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Ah... The Super Nintendo... Let's go back to the 90's shall we? What do you remember about the 90's? I'll tell you what I remember. I remember reading a lot of Nintendo Power, listening to rock 'n roll on cassette tapes, and playing video games. At the time there was a lot of talk about Donkey Kong Country, Street Fighter II... But none of that really mattered to me because I spent my time playing Harvest Moon.
The Harvest Moon series as most people know it today was incredibly different at its genesis. The game primarily focused on establishing and maintaining a successful farm while the social aspect took a backseat and only provided a way to take breaks from constant work.
Story
The story is about as basic as it gets. Your parents have left you the family farm and it's up to you to prove that you can be self-sufficient. You have 3 and a half years to scratch a living out of the earth and once time is up your parents return to evaluate your work.
Aaaand that's about it. The rest of the story is up to the player and the events that unfold are determined by what choices you make, what crops you raise, and who you eventually decide to marry.
...Marry? Yes, marry.
Marriage
This is the first game that I recall in which you can get married. There are a total of 5 eligible girls in the town. Each have their own personality, likes and dislikes, and their own side stories. Don't get too excited, though. Marriage doesn't provide any real in-game benefits minus getting special endings and giving you another character to talk to on the farm.
What's great about Harvest Moon on the Super Nintendo is that you can ignore the marriage aspect entirely and just focus on the farm. However, keep in mind the best ending requires being married and having two children. Oh, and while I'm talking about kids... Interacting with them is a waste of time and gets you nothing. Natsume didn't really develop any child-parent storylines for the first entry in the series so don't expect a child simulator. But let's not discuss children anymore. It's the farm that takes priority in this game.
The Farm
It wouldn't be Harvest Moon without some kind of farm involved. On your farm you get a tool shed, a cattle barn, a chicken coop, a stable, and finally your farm house. All these buildings are surrounded by your field. You're field is the area where you'll be growing your crops and your grass. Crops are a great way to maximize your profits early in the game. You have 5 crops available to grow on the farm. The first two are the Spring crops: turnips and potatoes. Then in the Summer you get tomatoes and corn.
There's one last crop: Grass. You don't sell grass. Grass can be grown from Spring and to the end of Fall and is used to feed your livestock. You only have two choices for livestock: Cattle and Chickens. Chickens cost less to startup but make significantly less money than cows.
Cattle is where the most money can be made, however, they require the most care. You not only have to keep cows fed but you also have to talk to each cow and brush them on a daily basis. Once you get a successful operation going you'll never have to bother with crops again unless you really want some corn or something.
Conclusion
(Gettin' hammered at the bar^)
This game defines what the Super Nintendo means to me. It is a very relaxing title and will remain a classic. If you want to check out this game you have many options. The first option is hunting down a cartridge. It is a very rare game and physical copies are very desirable and, as of this writing, prices hover around $75-90 for just the cartridge. If you can read Japanese, you're in luck. You can buy a Super Famicom cartridge for around $25. Your other option is emulation through your Nintendo Wii. The game is available on the Wii's Virtual Console for around $8. A fair price for a great game.
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Harvest Moon has left a legacy that spans across many different platforms and goes into different gaming generations. I am excited to bring reviews of this great series and I hope that my writings will encourage others to try out these games.
Next Review: Harvest Moon for the Game Boy Color.
