Review
Release Date: 11.16.2001
Platform:
Game Boy ColorDeveloper:
Victor InteractivePublisher:
Natsume Inc.Reviewed by
Wade Monnig on 4.28.2003
| Review Rating: 9/10 | User Rating: 8/10 |
The typical RPG starts out with a young hero, his sword, maybe a friendly dragon-like familiar, and a quest to save the world. Harvest Moon, on the other hand, starts out with a young hero, a hoe, his trusty dog (I named mine Indiana, of course), and a quest to plant a crop, raise a few chickens, and maybe even have a kid. No violence and no conspiracies. Just some of the best RPG entertainment ever created.
Harvest Moon has appeared on numerous systems, including the Gameboy Color, PlayStation, Nintendo 64 and a recent “side story” on the PlayStation 2. Farmer Fantasy (AKA Harvest Moon) is back, tilling ahead on its native GBC soil. Much like a new title in a sports franchise series, Harvest Moon 3 isn't rewriting the series and changing the basics of gameplay, instead it is adding layers and layers of new depth to the traditional formula. HM3 has more fishing, many seeds to plant, even gets “Extreme” with snowboards that players can partake of during their free time.
Running a farm isn't as easy as one might think. Weeds have to be pulled, rocks must be discarded from your fields, and improvements should be made to the old homestead. Don't worry, its not all work and no play in Harvest Moon. You do have modern appliances like a television. Of course, this is the country so don't expect cable. The channels that are offered will give you weather updates; keep you informed for upcoming events in town, and offer gameplay tips hidden within entertainment programs.
One of the biggest changes to the Farmer Fantasy formula is that the chores have been divided between two separate characters, the boy and the girl. The reason for this is because Harvest Moon 3 is a combination of two Harvest Moon titles released in Japan. Bokujou Monogatari GB3: Boy Meets Girl (Boy Version) and Bokujou Monogatari GB3: Boy Meets Girl (Girl Version). Choosing the boy will focus on crop-based world while choosing the female will lead to livestock focused gameplay. If you begin the game as the female character, you are expected to do a little ranching. Some of the livestock you can acquire include sheep, cows, and chickens. Cows and chickens are constant producers of eggs and milk while sheep can be sheared for their wool. You can also take your trusty fishing pole down to the ocean and catch some carp or other types of fish. As the old saying goes: Give a man a fish and he’ll eat for a day. Teach a man to fish and he’ll be selling them like a mad man at the market.
Since this adventure takes place on an island, you can even try your hand at digging an irrigation canal and growing rice. This also adds an extra wrinkle: you can only travel to the mainland two days out of the week and a rain or snow storm will disable the ferry. This can be a real problem when the mainstay of your farm (seeds and livestock) is only available for purchase on the mainland. Once you do make the trip to the mainland, make sure you check out the mall or stop in and catch a movie at the cinema.
A detail of Harvest Moon that is easily overlooked is friendship. Remember: Be nice, it works to your benefit. There is a little Harvest Karma going on in this release. If a player goes about farming and ignoring the townspeople, he can certainly make a small fortune. But if you take the time to bring presents to others and talk to them, you can make actually make friends. Then, when the time comes, when someone needs your help, they might just repay your kindness with an item that is impossible to get any other way.
One thing you will have to do, even if you are an old hand at Farmer Fantasy, is read the manual thoroughly. The in-game explanations don't provide enough detail to really help you excel at the game.
Harvest Moon is one of the most beloved video game titles because of its unique direction, complete lack of violence, and the fact that you can literally play it forever. Harvest Moon requires that you have your farm up and running and be accepted into the community within a set amount of time. If you succeed in reaching this goal, you can continue for as long as you wish. This feature was enacted after the overwhelming complaints of gamers that the Super Nintendo version of Harvest Moon ended after only two years of play. Nothing else is quite the testament to a great title than players complaining that it has to end.
