Popular Games by Marvelous (XSEED)
Reviews of Marvelous (XSEED) Games
The long-awaited remaster of the remake
Way back in 1989, Nihon Falcom released Ys III: Wanderers from Ys for various PC-based platforms and eventually consoles like the Genesis and SNES. This 2D side-scroller was well-respected in the community and eventually acted as the basis for 2005's 3D reimagining, Ys: The Oath in Felghana, though this...
Review Farmagia (Switch) - A Lighthearted Anime-Style Romp With Monster Crops
Guess how many days take to grow a dragon in your farm?
When Marvelous revealed Farmagia during the June 2024 Nintendo Direct, we saw a familiar concept wrapped in an intriguing package: an action RPG with farm sim elements, like those so fundamental in two of the publisher's biggest series, Rune Factory and Story of Seasons, but wrapped up in a...
Review Fashion Dreamer (Switch) - Some Decent Dress-Up, But Lacks Style Savvy's Depth
Flashy façade
Fashion Dreamer, the newest release from the developer (Syn Sophia) of the cult classic Style Savvy games, garnered high expectations from fans hoping to find a spiritual successor to the series. While Fashion Dreamer is not technically part of the Style Savvy family (known as 'Style Boutique' in Europe), it offers fans of those DS...
Review Rune Factory 3 Special (Switch) - The Same Great Farm Sim/RPG, Though 'Special' Is A Stretch
Another day of sun
Being a Rune Factory fan has been a bit of a rollercoaster ride for the past several years. After Rune Factory 4 launched in 2013, the games went on hiatus for nearly a decade, with the fate of the series itself being pretty up in the air for most of that wait. Against all odds, and after a change in development teams and rights...
Review Story Of Seasons: A Wonderful Life (Switch) - Slow, Old-Fashioned Yet Fulfilling Farming
A Wonderful Life, or A Terrible Remake?
What is the value of a remake? That's something we found ourselves asking as we played Story of Seasons: A Wonderful Life, a remake of the 2003 Harvest Moon game on GameCube, and a surprising addition to Marvelous/XSEED's catalogue of games. Should a remake of a game bring it up to today's standards, with...
Review Loop8: Summer Of Gods (Switch) - Feels More Like A Laborious Summer Job
Let’s get to know each other, over and over again
There are plenty of roguelike games on Nintendo Switch, but Loop8: Summer of Gods takes an interesting twist to the formula: a classic turn-based Japanese RPG that has roguelike elements. More specifically, the game is similar to something like Persona. However, Loop8 implements neither Persona’s...
Latest Marvelous (XSEED) News
Monday31st Mar 2025
Feature "It's Nothing Like A Port" - Story Of Seasons Head Talks Remaking A Lesser-Known Favourite
Totally Bazaar
Marvelous announced the next title in the beloved Story of Seasons series during last week's Nintendo Direct, and we're sticking with the remakes! But this time, we're diverging from the undisputed classics and going a bit off-piste. Story of Seasons: Grand Bazaar launches on Switch on 27th August 2025, an
Friday21st Mar 2025
"If I'm forced to say..."
Dragons, a great calamity, a big battle, and a whole new continent to explore — and that was all just in the announcement trailer. Even this early on, we could feel that Rune Factory: Guardians of Azuma was a step up for the series. And with every new trailer and every new detail, that's only become more true. Taking...
Thursday23rd Jan 2025
News Rune Factory: Guardians Of Azuma Announces Sakuna: Of Rice And Ruin DLC
A special collab awaits
Last week, Marvelous announced Rune Factory: Guardians of Azuma would be launching on the Nintendo Switch this May. Now, in another update during a livestream event, it's been revealed there will be some special collaborative DLC with the action-farming sim Sakuna: Of Rice and Ruin. As explained by Noisy Pixel, Sakuna will
Thursday16th Jan 2025
Exclusive Rune Factory: Guardians Of Azuma Gets Gorgeous New Trailer Ahead Of May Release
Spring into action
Amazingly, it's been four years since Rune Factory 5 finally arrived on Nintendo Switch. And while we've had the fabulous Rune Factory 3 Special, a remaster of the popular DS title, we haven't seen a new entry for a minute. Well, that's about to change: Rune Factory: Guardians of Azuma will be launching on Switch (and Steam) on...
