Last month Nintendo Dream published an interview with Rune Factory 4 Special developers -- Yoshifumi Hashimoto, president and representative director of studio Hakama and Marvelous game planner Shirou Maekawa -- in which they delve into the reasons for bringing Rune Factory 4 to the Nintendo Switch, as well as a few new features for the remastered version. The interview also reveals more information about the upcoming Rune Factory 5.

According to Maekawa, they "considered how fans have been waiting to hear about Rune Factory 5 for seven years now. In that span of time, even some fans might have forgotten just what kind of games these are." So the team thought it would be a good opportunity to reintroduce fans to Rune Factory 4, which is what led them to creating an updated version for the Switch.

The Switch version features updated character models (as well as their 2D counterparts), upgraded animations, and new Japanese voice acting. Not to mention the near complete overhaul of the UI since there's no dual screen to work with, unlike the 3DS version.

They also discussed the brand new mechanic "Newlywed Mode," which allows you to "marry your partner and play together. It focuses on your newlywed life with your new spouse, and there are even new scenarios to enjoy with each character."

Finally, the interview rounds out with a little more information on Rune Factory 5. When asked about what ideas he planned on conceptualizing with the game, Hashimoto stated that "Well, we’ve already decided on the themes and what kind of game it will be. There are a few promises I’ve made that I’d like to incorporate into the game, and as long as I have the appropriate amount of time to get things done, I’m confident this will mature into a fantastic game."

Rune Factory 4 Special and 5 were announced back in February, and the former will be getting a beautiful special edition when the game launches later this year. Save data for 4 will transfer over to 5, gifting players with something extremely nice according to the devs.

There will be a new Rune Factory livestream on May 15th at 8pm JST, which is sure to feature tons more information on Special (and hopefully something on 5). Regardless, DualShockers will be covering all the details so stayed tuned for that.