Shochiku Games Brings 'Rival Stars Horse Racing' to Japan With BitSummit Demo
The demo signals Shochiku Games' push into the Japanese market with a Western-style horse racing sim that strips out complex pedigree management in favor of accessible ranch-building and arcade-like racing.
Reporting from 1 sources: Game Spark.
Shochiku Games showed the first Japanese demo of 'Rival Stars Horse Racing' at BitSummit PUNCH in Kyoto. The game, a casual horse racing simulation set in Ireland, launches in Japan on May 28. Players revive a ranch, breed and customize horses, and ride as the jockey in races with simple controls and realistic graphics.
Shochiku Games set up a booth with a giant horse statue at BitSummit PUNCH in Kyoto to show the first Japanese playable build of 'Rival Stars Horse Racing.' The game, set in Irish horse racing, casts the player as a descendant of a prestigious racing family tasked with reviving a declining ranch. Players breed horses with customizable coats, socks, and forehead stars, then ride them as the jockey in races that emphasize positioning and burst-power management over deep pedigree simulation. The ranch includes a fame system that unlocks facility upgrades, and the game omits the typical 2.5-year wait from birth to debut, letting players race immediately after breeding. A show jumping mode and a free-roam ranch stroll mode are also included. The game launches in Japan on May 28.
Synthesized by Yomimono from the 1 cited source below, including Japanese-language reporting where cited, then editorially reviewed before publishing.