A WOnderful life is easily the best game I have played in the series, but I only played 4 of them.
It was perfectly paced for me, I put in 45hrs worth and could do more I guess. The only complaint I had was watering your plants was a lot of effort.
gamingeek said:A WOnderful life is easily the best game I have played in the series, but I only played 4 of them.
It was perfectly paced for me, I put in 45hrs worth and could do more I guess. The only complaint I had was watering your plants was a lot of effort.
Out of curiosity how far did 45 hours get you into the game because thats not nearly enough time to finish the game.
robio said:gamingeek said:A WOnderful life is easily the best game I have played in the series, but I only played 4 of them.
It was perfectly paced for me, I put in 45hrs worth and could do more I guess. The only complaint I had was watering your plants was a lot of effort.
Out of curiosity how far did 45 hours get you into the game because thats not nearly enough time to finish the game.
I didn't get old and die if that's what you mean. I had a kid and pretty much had the entire farm upgraded including milking house. I even had paper notes on what to plant when and what gifts to give people. I love that game.
gamingeek said:robio said:gamingeek said:A WOnderful life is easily the best game I have played in the series, but I only played 4 of them.
It was perfectly paced for me, I put in 45hrs worth and could do more I guess. The only complaint I had was watering your plants was a lot of effort.
Out of curiosity how far did 45 hours get you into the game because thats not nearly enough time to finish the game.
I didn't get old and die if that's what you mean. I had a kid and pretty much had the entire farm upgraded including milking house. I even had paper notes on what to plant when and what gifts to give people. I love that game.
Sounds like you were about halfway through. That was probably my biggest problem with the game. I enjoy being able to finish a game without investing 90 hours in it. Particularly ones that offer a lot of replay. I mean, as much as I love some of these games, if it takes that long to complete it, I'm going to have a hard time gearing myself up to play again and take other routes.
Mrs. Aspro enojoyed the Innocent Life (hasn't yet tried either of the Runes). Do you think they'll continue either of these new spin-offs?
I have a couple of Harvest Moon plush toys, one the cow (awesome) and one a red squirrel thing from the Rune series.
robio said:gamingeek said:robio said:gamingeek said:A WOnderful life is easily the best game I have played in the series, but I only played 4 of them.
It was perfectly paced for me, I put in 45hrs worth and could do more I guess. The only complaint I had was watering your plants was a lot of effort.
Out of curiosity how far did 45 hours get you into the game because thats not nearly enough time to finish the game.
I didn't get old and die if that's what you mean. I had a kid and pretty much had the entire farm upgraded including milking house. I even had paper notes on what to plant when and what gifts to give people. I love that game.
Sounds like you were about halfway through. That was probably my biggest problem with the game. I enjoy being able to finish a game without investing 90 hours in it. Particularly ones that offer a lot of replay. I mean, as much as I love some of these games, if it takes that long to complete it, I'm going to have a hard time gearing myself up to play again and take other routes.
I never saw HM AWL as a game you had to complete, more as an animal crossing style open ended experience. I had all the farm and house upgrades, all that was left was some hybrids which I wasn't bothered with. Really the only reason I stopped playing was the watering one tile at a time became tough.
They could make it more obvious how to get rewards with characters. I had to use a guide to learn where to be when and what to give to whom.
But its a testament to how much I enjoyed the game that I actually kept notes and referred to them from time to time. Particularly in planting season. Loved the chickens too.
I prefer the viewpoint and style of a wonderful life as its a cross between zelda like viewpoint and art and animal crossing like gameplay.
aspro said:You are maing me want to play he first PS1 game (I don't have the SNES or N64 versions sadly).
Mrs. Aspro enojoyed the Innocent Life (hasn't yet tried either of the Runes). Do you think they'll continue either of these new spin-offs?
I have a couple of Harvest Moon plush toys, one the cow (awesome) and one a red squirrel thing from the Rune series.
Save the Homeland was the first 3-D Harvest Moon so there are some camera quirks, but other than that I can't think of anything that actually makes it a bad game. It's sort of a black sheep in the series since it does a lot differet, but on its own merits its a pretty fun game.
