Harvest Moon Memories

By SnoringSeal - Friday, July 3, 2015 - No Comments

Was there a period of time where you enjoy running around the farm, watering the plants, feeding the animals, talking to the villagers or fishing in the ocean. I was that girl who grew up playing Harvest Moon series by Natsume and this is the first game that ignited my passion in playing video games. I even thought of making a career in creating video games. Just like that person who had created this awesome game.

I have played most series in every single console such as PC, playstation one, playstation two, PSP, NDS, and 3DS. It was the first few editions that kept me busy running around the farm and planting crops. It was entertaining to see how a rusty tool turns into a silver or gold tool by giving the right ore to the blacksmith. Besides taking care of the farm, the character can go to the village and woo the girls to make one of them his wife.

There was this peddler whom appeared on every Sunday and he will be at the same position. I am one that collects everything I see and toss them on his table in exchange for money.

You can plant grass and if you let the cows stay outdoor, you do not have to feed them. By using the bell, you will alert the animals and they will come to you. Each animal that you raised will provide items for you to sell such as milk and egg. A baby cow is such a darling that you will keep staring at the screen.

Not to mention there are tons of festivals to remind players that there are things to do besides farming. The player will need to gather item or to participate in a game to win prizes. An example is this Horse Racing event where you have to win this event with your horse (Did I mention that you are given a horse and a dog in the beginning of the game

As technology advances, we want to see more content, better graphics and game play. Many games companies fail to see that the best and engaging game is sometime one that is easy to play, such as Super Mario.

One of the objectives in the game (Harvest Moon: Back to Nature) is to get MARRIED! You could either end the game with no wife and no kids. Or you can woo many girls and settle down with one. There are plenty of ways to play and enjoy the Harvest Moon. "Back to Nature" is one of the greatest series in Harvest Moon where everything can get interesting. You can cook and create new recipe in the house!

Those kitchen utensils will be available for purchase once you have renovated your kitchen. You need to watch television every week on a certain day to purchase the item. Once the item has arrived, it will be delivered to you in the morning. The item will be displayed in your kitchen .Sometime I will spend many hours just to create one edible dish (Boiled egg is not counted)

Cooking the dog? Nope.

Shopping in the grocery shop

There are few shops in the town and this is the place where you start your farming activities. As a farmer, you need to purchase vegetable seeds and basic necessities for your cooking. There are different types of seeds every season and you need to plant the right type or they will wither.

My favorite crops of the year, radish!!

Planting any season vegetable in the green house

After this series, I have moved onto PSP and NDS and as an avid supporter of Harvest Moon series, I wanted to try every edition they have in the store. I have picked up the Boy & Girl, Innocent Life for the PSP and Rune Factory for NDS. Boy & Girl series is exactly the same as Back to Nature but this time the player can play as a girl character in the game. Everything is the same except you can dress up and flirt around with the guys in town. I actually prefer this titles since I can bring the console around and play whenever is possible. During one of the festival in spring, you can dress up as a goddess and join in the dance which is totally new to me.

Innocent Life is a game that presents Harvest Moon in a different way as everything is so futuristic. You have better looking graphics, a new art style (nicer bedroom and farm). However, after few a hours into it, I wanted to cry badly. It has become a typical RPG where you have to complete the quest and explore the island. It has strayed away from the old fashion farming style which the players enjoy very well.

With all the great games in the market, I am sure Natsume will try to create a better version which combines most of the enjoyable part. I am surprised to know that they are launching a new game soon in Wii U. From what I have seen from the video during their E3 demo, I can't say much about it but this game will be a combination of their classic style and the present one. (64,SNES,Back To Nature, Lost Valley) The new title will be Harvest Moon Memories of Seeds.

Honestly the demo did not amaze me but with all the hype around I am sure this one will turn out to be a great game too. I will be waiting for the release then. Please enjoy one of the video of the game demo. 