Wednesday25th Dec 2024
Soapbox Vanillaware's Most Underrated Game Is More Than Just A Pretty Picture
Deserving of a Rebirth
Soapbox features enable our individual writers and contributors to voice their opinions on hot topics and random stuff they've been chewing over. Today, Alana is talking about a Vanillaware oldie — Muramasa: The Demon Blade, a Wii title that is celebrating its 15th anniversary. And, in the wake of 13 Sentinels and Unicorn...
Friday8th Nov 2024
News New Action RPG 'Farmagia' Celebrates Switch Launch With Free DLC Skins
A "baby tomato" skin is available now
Marvelous launched its new action RPG Farmagia on the Switch last week and it's now been announced the title will be receiving some free DLC skins the month. Starting this week, players can now receive a free "baby tomato" themed Afanc skin. Here's a bit about this character (via Gematsu): "A bit of a...
Tuesday29th Oct 2024
News 'Ys Memoire: The Oath In Felghana' Finally Comes West January 2025
After launching in Japan last year
After sitting in the "early 2025" release window for a good few months, XSEED Games has today announced that Nihon Falcom's Ys Memoire: The Oath in Felghana will be making its way to Western Switch eShops on 7th January 2025. This one initially launched in Japan in April 2023 as a remaster of the 2010 PSP title...
Sunday2nd Jun 2024
News Marvelous Officially Reveals Farmagia, A New Monster Game Releasing This Year
Meet the characters
One of the other highlights during the Marvelous Game Showcase this week was an update on "Project Magia", now officially known as Farmagia. This title was initially revealed during a "sneak peek" in May last year, and during the latest broadcast, the game's product manager Takehiro Ishida introduced viewers to the game's intro...
Friday31st May 2024
"Collaboration contents from outside Capcom will not be carried over"
The Nintendo 3DS had plenty of incredible exclusives and in its heyday, a lot of those were in the Monster Hunter series. One gem that truly stands out from its no-glasses-3D siblings is Monster Hunter Stories. Developed as a collaboration between Capcom and Marvelous, this...
News Marvelous Provides Development Update On New Story Of Seasons Game
"Please wait just a little bit longer"
Last year, during the Marvelous Games Showcase, the company revealed it was working on the next major entry in the farming and lifestyle simulation series Story of Seasons. Now during this year's showcase, the Story of Seasons series manager Hikaru Nakano has provided a development update and another look at...
News DAEMON X MACHINA: Titanic Scion Gets A New Teaser Trailer
Another look at the "mech-action sequel"
At the Marvelous Game Showcase last year, First Studio and "visionary producer" Kenichiro Tsukuda lifted the lid on DAEMON X MACHINA: Titanic Scion. Now to close out this year's show, Marvelous has shared another teaser of the "all-new entry" in the series. Here's some PR: "DAEMON X MACHINA: Titanic Scion:...
News Rune Factory's New Spin-Off 'Project Dragon' Introduces The Protagonists
"Under development"
Following a reveal last May, a new trailer for Rune Factory: Project Dragon has now been shared at this year's showcase. It formally introduces the title's protagonists Subaru and Kaguya. Instead of farming, the pair will use "the power of dance" to communicate and interact with the world around them. There will be plenty of...
Wednesday29th May 2024
News Marvelous Game Showcase 2024 Airing Later This Week
Tune in for the latest announcements
Marvelous has announced its 2024 digital game showcase will be taking place later this week. According to the official announcement, the team will be delivering a 30-minute broadcast featuring the "latest information" on its projects currently in development. You'll be able to watch this showcase on the...