As far as Innocent Life goes there likely will be no others besides the PSP version and it's PS2 port. It just didn't strike a chord with enough gamers. Rune Factory on the other hand was a pretty big hit, and after 3 installments on the DS and one on the Wii it's not slowing down. If you ever try one out go for the Wii version, as combat in it is much much better.
On the whole I agree with your review except for a couple of things:
- I think that Harvest moons games works better on handled console because you can play for short sessions (one train commute, one day). It's still nice on home console, but the repetitiveness of these titles don't makes me feel they are at home :/
- My favourites HM are More friends of mineral town and Island of happiness ^^ The spinoff Rune factory was really good too, I wait eagerly for it on the Wii
Happy to see another HM fan, hopefully you won't hate me for liking Island of happiness
I don't hold anyone's opinions against them and think less of them for it (well no that's not true at all...). My biggest gripe with Islands of Happiness is that I could not adjust to the controls at all. It ended up making the game unplayable to me. Fortunately they did correct this with the new DS game, Sunshine Island and it seems to be a lot better. I just haven't been in a HM mood lately.
But like whichever games you want. I'm just happy to have another Harvest Moon fan around here.
Oh it's probably worth mentioning that I did spend about 15 hours or so with Animal Parade, and I had to put it down. It boggles the mind how the developers managed to improve in some areas and completely destroy some other features as well as ignore huge problems fromt Tree of Tranquility.
The obnoxious load times still exist, plus the game seems to be slower paced than ever. After 15 hours I was halfway through the first month and I pretty much cried "uncle" at that point. I don't mind slow paced games, but this one just crawls and really makes you feel like you're accomplishing nothing at all.
robio said:Fortunately they did correct this with the new DS game, Sunshine Island and it seems to be a lot better. I just haven't been in a HM mood lately.
If the control annoyed you in Island of happiness, then yes you will like Sushine island better. I had some trouble with it because it's a copy paste of Island of happiness and it felt like I was playing the same game twice :/ If you didn't played the first one much, you will enjoy Sunshine island better for sure
The only one I got into was Rune Frontier. I thought the action/RPG farm-sim hybrid was interesting. I need to get the Wii version.
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Now Playing: Golden Sun Dark Dawn, God of War Ghost of Sparta, and DKC Returns
and new bachelor yay o/...
Even if it broke my heart to see Cliff married to Ann, he was my favourite
I was really disappointed by the wii version of Magical melody though... They removed the gender choice (but it's still mentioned in the manual), the wiimote control just don't work well, the translation is awful and not even suits the Wii (there are still reference to gamecube controller). Really a pity :/
ASK_Story said:Wow, you really love Harvest Moon don't you?
The only one I got into was Rune Frontier. I thought the action/RPG farm-sim hybrid was interesting. I need to get the Wii version.
It has been my favorite series for over a decade, or at least WAS. Like Mekere said, the series has had a hard time evolving, and now that core gameplay style that was more or less perfected in HM64 has gotten a little long in the tooth. Not to say it's not still fun, but it's not something I can go back to more than once a year. Other than Rune Factory virtually all their attempts at trying something new have been kind of a backfire. By the way get Rune Factory Frontier when you can. I highly endorse it.
That said they're trying something new again on two platforms this year. There's Hero of Leaf Valley that will come out on the PSP which looks very similiar to the first PS2 game - Save the Homeland. If they correct some of the errors they made in that game, this could be good, but I'm not holding my breath. Then there's Twin Cities which may make it out by the end of the year, but since it's not out in Japan yet there's not much info out on it yet.
Foolz said:There must be thousands of wasted hours here---I mean gameplay!
Die in a fire Foolz.
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Tell me to get back to rewriting this site so it's not horrible on mobileJust to update this I've spent a little time with two other HM games and they deserve mention here:
Innocent Life (PSP) - This is just too slow of a game even for Harvest Moon. There's a very linear story going on in the game, but it progresses at its own pace (basically every Sunday the story progresses), and it's just too slow. The rest of the week it's just doing your farming thing. Nice idea and the futuristic touches are a nice change, but ultimately the game just drags too much to be fun.
