Rune Factory 3 Nintendo DS Screens/Info

After recently being announced very quietly via relatively new Japanese publication Marvelous Dream, more details and screenshots of the third DS Harvest Moon RPG spin-off, Rune Factory 3, have been revealed and a final release date given.

First up is news that those who pre-order the game will be treated to a drama CD and special book. The disc will feature a "doki doki" love comedy based around the game's various heroines, whilst the book will include art, illustrations and a comic that tells an original story based in the world of Rune Factory 3. As for the game itself, this time round players take control of a character called Maisu who can transform into a monster. Fans of the first two DS entries, though, will be pleased to know that the monster-raising aspect returns, whereby they can be fed and looked after until they become allies that can provide eggs and fur for use later in the game.

New to this third portable outing are Active Seeds that immediately blossom when planted and prove to be extremely useful in a variety of different ways, such as 'Jack' that sucks up monsters and damages them, 'Haslider' that lets you float across water, and 'Mizubasou' that generates water for use in farming situations when there is no water supply nearby. There are also four female characters included, details of which can be found below (thanks to Andriasang):

Shia
A kind girl who took care of you when you were unconscious at the beginning of the game. It's because of her recommendation that you started farming.

Touna
A silent girl who works at the city's weapons shop. Why she avoids relating with people is apparently a secret.

Chocola
A girl who dreams of being a chef like her father and now works at a restaurant in town. Despite her tiny size, she has a huge appetite.

Marion
An apprentice witch who also serves as a nurse in town. She dreams of being either a fine doctor or a sorceress like her grandmother. She's childhood friends with Chocola, whom she used as a guinea pig for conducting tests for her magic cures.