Wednesday17th Apr 2024
News Potionomics: Masterwork Edition Brews Up An RPG Shop Sim On Switch This Fall
Update 2: Now official after accidentally leaking earlier
Update #2: The trailer is back up. Enjoy! Not only that, Marvelous has confirmed that the game will be getting a physical release as well as a Limited Edition Box Set release: Update: Marvelous (XSEED) has removed the announcement trailer from YouTube, suggesting that today's...
Thursday11th Apr 2024
News Fashion Dreamer Receives Another Free Update For Switch, Here's What's Included
Future Fair has arrived
Since its arrival on the Nintendo Switch, Fashion Dreamer has received multiple major updates adding all sorts of content. This week marks the arrival of "free update 5" - officially titled Future Fair - which includes with Limited Time Fair Rewards as well as new Catalog items. There are some new Gacha items, roo. Keep in...
Thursday28th Mar 2024
News A New Corpse Party Game Is Creeping Onto Switch This Autumn
Hey, who turned out the lights?
Those who are easily scared might want to look away for a moment because the cult-classic Japanese horror series, Corpse Party, is once again getting creepy on Switch as Corpse Party II: Darkness Distortion brings the chills this Autumn (or 'Fall,' if you'd rather). Published by Marvelous Europe (XSEED in North...
Friday15th Mar 2024
News Fashion Dreamer Releases Its Fourth Major Content Update On Switch
The free "Wonderland Fair Update" is now available
Update [Fri 15th Mar, 2024 01:00 GMT]: Nintendo has now uploaded an English trailer highlighting this new "Wonderland Fair Update" for Fashion Dreamer. Once again, this is the fourth major update for the game (Version 1.4.0) and comes packed with new specialty items, 64 new patterns as well as over...
Tuesday20th Feb 2024
Feature Shiren The Wanderer Devs On Preserving Series' "Difficulty" And "Uniqueness"
"I made sure to preserve what I believed to be valuable"
Shiren the Wanderer is one of the longest-running roguelike series in the world. Debuting back in 1995 as the second entry in the Mystery Dungeon series, Mystery Dungeon 2: Shiren the Wanderer introduced the world to the young boy who would explore many procedurally-generated dungeons over the...
Sunday18th Feb 2024
Feature "It Just Felt Right" - How Story Of Seasons & Piczle Cross Is The Perfect Union
"I am an unapologetic fan of the Story of Seasons series"
What's more relaxing than a farming sim? Many of us love to wind down with a few hours of tending crops, looking after cows, and taking in the seasons in a good ol' Story of Seasons game. And for almost 30 years, this hugely popular series has been sowing the seeds and setting the standard...
Saturday17th Feb 2024
Back Page The Best Cows On The Nintendo Switch
We would never steer you wrong
In the magazine business, the Back Page is where you'd find all the weird goofs that we couldn't fit in anywhere else. Some may call it "filler"; we prefer "a whole page to make terrible jokes that are tangentially related to the content of the mag". We don't have pages on the internet, but we still love terrible...
Thursday15th Feb 2024
News Fashion Dreamer Releases Its Third Major Content Update On Switch
The free "Classic Fair Update" is now available
When Fashion Dreamer arrived on the scene last November, it was admittedly a tad underdone compared to certain other series like Style Savvy (New Style Boutique). Fortunately, developer Marvelous has made an effort to improve the situation with ongoing updates. This brings us to the third major...
Tuesday23rd Jan 2024
News Freedom Planet 2 Locks In An April Release Date On Switch
Free from delays?
Following a recent delay, Marvelous Europe and GalaxyTrail have revealed that Freedom Planet 2 will launch on Nintendo Switch on April 4th, 2024. Featuring four playable characters, the sequel boasts some gorgeous pixel art visuals and gameplay that will look comfortably familiar to fans of the first game (and the Sonic...