Hero of Leaf Valley (PSP) - I picked this up last week and I'm happy to say this may be the best Harvest Moon game to come along since Magical Melody. It's pretty much the same formula and style of Save the Homeland on the PS2, but they fixed nearly everything that was wrong with that one, expanded the gameplay, enlarged the map, and created even more story paths to complete the game. It's a great game and this style really should be used going forward with the series. It's the right mix of farming and storyline all done at a fast pace so nothing ever gets tedious. There's a few bugs in the game which is annoying, but that may just be an issue with installing in the card instead of playing it off disc. Sadly, most people won't get to play this game since its on the PSP.
The Beginning
For me it all started in 1997 when I read EGM's best of 1997 and saw one lone SNES game that got a nomination for "Most Original Game" and it was about farming.... it seemed so odd to me. But a year later I managed to track down the game. Loved it and to this day it's my
favorite series. So here's my thoughts on pretty much all of the games.
Harvest Moon (snes)
The original Harvest Moon is still a pretty fun game even today. It's basic, with 90% of the game's emphasis on the farming, but the dating/life sim is firmly established, and there are plenty of hidden secrets in the game. And the art style they used still holds up very well. That being said there are a lot better ones out there. There just aren't enough festivals and social situations to break up the monotony of constant farming particularly during the winter and after you're married. Still, you could do worse with 800 VC points.
Harvest Moon 64 (N64)
Harvest Moon 64 was the perfect evolution of the series. It was the original on steriods. More festivals, more people to meet, more crops to grow, more social situations, bigger town, and stuff to even do once the winter comes around. Additionally a photo album, recipe collecting, and horse racing were all added. It still had its flaws, but this game is actually one of the better editions in the series even to this day.
Harvest Moon: Back to Nature (PS1)
Back to Nature threw me for a loop. It had the same cast and townspeople, but it actually turned out to be a very different game. The characters had the same names and look, but they all had new roles and personalities. the town completely changed. Tools now had to be upgraded by mining ores and going to a blacksmith rather than just automatically evolving after use. Cooking finally entered the series. And once again even more crops were added to the series.
There were always debates about which game was better since they were similar games with one being on the N64 and one being on the PS1. Back to Nature had a little teeney bit more story to it, more social situations to unlock, and the town felt a little more realistic with people going about their daily routines. HM64 offered the photo album, a rotating landscape, and better animations. At the end of the day it was pretty much a tie as they were still pretty much the same game.
The Portables
During the time of the main series, Natsume released 3 gameboy games, none of which were very notable. The first two in the series were almost exclusively focused on the farming with the dating sim completely removed. Harvest Moon GBC 3 put it back in (but there was only one girl to marry), as well as offering a few other neat little additions like being able to chose what gender to play as for the first time. They were okay for the time, but frankly do not hold up at all today.
Series Evolution
After sticking with their standard formula for 3 games, it was decided to move the series in new directions. Neither were real successful but you have to give it to them for trying...
Save the Homeland (PS2)
One of the biggest complaints of the series was a very limited storyline or none at all. StH changed that by adding a story - the village you live in is about to be bought by developers and you have 1 year to find a way to stop them. Additionally there were 9 different story paths you could take to accomplish the goal, so once again there was lots of replay value. Unfortunately the story came at the cost of the the tradtional gameplay. The farming element was whittled away to next to nothing. You went from having around 2 dozen crops to grow down to 4. There were a lot of other cutbacks as well. It was a nice idea, and kind of fun, but much shorter than the other games and ultimately it just didn't strike the right balance.
