One of my favorite games at last year's E3 was Natsume's Rune Factory: A Fantasy Harvest Moon for the Nintendo DS, a bizarre melding of Harvest Moon farming with action RPG. Now Natsume announces the imminent arrival of the sequel, Rune Factory 2, heading to the Nintendo DS this fall, featuring all of the monster-fighting, girl-wooing, crop-planting action of the original with an all-new storyline and the ability to eventually take on the role of your son, should the aforementioned wooing work out for you.

Natsume will be showing off the new title next month at their E3 booth, traditionally known as Paradise to Harvest Moon fans. We'll see if we can't stop by and give the old hoe a go.

NATSUME TO BRING THE HIGHLY ANTICIPATED RUNE FACTORY 2: A FANTASY HARVEST MOON TO NINTENDO DS LATER THIS FALL

Sequel to the Critically Acclaimed RPG Makes Its First Public Appearance at E3 Next Month

Burlingame, Calif., June 24, 2008 ? Natsume Inc., a worldwide developer and publisher of family-oriented video games, announced today that Rune Factory 2: A Fantasy Harvest Moon will be released for the Nintendo DS? system later this fall. The company has also released the first screen shots of the game. The Rune Factory series is a unique blend of elements from the world of Harvest Moon and that of a fantasy RPG, offering Harvest Moon fans and traditional RPG players the best of both worlds.

?We are thrilled to announce that Rune Factory 2 is on its way to the U.S. The first Rune Factory title was a great success for us and our fans have been eagerly awaiting a sequel,? said Hiro Maekawa, President and CEO at Natsume. "The Rune Factory series is a great expansion of the Harvest Moon universe; it takes the addictive Harvest Moon gameplay that fans know and love and combines it with the action and adventure of a fantasy RPG. Rune Factory 2 offers better graphics and even deeper gameplay than the first, along with many innovative new features.?

Rune Factory 2 is set several years after the first game. The evil Sechs Empire has been defeated, and the Kingdom of Norad is once again at peace.

Things may not stay that way for long, however, as dark premonitions foretell of dangers to come. It's up to player to uncover the source of these premonitions and bring peace to the kingdom once more.
Over the course of the story, players will build and develop a farm, befriend townspeople, raise monsters, take on quests, and find a wife.

Rune Factory 2 offers innovative Touch Screen controls, easy-to-use menus, and an all-new compelling storyline.

In a first for the Rune Factory series, the story of Rune Factory 2 is multigenerational. Players begin the game as Kyle, a strange man who comes to Alvarna Village. Eventually, players will take on the role of Kyle's child, opening up a whole new adventure. It's an innovative feature that allows players to follow the story of their family and the townsfolk over two generations!

Rune Factory 2 will make its first public appearance at next month?s E3 trade show in the Los Angeles area and will ship to retail later this fall.

For more information on Natsume?s titles, please visit www.natsume.com.