Harvesting crops by the light of the moon (Harvest Moon - A Wonderful Life (GC))

Member Name: mchitty

Product:	Harvest Moon - A Wonderful Life (GC)
Date:	02/11/08 (113 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Fun gameplay, cute graphics

Disadvantages: Hasn't got that much lasting appeal

The Harvest Moon games have been great ever since they originally appeared on the Gameboy. All following the same basic formula, the idea is to build and maintain your own farm, selling your produce in order to afford better machinery and become generally rich.

Gameplay in Harvest Moon is generally really busy. Each day (which comes around pretty quickly, as game time is faster than real time) you have to water your crops, feed, milk and pet your cows, collect eggs from your chickens (and feed them), as well as feed yourself (I tend to go fishing) and try and save up to afford farm upgrades such as a cheesemaking building. You can also buy new seeds to plant new crops - you soon learn that some crops sell better than others, and some crops grow better in certain seasons than others. It's all about trial and error!

On the side, you interact with your buddies in the nearby town and try and become friends with them - or try and woo your potential love interests! Interaction is very simple and usually involves giving gifts, e.g. an egg from your farm.

The fun of Harvest Moon lies in this repetitive and busy nature, and the feeling of building and developing something. It's great after you've played it for a while, and you realise that your farm is improving, and you're buying more animals, and you can nearly afford that milking machine...

I will never forget my experience with this game 18 months or so ago. I was playing A Wonderful Life on my Wii, but I didn't have a Gamecube save card. So basically, I was leaving the console on. All the time. After two almost solid days of playing, I'd built a brilliantly successful farm, was incredibly rich, and had got just got married. Of course, this didn't last, as that night of all nights, there was a power cut, washing away all of my hard work! So yes, make sure you save your game often!

The graphics are okay but nothing special. The 3D environments and characters are pretty and cartoonish, and to be honest perfectly suited to the style and mood of the game.

The one issue I have with Harvest Moon is longevity. Once you've built up your farm to top-notch status, there is very little left to do. And there is little motivation to start again from scratch. However, on your first go, it's a blast!

Overall, Harvest Moon is a great game, especially for kids. It may not be for some, as there is very little action so to speak of, but it's definitely worth a go if it sounds like it might be your cup of tea!

Summary: Overall building up a farm and chatting with the townsfolk is fun and rewarding