Poll: I think it's about time we finally talk about Harvest Moon

[Hectix777]

I've seen discussions on everything from Animal Crossing to Farmville, but no one on this site or any other gaming site has ever talked fully about Harvest Moon; in fact the only article I've ever been able to find on the series was from Gameinformer's Kimberley Wallace. THe article (link below) says what exactly makes the game so fun. It's about making a life and getting into a cycle of repetition. Someone may get mad at me for saying this, but on some level Harvest Moon was the precursor to Minecraft in terms of satisfaction from grinding (I know Minecraft does more stuff, just humor me). Not only that but some of my own cousins, who are in their 20's, say they still play and love this series. I mean this game has been a part of every console generation since the SNES all the way to the 3DS.

I don't know why we don't talk about it online or in public though? I mean, is Harvest Moon something to be embarrassed for liking? Why? Because of the cutesy art-style or the gameplay? Or is it because the game is about something so unconventional and unusual, a farmer starting a new life on a farm, with a family and house.

I like Harvest Moon for a lot of reasons: It's a cute art style, it's got good gameplay, it's not about murder, and it's really easy to get immersed in this subtle grind while trying to make the best farm you can and even make a family along the way. Harvest Moon is great because there doesn't really feel like there's a challenge to it, I mean there's something to do and lots of ways to do it but you don't get that world on your shoulders crushing sense of frustration from other games. It's like a handheld rock or zen garden.

I think now is a good time to start talking about this, to actually become open about this. So what's your thoughts on Harvest Moon? What was your favorite game or the one that got you into the series?

GI Article on Harvest Moon:
http://www.gameinformer.com/b/features/archive/2013/06/14/guilty-pleasure-harvest-moon-why-i-keep-tilling-lands.aspx

 

[Sack of Cheese]

My only Harvest Moon was Back to Nature on the Ps1.
I've been meaning to get back to the series but found out there were a ton of sequels. I'm not sure which one to pick up and play.

 

[Hectix777]

My only Harvest Moon was Back to Nature on the Ps1.
I've been meaning to get back to the series but found out there were a ton of sequels. I'm not sure which one to pick up and play.

If you have a 3DS get A New Beginning, it's been getting nothing but high scores on it's reviews and it actually has a worthwhile story. If you're SOL on the 3DS, Save the Homeland and It's A Wonderful Life: Special Edition are on the PSN for cheap.

YOu should get back into it, a lot of things have changed for the better.

 

[Llil]

I've played two of the games. Harvest Moon 2 on the GBC and Tale of Two Towns on the DS. I loved HM2 but after I was done with it I had no desire to play the other games. Until a few months ago when I remembered how much fun I had with it and wanted to try one of the newer ones. Based on reviews, Tale of Two Towns seemed like the best one, so that's the one I bought. And it is a lot of fun.

The games are basically just chores and bullshit, but unlike Animal Crossing, there's actually a game in there too. I think the older Harvest Moon games probably focused more on the chores and the newer ones more on the bullshit. But I do like them a lot. Virtual chores are fun for some reason.

They seem like really good handheld games, because you can just play one day at a time which takes maybe 10 or 20 minutes.

I would like to play A Wonderful Life on the Game Cube, but I don't have that system. From what I've read, that one is very different from the other games in the series in that it's a bit "darker". People grow old and die, it has some other slightly more adult themes, and it's also more difficult (apparently). It sounds really interesting, but unfortunately I haven't had the chance to play it.

 

[Tazzman]

I played friends of the mineral town and got hooked. Even though it was just doing a bunch of chores I found it relaxing and calm which made it really fun to play. I don't plan on buying any of the other games anytime soon, unless I find a huge nintendo sale in which case I'll probably pick them up, but it's definitly worth playing atleast once

 

[Miss G.]

