If you've been closely following QJ.NET's coverage of the unfolding Tokyo Game Show (TGS), you'll know that one of the more anticipated titles (even though slated for Japan-only releases) belong to Marvelous Interactive.

We just got word that these titles will be soon arriving in North American shores as well. This news came from Harvest Moon creator Yasuhiro Wada as he spoke about Marvelous' plans for U.S. and the rest of the Western markets.

According to Wada, a satellite office will be opened somewhere in North America within the next two years. Wada metioned:

We'll bring a couple of people from Japan to manage, but of course we need somebody in the U.S. who already has connections and relationships with retailers and distribution channels, which is why we are hoping to find a partnership with someone who's already in the U.S.

The video game creator also said that this will facilitate the releases of their different titles in the said region. "We might leave Harvest Moon with Natsume. But all the new and original titles we'll be trying to launch in Japan, we'll want to launch ourselves in the U.S.", Yasuhiro Wada continued.

Some of the more prominent titles from Marvelous Interactive include No More Heroes for Nintendo Wii and Valhalla Knights 2 for the PlayStation Portable.

While the list of games confirmed for the Wii during the E3 has been updated, we might as well count the DS chickens before their eggs hatch. Compared to the Wii's line-up, the third-party games for the DS run a slightly longer list (especially since Natsume is coming out with a whole slew of Harvest Moon games).

Seeing that Capcom court room title ("TAKE THAT!") sure makes a bunch of us giddy. Unfortunately, there doesn't seem to be a certain top-notching third-party developer on the list, and that's none other than Square Enix. Are they going to be MIA on the Wii/DS scene during E3? Especially with the remake of FFIV coming out, FFCC: Ring of Fates, and the new Dragon Quest games, we highly doubt Square Enix will miss out on the show.

In the mean time, let's take a look at the list as it currently stands, shall we?

• Godzilla: Unleashed (Atari)
• Mega Man Star Force: Dragon/Leo/Pegasus (Capcom)
• Mega Man ZX Advent (Capcom)
• Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney Trials and Tribulations (Capcom)
• Race Driver: Create & Race (Codemasters)
• Napoleon Dynamite (Crave)
• Spelling Challenges and More! (Crave)
• Ben 10: Protector of Earth (D3 Publisher)
• Naruto: Path of the Ninja (D3 Publisher)
• High School Musical: Making the Cut (Disney Interactive Studios)
• Madden NFL 08 (Electronic Arts)
• Tiger Woods PGA Tour 08 (Electronic Arts)
• Need for Speed ProStreet (Electronic Arts)
• Dementia: The Ward (Gamecock)
• Mushroom Men: The Spore Wars (Gamecock)
• Insecticide (Gamecock)
• LEGO Star Wars: The Complete Saga (LucasArts)
• Star Wars: The Force Unleashed (LucasArts)
• Fish Tycoon (Majesco Entertainment)
• Holly Hobbie & Friends (Majesco Entertainment)
• Nancy Drew and the Deadly Secret of Olde World Park (Majesco Entertainment)
• Operation: Vietnam (Majesco Entertainment)
• Turn it Around (Majesco Entertainment)
• The Wild West (Majesco Entertainment)
• Harvest Moon 2 (Natsume)
• Harvest Moon DS Cute (Natsume)
• Math Play (Natsume)
• Puzzle de Harvest Moon (Natsume)
• River King: Wonderland (Natsume)
• Rune Factory: A Fantasy Harvest Moon (Natsume)
• Geometry Wars: Galaxies (Sierra Entertainment)
• Looney Tunes: Duck Amuck (Warner Bros. Interactive)

A couple of days ago, we shared with you a partial list of developers, publishers, and video game titles that will be making an appearance at this year's Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3). In relation to that, development studio Natsume has just confirmed its presence at the said show and promised to bring loads and loads of Harvest Moon titles among others.

Currently, there are three known video games from the franchise: Tree of Peace for Wii, Innocent Life for PSP, and DS' Rune Factory. The whole franchise is all about farming simulation coupled with RPG elements. If you're very much into these kind of games then you will be delighted with the company's E3 showing:

• Harvest Moon 2 (DS)
  
• Harvest Moon DS Cute (DS)
• Harvest Moon Wii (Wii)
• Harvest Moon: Boy and Girl (PSP)
• Innocent Life: A Futuristic Harvest Moon Special Edition (PS2)
• Math Play (DS)
• Metropolismania 2 (PS2)
• Puzzle de Harvest Moon (DS)
• River King: Wonderland (DS)
• Rune Factory: A Fantasy Harvest Moon (DS)

It's good to see that aside from Harvest Moon, Natsume is also offering other titles. If we are not mistaken, River King is actually a fishing simulation which also features RPG elements.

Whoever would have thought a game about farming - the entire process of it, from clearing out trash and debris from a plot of land you'll be planting most of your crops on to actually wringing your cows' udders dry of fresh milk - could actually have its own harvest (pun not exactly intended) of fans, much less be named as one of the most endearing and memorable titles to date?

It's not exactly the MOST exciting thing to do, compared to games that strap you into the driver's seat of a hot rod or give you points for indiscriminate destruction involving sharp pointy things and gadgets that go BOOM. But for some reason, many players fell in love with Harvest Moon the moment our cap-and-overalls hero took up hoe, rake, and watering can to get down to business. Yes, there was farming to be done on that inherited plot of land, and by god we farmed the heck out of it.

So what was so special about Harvest Moon? What gave it that extra "oomph" to be considered as a gaming classic? The man behind the phenomenon answered that himself, in a grilling session with Eurogamer a few days before the European release of Harvest Moon: Innocent Life for the PlayStation Portable (PSP).