Tuesday28th Nov 2023
News Fashion Dreamer's Free Winter Collection Update Unfolds On Switch Next Week
New items, features, patterns and more
We found that there was some fun to be had in the Switch-exclusive title Fashion Dreamer when it hit the console catwalk earlier this month, though we felt that it was very much lacking in depth at the time of launch. It looks like more content is on the horizon, however, as publisher Marvelous Europe has today...
Wednesday4th Oct 2023
News Story Of Seasons: A Wonderful Life Offers Up Free 'Pumpkin Patch' Cosmetic DLC
Available now
XSEED Games has announced that it is offering up a free piece of cosmetic DLC for Story of Seasons: A Wonderful Life in the form of a Pumpkin Patch outfit. Yes, just in time for the pumpkin season, you can get your farming protagonist dressed up and in the spirit right now for the price of... well, the few seconds it will likely take...
Wednesday9th Aug 2023
Video Here's Eight Minutes Of Brand New Rune Factory 3 Special Gameplay
Return to the Sharance Tree this September
Rune Factory fans will be celebrating in just under a month's time, as Rune Factory 3 Special will be launching on Switch on 5th September in the West. This remaster of the popular DS title from 2009 brings back many fan's favourite entry in the "Fantasy Harvest Moon" series, gives the game a fresh lick of...
Tuesday1st Aug 2023
News Story Of Seasons: A Wonderful Life 'Precious Memories' Trailer Is Full Of Farm Sim Nostalgia
"Tell your own generation-spanning tale"
Story of Seasons: A Wonderful Life sprouted back onto Switch earlier this summer, reintroducing us to the farm sim world that we first visited on the GameCube in 2003. Cashing in on this cross-generational appeal, publisher Marvelous Europe has released a new post-launch trailer for the game titled 'Precious...
Wednesday26th Jul 2023
News Stylish Switch Exclusive 'Fashion Dreamer' Stitches November Release Date In The West
Just one day after the Japan release
Update: Nintendo of America has shared a brand new eight-minute overview trailer for Fashion Dearmer. This mammoth overview gives budding fashion designers and the style-savvy a look at just how jam-packed their fashion worlds will become this November. Don't forget, the game launches exclusively on Switch on...
Friday30th Jun 2023
Step aside, 2003 GameFAQ
Will you be playing Story of Seasons: A Wonderful Life? Or are you, perhaps, one of the original fans of the GameCube/PS2 game? Either way, we know what you need: A ton of tips, tricks, and hints to get past the game's special little idiosyncrasies, and into the heart of this charming farming game. (We would like it to be...
Tuesday27th Jun 2023
News Switch Exclusive 'Fashion Dreamer' Locks In November 2023 Release (Japan)
One for Style Savvy & Style Boutique fans
One game featured in last week's Japanese Nintendo Direct that didn't get a spot in the Western broadcast was the upcoming Marvelous XSEED fashion title, Fashion Dreamer. It was previously shown in the February Direct, and now, if the Switch's release schedule wasn't already busy enough for the second half...
Friday2nd Jun 2023
Guide Best LGBTQ+ Switch Games
Play with pride
Happy Pride, everyone! We're updating and republishing this list of some of Switch's best and most inclusive games in celebration of Pride month. Enjoy! The games industry has not always been good at portraying LGBTQ+ relationships and identities, but thanks to the efforts of small studios, indie developers, and LGBTQ+ creators,...
Tuesday30th May 2023
"I think it's your destiny to take on this farm"
In a little less than a month, Story of Seasons: A Wonderful Life will finally be making its way to the West on June 27th, 2023. The game joins Story of Seasons: Friends of Mineral Town as the second modern remake of a farming classic, introducing new players to a franchise that's now been running for...
Friday26th May 2023
News Rune Factory 6 And Spin-Off 'Project Dragon' Officially Unveiled
Visit the "Land of the East" for the first time ever
One of the highlights of the Marvelous showcase earlier today was the official reveal of the new tentatively titled game Rune Factory: Project Dragon. Rune Factory 6 has also been announced alongside it. This new spin-off in the fantasy lifestyle series is set in the "Eastern lands with a...