Harvest Moon: Save the Homeland was a game I borrowed from a friend when we won a PS2 and didn't have any games or even a memory card for it. It was as it stated on the cover, 'serious fun'. I went full vegetable farmer and was so rich in the couple of hours I had for that one session. It got better when we did get memory cards and we could actually SAVE and continue our games 'cuz most of them were JRPGs borrowed from that same friend. I hadn't gotten another one since last year, Harvest Moon: A Tale of Two Towns for the 3DS. It's still serious fun.

 

[secretkeeper12]

I would like to play A Wonderful Life on the Game Cube, but I don't have that system. From what I've read, that one is very different from the other games in the series in that it's a bit "darker". People grow old and die, it has some other slightly more adult themes, and it's also more difficult (apparently). It sounds really interesting, but unfortunately I haven't had the chance to play it.

AWL is the only harvest moon I've ever gotten into. It does have its moments, but they make up about 2% of the game. The rest is mindless flower picking and crop selling. There REALLY isn't any challenge; I've gone whole chapters without growing a single plant. A basic understanding of the game will take you the whole way through. It does make for a good time, but you'd probably be better served with the handhelds. Just my $0.02.

 

[Genericjim101]

Harvest Moon is a series I loved since hearing about HM: 64 and getting to own HM: Back To Nature. I avoided the series after HM: A Wonderful Life as it became too chibi and gimmicky, but looked into it again with HM: A New Beginning as it has an appealing art style, town building, and character interaction. I've had a long wait for HM:ANB as it's only coming out in the EU on the 30th of August : /.

 

[Llil]

AWL is the only harvest moon I've ever gotten into. It does have its moments, but they make up about 2% of the game. The rest is mindless flower picking and crop selling. There REALLY isn't any challenge; I've gone whole chapters without growing a single plant. A basic understanding of the game will take you the whole way through. It does make for a good time, but you'd probably be better served with the handhelds. Just my $0.02.

That's a shame. I do like the mindless flower picking and crop selling but I think something a bit more challenging would be nice. Something like in Recettear: An Item Shop's Tale, for example. That game has really harsh time limits and you are constantly on the verge of going bankrupt. Something like that crossed with the farming of Harvest Moon could be really good.

 

[Padwolf]

Finally! It's about damn time. I actually collect all the harvest moon games, I'm only missing about 3 of them. I find them very relaxing, my current favourite one is Animal Parade. I have to say though I don't like the ones on ds very much, I don't like the art style at all. I find it very satisfying to save and work hard then get the ultimate last house upgrade. Animal Parade has a lot more to it, the people in the town are also have more to say, you also have more reason to be friends with them and help them, they have more cutscenes. You also get more scenes with your kids, and you can have two of them. Though I love making up my own stories, like how my character is at war with the Mayor. He refuses to acknowledge that I am married to his son, each year on that special event night for couples, he asks "who are you going with?" He also refuses to acknowledge his grandkids :'(

I don't know why people don't talk about them more often, I love those games and think they are great.

AWL is the only harvest moon I've ever gotten into. It does have its moments, but they make up about 2% of the game. The rest is mindless flower picking and crop selling. There REALLY isn't any challenge; I've gone whole chapters without growing a single plant. A basic understanding of the game will take you the whole way through. It does make for a good time, but you'd probably be better served with the handhelds. Just my $0.02.

That's a shame. I do like the mindless flower picking and crop selling but I think something a bit more challenging would be nice. Something like in Recettear: An Item Shop's Tale, for example. That game has really harsh time limits and you are constantly on the verge of going bankrupt. Something like that crossed with the farming of Harvest Moon could be really good.

If you want something more challenging that's like Harvest Moon, then go for it's fantasy version: Rune Factory. It's very harsh, very challenging yet at the same time it has all the charming ad relaxing qualities of Harvest Moon

 

[McMarbles]

I've only ever played the Rune Factory games, which are good, because they're like Harvest Moon, but with murder.

 

[Llil]

If you want something more challenging that's like Harvest Moon, then go for it's fantasy version: Rune Factory. It's very harsh, very challenging yet at the same time it has all the charming ad relaxing qualities of Harvest Moon

Does the challenge come from the combat and getting your character properly equipped? It looks to be that way, but it's not quite what I'm looking for. I was thinking more something like the game forcing you to optimise the production of your farm really well, and the challenge coming from figuring out how to do that. I like doing that in Harvest Moon, but there aren't any real consequences if you don't.