When asked about what gives Harvest Moon its 10-year lasting appeal, Yasuhiro Wada responded that the game's core system "hasn't changed; it's something that it easily understood by the audience." He also cited paying close attention to the fans: "I have been listening to the voices of the audience, to what the audience wants, responding to their requests. That's key to the philosophy of Harvest Moon."

Eurogamer asked about the game's origins, and Yasuhiro Wada was more than willing to reveal it. "I wanted to convey the goodness of rural life - not urban life, but rural life." He adds, "Farming was the easiest instrument to realize that feeling in a game. That's why I chose to make a farming game."

Finally, for the question of what people love about Harvest Moon, Wada had this to say:

I think it's very gentle and friendly. These days there are other games such other games such as Animal Crossing that bear similarities, but before there wasn't such a game at all. Perhaps that's why people identified so much with Harvest Moon, originally.

Harvest Moon DS is already out while both the PSP game Harvest Moon: Innocent Life and the Nintendo Wii version of Harvest Moon are still to be released.

Harvest Moon fans and frustrated farmers and gardeners all across Europe might be happy to hear this: Harvest Moon for the DS will hit videogame store shelves this April 13th. For an estimated price of US$ 58, European gamers can finally live their deepest farming dreams sans the manure and the bug bites.

In the game, you play as a farmer in Forget-Me-Not Valley. Among your duties include tending to the animals and raising crops. The better you look after your farm, the closer you are to releasing the Harvest Goddess and Harvest Sprites from the world that the Witch Princess has transported them to. The more Harvest Sprites you release, the more help you could get in tending your farm.

You can also socialize with the other residents of Forget-Me-Not-Valley by talking to them and giving them presents. All tasks are done with ease through the two screens of the DS. The bottom screen shows the menu interfaces and the status screens while the upper screen allows you to view the part of the town or farm you're located at. The two screens are easily navigable through the DS stylus.

So, ready to go old MacDonald mode?

Harvest Moon, the Natsume, Inc. game that will transport DS owners back to a simpler place and time, will be available across Europe in Q1 2007. Unlike most video games designed to juice you up with adrenaline, Harvest Moon is all about working the fields and tending your flock. The gameplay involves cultivating plants, hunting for hidden treasure and fishing in the river. Things your grandpa did back in the good ol' days.

In Harvest Moon DS, your goal is to run a successful farm in Forget-Me-Not-Valley. Like real-world farms, this means planting seeds, caring for the plants and harvesting the fruits of your labor in the right season.

You also get to play Old MacDonald with your own cows, chicken and sheep via the touch-screen. Keep them happy and healthy and they pay you back with milk, eggs and wool. Also on your Harvest Moon to-do list is making friends with 25 characters in town, finding Miss Right, getting married and raising a family.

But every paradise has a sneaky serpent in it. In Harvest Moon, that role is played by the Witch Princess who has transported the Harvest Goddess and the Harvest Sprites to another world. To set them free, you must work hard on the farm.

Harvest Moon DS from Nintendo will retail for around £30 (US $ 57.27).

Buy: [Harvest Moon DS]

The farm simulation and role-playing video game by Natsume is now available at Lik-Sang for the price of US$ 39.00. But hurry, Harvest Moon DS will only be available for a limited period of time.

As with the past Harvest Moon games, this title focuses on maintaining a farm, tending the crops and livestocks, befriending neighbors, and, in some cases, ultimately getting married and raising a family. As a twist, you must collect the Valley Sprotes of Forget-Me-Not Valley in order to get extra help in running the farm and even unlock areas and important information. In addition to that, players must also be able to balance their physical resources and even monitor their character's health as they can get sick too.

If you've grown to love the round cows and chicken of this series, then be sure to order your own copy of Harvest Moon DS now.

Love farming? Hate farming but love Harvest Moon? Well, you're going to want to pre-order Natsume's Harvest Moon DS then! The game's going to be out soon and a pre-order ensures you'll get a copy of the game. Not only that, but those who pre-order will get a metal keychain in the shape of the lovable cow in Harvest Moon. The cute animal will hold your keys for you absolutely free of charge.

You'll be able to raise cows, ducks, chickens, and sheep in the game. Many touchscreen controls have been added to make farming even simpler than before. Obviously there will be more minigames, festivals, and items as well! If you have the GBA title, Harvest Moon: Friends of Mineral Town or Harvest Moon: More Friends of Mineral Town, you can put it in the GBA slot of the DS for interesting events!

Freedom Wings is a flight simulation game developed by Natsume, Taito Corporation for the DS.

The plot? "Aerial pirates" have taken over our once-safe-skies. Because of this, the government created the Air Patrol Association, which is made up of the world's top pilots. Their job? To put an end to these pirates' reign.

This game makes use of the handheld's touch screen, features tons of missions and aerial combat, as well as a wide array of aircraft and weapons at your disposal.

To have a better idea of how this game looks like, take a peek at these videos we have for you.

Download: [Freedom Wings Video 1]
Download: [Freedom Wings Video 2]

The same company that brought us Harvest Moon DS, games-maker Natsume, brings us a new installment to their fishing-game series Legend of the River King. This time out, the game goes to Nintendo DS. Fishy? Not at all. It doesn't have the round cows and the cute chickens of Harvest Moon, but you do have several Japanese mythical creatures such as the tanuki, the kitsune and the kappa to accompany you in your travels.

Here's some screenshots to enjoy until we finally get our hands on this title and see if we'll be taking that bait.

More Legend of the the River King screens after the jump!