News Story Of Seasons Multiplayer Game Announced Alongside New Traditional Instalment
"Look forward to hearing more"
During the 'Marvelous Game Showcase 2023' livestream, the company announced not one but two new entries in the farming and life simulation series Story of Seasons. The first trailer showed off new footage of the next major traditional game - with series manager Hikaru Nakano detailing what exactly fans could look...
News DAEMON X MACHINA: Titanic Scion Announced, Here's The First Teaser
"Visionary producer" Kenichiro Tsukuda returns
During the Marvelous Game Showcase earlier today, the video game company surprised fans with the announcement of DAEMON X MACHINA: Titanic Scion. Yes, it returns with an "all-new entry". First Studio and "visionary producer" Kenichiro Tsukuda will also return. Here's what we know about it so far,...
Saturday25th Mar 2023
Hands On Story Of Seasons: A Wonderful Life - The Harvest Moon GameCube Classic Returns On Switch
Familiar ground
PAX East 2023 is currently taking place and our American-based video producer Zion has kept himself busy over the past few days checking out the latest and greatest releases. One, in particular, he got some time to sit down with was the upcoming Marvelous / XSEED title Story Of Seasons: A Wonderful Life - a remake of the 2003...
Tuesday28th Feb 2023
News Action RPG Trinity Trigger Lands May Release Date In Europe And Australia
After a September 2022 Japanese release
It was with a heavy heart that we saw the Western release of action RPG Trinity Trigger get held back a solid six months following its Japanese debut last year, and while we still have a while to go before we can dive into the '90s-inspired adventure, publisher Marvelous Europe has now given us a Switch...
Tuesday31st Jan 2023
News Time-Travel RPG 'Loop8: Summer Of Gods' Gets Official Western Release Date
Game delayed to 1st June in Japan
Marvelous XSEED has revealed that Loop8: Summer of Gods, the time-travelling RPG from the producer of the Grandia and Lunar series, will be launching in the West on Switch on 6th June 2023. The game was originally coming to our shores sometime in the Spring, while Japan would be getting it on 16th March. However,...
Wednesday25th Jan 2023
News The First Patch Notes For Story Of Seasons: A Wonderful Life Are Already So Weird
Out now in Japan
Story of Seasons: A Wonderful Life is out now in Japan, although English-speaking players will have to wait until 27th June to get on board as well. After its Japanese eShop launch, the first patch has also been released, which fixes a number of bugs in the game — bugs that are quite entertaining to read about. Here's a Google...
News Story Of Seasons: A Wonderful Life Remake Is Coming To Switch This June
Plus a gorgeous new trailer
Farm news, everyone! Story of Seasons: A Wonderful Life, which is a modern remake of the 2003 GameCube original, Harvest Moon: A Wonderful Life, finally has a release date. This news comes just in time for the first reviews, as the Japanese version of the game comes out tomorrow, 26th January, on the Japanese eShop. The...
Friday13th Jan 2023
Feature What Is The Difference Between Story Of Seasons And Harvest Moon? A Handy Explainer
I was elected to weed, not to read
We've finally done it. After starting every article that concerns either Story of Seasons or Harvest Moon with a potted explainer of the schism between Natsume and Marvelous XSEED, we've finally sat down and put (electronic) pen to (electronic) paper and written out a long-form explanation of what "Harvest Moon"...
Saturday7th Jan 2023
Guide Story Of Seasons: A Wonderful Life - Everything We Know So Far
Release date, characters, and more!
Beloved GameCube farming sim Harvest Moon: A Wonderful Life is coming back to our consoles this year, and we can't wait. Even though it's now a Story of Seasons game instead of a Harvest Moon one... even though the characters are all redesigned... and even if doesn't die in the remake (although we would be a...