 

[Padwolf]

If you want something more challenging that's like Harvest Moon, then go for it's fantasy version: Rune Factory. It's very harsh, very challenging yet at the same time it has all the charming ad relaxing qualities of Harvest Moon

Does the challenge come from the combat and getting your character properly equipped? It looks to be that way, but it's not quite what I'm looking for. I was thinking more something like the game forcing you to optimise the production of your farm really well, and the challenge coming from figuring out how to do that. I like doing that in Harvest Moon, but there aren't any real consequences if you don't.

Hmm, well, yeah not much like that, the only optimisation of your farm you need to do in it is how to actually grow your crops. There is a very harsh Runey system for when you are growing crops, it's very hard to achieve crops without a guide telling you where to properly grow them. The Runeys will basically eat and kill your crops if you don't manage them properly and place them properly. Otherwise I can't quite think of any other game that's like Harvest Moon but more challenging

 

[Sack of Cheese]

My only Harvest Moon was Back to Nature on the Ps1.
I've been meaning to get back to the series but found out there were a ton of sequels. I'm not sure which one to pick up and play.

If you have a 3DS get A New Beginning, it's been getting nothing but high scores on it's reviews and it actually has a worthwhile story. If you're SOL on the 3DS, Save the Homeland and It's A Wonderful Life: Special Edition are on the PSN for cheap.

YOu should get back into it, a lot of things have changed for the better.

I'll get A New Beginning when it's released here then. Thanks!
I was gonna rebuy it on PSN for my handhelds but I realised they didn't release the game in Europe. It's sad how NTSC gets all the cool stuffs...

 

[Ashadowpie]

i've played Harvest Moon games since i was a young teenager, the first was Friends of Minteral town for the GBA on my emulator. then i got A Wonderful Life for the GC and i loved that game, even to this though, though its pretty slow. i liked how it was "realistic" with the weather patterns. it could be a sunny day one hour and then suddenly you see trickles of rain as you run back to your farm to let the cows and chickens back in before it starts pouring. then a couple hours later ingame its all sunny again. most harvest moon games the weather is consent the entire 24. so it rains alll day and night or is sunny all day and night.

im playing Harvest Moon Animal Parade and its by far the best Harvest moon game i've played. friends of mineral town is a close second.

the games are bloody addicting!

 

[Altorin]

I only really liked the original SNES one and the PS1 one. Everything else, not so much.

I liked the SNES one because it allowed you to do as much night work in a day as you needed... there wasn't any passing out and getting sick. Maybe that's less realistic, but I hate being forced to move forward when I'm not ready to.

 

[Windcaler]

Couldnt vote since theres no option for me. I originally played Harvest moon way back in the era of the SNES. I enjoyed it, in fact having been reminded of it I may go back and play it again. The thing I liked about it was you could make a life for yourself how you wanted to. Looking back I can see some places where the original could have improved but mostly because Im looking at it from today's societal perspective instead of for the 90s.

I never played later installments though because I became a PC gamer (that and I didnt learn about the PS2 HM till 5 minutes ago when I was wondering what the later installments came out on). Ive never really touched handhelds which is what the majority of them were on. I sold my Wii years ago and I probably wont be getting a WiiU which is what it'll probably show up on when a new one comes out.

I would like a new one on a system that I actually have, especially if its on PC, but somehow I doubt it'll happen

 

[RicoADF]

Whats harvest moon? I'm serious I don't know of the series though it sounds like it's a Nintendo game which may explain this.

 

[BeeGeenie]

Ah, Harvest Moon. Another reason I sometimes feel like I made a mistake going with a 360 this gen.

Great series, wish I'd played more of them.

 

[Strazdas]

A friend of mine once tried to make me play it. i tried. it was no fun, so i stopped there. i saw the TV show though.