Harvest Moon
Reviewed by Danielle L.
I know, I know. It sounds kind of bogus at first. A farming sim? Sounds about
as exciting as watching paint dry.... well, IT'S NOT! This game takes an
otherwise boring idea and turns it into a highly addictive, involving, and
extremely fun game, and the bonus is that its completely non-violent
(try finding any other RPG that can claim that virtue). You are Jack, a
young boy who has recently found himself in charge of his parent's farm.
You have 2 and a half years to grow crops, raise animals, make friends,
add on to your house, get rich, get married and have a baby... all before
your parents come back. And on the way to this goal, you will have some
of the highest quality of fun to be found on the Super Nintendo.
Graphics: 8 out of 10
Not too bad at all. The environmental graphics are to die for. The
animals look realistic, the land is perfectly textured, and even the
plants you grow are a nice blend between breathtaking realism and
cartoony fun. The buildings are very well done (since this isn't a side
scroller, they had to look semi-3D), and the main character that you
control is drawn very well. The animation is flawlessly. You can be milking
a cow, wielding a hoe, or going fishing, and the frames don't skip a beat.
The rain and snow effects are also brilliantly achieved. The only problem
is the fact that a few of the characters are too blocky looking. Come on,
this game was made in 1996, it shouldn't look so pixilated.
Music and Sound: 7 out of 10
For the most part, the music is excellent. The music changes according
to season to get you into the mood, and the music played at festivals is
appropriately cheery. The animal effects, from the moo of cows and the
crow of chickens is also excellent. When you use tools, they make an
appropriate sound, from the thwack of your axe chopping a stump to the
swish of your sickle in the grass, the SFX work very well. The only problem
I had was the fact that the music while you're in town is a bit irritating
after awhile. There's some funky screechy violin stuff going down that
we could have done without.
Game Challenge: 10 out of 10
It will be very difficult to accomplish everything you need to do in the
short amount of time. Growing crops is relatively easy, but you have to
plan out what you will grow, how you will grow it, and how you will take
care of it to make the most amount of money possible. You also have to
decide your goal: Will you be a bachelor, or a family man? Will you be a
crop farmer or a dairy farmer? You have to learn, many times through trial
and error, what path will bring you the most money and/or fun. One of the
most difficult parts of this game is getting married. You have to make enough
money to buy your girl presents, and have enough time to flirt with her. You
also have to learn about what she likes and doesn't like, and you have to
know where she is at all times so you can flirt with her. And even then,
you may not be able to marry her. The side quests, from winning festival
contests to collecting power berries also add to the challenge.
Game Play-Fun: 8 out of 10
I couldn't rip myself away from it even if I tried. There's so much to do
in this game that you rarely get bored. However, there were times in
winter, when I had no crops to take care of, that I noticed things were
getting a little monotonous. Wake up, take care of chickens, go to sleep,
repeat. It gets dull in the winter, but that's the only drawback to an
otherwise insanely addicting game.
Frustration
The only real frustration is when your animals get sick, or when the
girl you want to marry doesn't love you yet, but those flaws don't
detract from the fun of the game, they just keep it from being too easy.
Replayability: 10 out of 10
There is a lot to do in this game, so it will keep you occupied for quite
some time. You need to do so many things, that even after your 2 and a
half years is up, you will still need to go back and finish getting all of
the items, getting married, having kids, etc. It will definitely keep you
coming back for more.
Game Value: 6 out of 10
Now this is a little hard to determine. Even though I love this game, I
tried to buy it on ebay and was outbid. The final price for it was $70
(cartridge only!) I only bid $20. I don't think any video game is worth
that much, especially not a game for an obsolete system. However, if
this game were the same price as most normal used SNES games (about
15 bucks) It would definitely be worth it! But, rent it if you don't have
70 dollars, and you won't be disappointed.
Overall: 8 out of 10
You will love this game, you will love this game, and once again, you will
love this game. This is the game that will make you wipe the dust off of
your old SNES just to play it for 24 hours straight. Its a nice change of
pace from shooting aliens, and its a lot of fun at the same time!