Sunday1st Jan 2023
Feature How Stardew Valley Grew The Farm Sim While Harvest Moon Went To Seed
The Concerned Ape and the Golden Egg
In August of 1996, the same year that Spice Girls released their debut single and The English Patient swept awards season, a little game called Bokujō Monogatari came out in Japan on the Super Famicom. All signs pointed to it being a flop: its development had been plagued by bankruptcy and downsizing; it came...
Wednesday21st Dec 2022
News Rune Factory 3 Special Has Been Rated For The Nintendo Switch
Western release targeting "Spring 2023"
During a Nintendo Direct in September, XSEED and Marvelous lifted the lid on Rune Factory 3 Special for the Switch. Apart from the usual RPG, farming and monster battle elements, this updated version will also include a brand new mode - allowing players to enjoy more quality time with their in-game spouse...
Friday16th Dec 2022
News Story Of Seasons: A Wonderful Life Will Have Physical Edition, Goat Plushie Premium Edition
Goat-y
Pre-orders will soon be open for Story of Seasons: A Wonderful Life, a remake of the Harvest Moon GameCube game that's due out in summer 2023. The game will also be available on Nintendo Switch, PS5, and Xbox Series S|X as both a physical and digital edition, and a Premium Edition will also be available that includes a retail copy of the...
Thursday15th Dec 2022
News New Story Of Seasons: A Wonderful Life Screenshots Show Off Town And Cows
We're moovin' to Cow Town
Are you excited for the Story of Seasons: A Wonderful Life remake? Of course you are! You clicked on this article! Feast your eyes on these lovely new screenshots, which give us some insight into how the world will look all shiny and new: The town The wildlife The landscape How do you think it's looking so far?...
Wednesday19th Oct 2022
News Loop8: Summer Of Gods Confirms Japan Release Date In New Trailer
Targeting a "Spring 2023" launch in the west
XSEED Games upcoming release AI RPG Loop8: Summer of Gods was previously confirmed for a Spring 2023 release here in the west on the Nintendo Switch. It's now been confirmed the game will be arriving in Japan on 16th March next year on all consoles including the Switch. Marvelous has confirmed the game...
Thursday13th Oct 2022
Memory Pak Story Of Seasons: Trio Of Towns' Ludus Was The Last Good Thing About The Series
omne trium perfectum
Welcome to the latest instalment in our nostalgia-inducing column, Memory Pak, where we're going to be doing a deep-dive into some of the most memorable moments in gaming – good and bad. Today is the five-year anniversary of the release of Story of Seasons: Trio of Towns in Europe, and Kate has some fond memories of a certain...
Tuesday20th Sep 2022
News Loop8: Summer Of Gods Is A Time-Travel RPG From The Producer Of Lunar And Grandia
Hazy summer days with demons
XSEED Games recently announced that it would be bringing SIEG Games' time-travel, emotion-driven AI RPG Loop8: Summer of Gods to Switch in 2023! This beautiful-looking game might be another coming-of-age story set in a Japanese school, but it has an all-star development team and a heavy focus on building relationships...
Friday24th Jun 2022
Guide Best Nintendo Switch Warriors Games - Every Switch Musou Game Ranked
Dynasty, Samurai, Orochi, spin-offs and more, all ranked by you
Remember that this is a dynamic reader-ranked list that re-orders automatically depending on each game's rating in our database. In order to rate any of the games on the list below out of 10, logged-in Nintendo Life users can simply tap the 'star' and assign each game a personal...
Thursday12th May 2022
News Rune Factory 5 Passes 500,000 Global Sales On Switch
A decent yield
The March arrival of Rune Factory 5 on Switch in North America and Europe was very welcome, following its initial release in Japan back in May 2021. The excellent Rune Factory 4 Special also graced the Switch in early 2020, so the RPG / farm-sin series has been quite well served on Nintendo's hybrid. The IP's fans seems to have shown...