It's a Harvest Moon puzzler!

After a string of Harvest Moon titles for various consoles over the years, Natsume is now taking a turn at creating a puzzle title built around the Harvest Moon theme with their upcoming DS release Harvest Moon: Frantic Farming.

While we're not sure how the game will go over with long-time fans of the series, judging from the new gameplay trailer, it definitely looks interesting and could end up being a great addition to the growing DS puzzler library of titles.

You can check out the official press release below along with the brand new gameplay trailer and screenshots below.

Natsume Inc., a worldwide developer and publisher of family-oriented video games, announced today that Harvest Moon: Frantic Farming has entered into manufacturing and will launch in August for the Nintendo DS. Set in the world of last year's DS hit Harvest Moon: Island of Happiness, Harvest Moon: Frantic Farming continues the tale of the island and its residents.

Something strange is happening on Sunny Island! Crops are popping up everywhere and growing out of control! If something isn't done soon, the once-tranquil island will be buried in an avalanche of vegetables! It's up to the players to solve the mystery of this produce predicament as they try to tame the crops and gather as many vegetables as they can!

"We are eagerly anticipating the launch of Harvest Moon: Frantic Farming," said Hiro Maekawa, President and CEO at Natsume. "We know that players will enjoy the wide variety of gameplay modes, playable characters, and fun unlockables that we have planted in this all-new adventure!"

Players can choose from 12 playable characters, each with their own unique story and abilities. See how the mystery unfolds from each character's perspective, and which Harvest Moon characters they meet along the way! The game features a variety of modes including Story Mode, the brain-teasing Mission Mode, and the action-puzzle excitement of Score Attack and Free Play Modes. Players can test their farming skills against their friends and family in Multiplayer Mode, and even play against people who don't have the Game Card via DS Download Play! Players can also unlock character art, music, and some special surprises in the Collection Room.

Harvest Moon: Frantic Farming will ship to retail in August. Harvest Moon: Frantic Farming is rated E for everyone by the entertainment software rating board (ESRB).

We'll have more information on Harvest Moon: Frantic Farming as it becomes available, as well as a full review when the title is released on August 26th.

[source youtube.com]