Everyone had to buy a copy!
Written: Apr 26 '01
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Exquisitely detailed, non-violent, challenging family fun
Cons: Tends to become repetitive
The Bottom Line: Harvest Moon 64 is an excellent non-violent real-time strategic farming simulation that the whole family will love and play for months to come.
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| hurkle's Full Review: Harvest Moon 64 for Nintendo 64 |
What's this, baby?
Harvest moon is one of those games that needs no time at all to grow on you. We rented it for our son one night from the local Family Video. He wasn't really interested, but my wife was. Of course we like real-time strategy games a lot, but have only found a couple games for the Nintendo 64 that we really enjoy (think Banjo Kazooie, Banjo Twoie, and Harvest Moon). Within an hour of playing it, she was hooked. She was up all that night, and all the next night, until finally, on the third day, as I dragged the controller from her unresisting hands, she gazed blearily up at me and whispered, "I want it for Mother's Day". She immediately lapsed into a 48-hour coma.
A big storm came a few weeks later, and oddly enough, I was sent off to Target to purchase entertainment for us shut-ins. I'm glad I had a new book to read, because purchasing Harvest Moon 64 kept my wife glued to the television for the next five days.
The Game Itself
In Harvest Moon, you take on the role of a young lad who inherits the farm that his grandfather used to run. In order to bring the farm back to life (and thence profitability), you must clear the fields, plant and water crops, buy and care for animals, and grow fodder for them. In addition to be truly successful in the game you must make friends with everyone in the nearby village, find a wife, and have a child. At the end of the third year running the farm, your wayward father returns and gives you his rating. You can continue playing after this, but there will be no more grading of your performance.
Now, as a simple farming simulation, this game doesn't seem to have that much excitement inherent in it. But it's the details and extensions that make this game the amazing joy that is is. The graphics, though slightly fuzzy as all Nintendo games are, are charming and almost nauseatingly cute. The sound effects and music are sprightly and appropriate, and the additions to the game make it much more than a simple simulation.
You can raise your dog and enter him in the dog races. You can raise your horse and enter him in the horse races. You can make friends with people in the village, and if you give them appropriate items, they will give you recipes, and there are a ton to collect. There are a number of involved sub-quests to take care of, but in general the flow of the game is very open-ended. You can support yourself not only by farming, but by animal husbandry (done with "magical" potions of pregnancy), fishing, and mining. At special events, you may have your picture taken, if you do the right thing, and you can collect a whole album full of pictures. You can romance any of the five single women in the village, and each of them will give a different flavor to the game.
No, really, here's how good it is
Our daughter and son started to become interested in the game after watching their mother play. They each started their own game, and are still playing them after two months straight. Our friend whined to me the other day that he was forced to purchase "that stupid farming game" for his son after he played it at our house. Two other families have purchased the game after trying at our house.
It's that good. It's a rarity (thought less so of one than in the past) - a good non-violent, family game. Buy it, and you won't be disappointed.
Recommended:
Yes
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Epinions.com ID:
hurkle
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Member: Jay Turley
Reviews written: 47
Trusted by: 8 members
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