Not enough Doc Jr.

The Special Edition of Home Sweet Home will be released for Nintendo Switch (1), PlayStation 5, Steam, and XBox X/S on October 30. Physical releases are available for Switch and PS. Digital on other platforms.

SoS: Grand Bazaar

I took time off from office work this week to play through Story of Seasons: Grand Bazaar, assuming that would be plenty of time to get through a chunk of the game and write lots of guide pages.

It's just Grand Bazaar, how complicated could it possibly be?

Pppssssssaaww... well, I'm pleasantly surprised at what we received from Marvelous. I expected it to be an easy walkthrough, casual-style game with a few new things thrown in for funsies, and boy was I wrong. Kurochi and Nakano weren't joking when they described Grand Bazaar as essentially a whole new game and not simply a remake. I haven't had to type up this much stuff in a long time; it's already Friday (where did the week go?!), and there is still a lot to do. Egads!

One thing, though, looking through the JP strategy guide, I don't see any mention of rival events. There is a return of negative-friendship disliked gifts, where a little squiggle mark appears above the villager's head when receiving a bad gift (sorry Diana and Kagetsu... my bad...) But I haven't seen or read anything related to events between the DS-era couples. It might just not be in the book, as it isn't super complete (e.g. it is missing all of Wilbur's expansion options beyond Bazaar Rank 1)

According to Famitsu's weekly physical sales data, SoS:GB has so far sold about 46,500 Switch 1 copies and 18,000 Switch 2 copies in Japan. That's more than the first-week physical sales of SoS: A Wonderful Life (~40,700) and SoS: Friends of Mineral Town (~66,000). It doesn't hold a candle to SoS: Pioneers of Olive Town though (~202,000), which was the first new (non-remake) game to be released since SoS: Trio of Towns 5 years earlier.

Famitsu doesn't track digital sales from the Nintendo eShop or the Steam Store. The closest we have is SteamDB's Top Selling Games list, which indicates how many farmers have been playing the game at the same time. So far, SoS:GB has a global peak player participation of almost 12,000 Steam users. Not too bad!

Indie Farm'n Updates

Vampire indie farming game Moonlight Peaks appeared at Gamescom the other week, courtesy of future publisher Marvelous EU and development studio Little Chicken Game Company:

In Moonlight Peaks, players take on the role of the child of Count Dracula, with sights of forging their own path through the afterlife. Grow magical crops and ship them via the ghoulish monster shipping bin, get romantic with werewolves, craft potions and cast spells, and have a scary time in the spooky town. This spooky-themed game is scheduled for a 2026 release date and has a free demo available:

• Moonlight Peaks | Steam Store

The 2.5 update to fantasy farming game Sun Haven is now available on Nintendo Switch. Available on Steam since late June, this 2.5 update features new town festivals, expanded clothing and house customization options, the ability to wield great swords and hammers, additional world-building story lines, and more.

• Sun Haven | Steam Store
• Sun Haven | Nintendo eShop

Until next time!

- Cher
(Back to farm'n in Zephyr Town!)

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