A Wonderful Life (GC and later PS2)
A Wonderful Life went the complete opposite direction from Save the Homeland and created a much slower and longer game. Frankly, too slow and too long. To date its probably the best looking Harvest Moon game, but it really forced you to play at a snail's pace. You played the entire life of a character (in chapters mind you). You start taking over your dead father's farm, get married, have a child, raise your child to adulthood, and sent him along to his career path and married of his own. . . and then you die. Seriously, the game is depressing as you and all your neighbors grow old and kick the bucket. The game was also hampered down by some missing features that were only accessible through Gamecube/GBA "CONNECTIVITY".
Slowness and connectivity crap aside, there were a lot of cool things in the game. Seasons gradually changed. When winter came around, you weren't suddenly surrounded with snow. Weather changed througout the day. It might rain in the morning, but in the afternoon the sun may come out. A lot of it felt very realistic, and once again it was absolutely beautiful to look at.
Friends of Mineral Town (GBA)
At the same time as the new expirmental games a bone was thrown to older fans and on the GBA FoMT was released, which was essentially a port of Back to Nature with a few more story elements. For the third time these characters returned and for those of us who had already seen them in two earlier games, this one felt like a game you could blow off. A lot of people do like it, and some would even say it was the best of that Harvest Moon itteration (64, BtN, and FoMT). But in my opinion this series just doesn't work as a handheld. Games that go 40+ hours are just better on a console.
The Tredding Water Era
After the two new games, the series kind of went directionless and they were trying everything they could to figure out what the next step would be...
Magical Melody (GC and later Wii)
This was a throwback to the original HM formula. Farming, social interaction, dating, etc. The cast was even made up of the casts from the original SNES game and Save the Homeland. But it was the original formula cranked up to 11 and it's a good thing. They've even added a few new elements. There's a light storyline about saving the Harvest Goddess from being a statue, which really helps move day to day activities along. And there's also another farmer to kind of rate yourself against (though ultimately it doesn't affect things at all). The new art style took some getting used to, but other than that, this was a really strong installment, assuming you weren't burned out on the traditional gameplay from previous games.
Harvest Moon DS
This was a weak game. It was obviously meant for the GBA and at the last minute turned into a DS game. They took the cast and setting of Wonderful Life but coupled it with more traditional gameplay. But the game was reportedly plagued with bugs (though admittedly I never experienced one). They also tried to add a fantasy layer to it with witches, princesses, etc., but it didn't really affect things much.
Tree of Tranquility (Wii)
This was so close to being a great game. The basic HM gameplay was here, but it evolved just a bit. There's a lot of community evolution in the game. The island you live on is only sparsely populated at first, but as time goes on, new people move to the island. There's also a very big story here involving once again reviving the Harvest Moon Goddess, but this time you have to actively pursue saving her by accomplishing specific tasks instead of the more passive route that was used in Magical Melody. This should have been the first game that really combined story and gameplay in a meaningful way.
Unfortunately the game was plagued with 2 problems. There were some technical issues - slowdown when it rains, bad loading times, and even game ending bugs (if you play as a female - two of the guys you try to marry can create scenarios that can't be completed). Plus there were some timing issues that could create problems. To accomplish some storyline goals you needed to grow crops available during particular seasons, but if you missed out on that season you could be forced to just play for another year without progressing the story.
Island of Happiness (DS)
This game sucked. The new setting and cast are wasted on an amazingly awful control scheme. Only a double jointed orangatang could play this easily. Honestly I'm not sure about too much of this game because I couldn't get through more than about an hour of this game. It's that difficult to control. Seriously, if a dedicated fan of the series can't play it, I can't imagine how anyone else could tolerate it.
Spin-offs
There were also two attempts to spin-off the series in different directions. One in a fantasy direction and the other in a futuristic sci-fi direction. One succeeded and one failed.
Rune Factory
The fantasy version worked really well. It added combat and monster training to the the typical HM formula. In addition they changed how cooking, crafting, and forging were done. It wasn't all great, and there were a few minor steps backwards (mainly in the social interaction), but overall it's turned into a great extension of the main series.
Innocent Life
Harvest Moon as an android... well it was a nice idea, but it wasn't that different. Just more story oriented than most of the games and a lot slower paced. Not a coincidence that this one hasn't taken off.