ANOTHER Harvest Moon Game?!

[RPGD]

But this time, it's returning to it's roots:

Another Harvest Moon Coming

Publisher Natsume today announced that it is underway with another entry in its popular farm life simulator series, Harvest Moon, for GameCube. The title, called Harvest Moon Magical Melody (called Poem for Happiness: For World in Japan), is a return to the N64 roots of the series and a celebration of some 10 years of Harvest Moon, according to the company.

In Magical Melody, the Harvest Goddess has turned to stone and the Harvest Sprites have enlisted the help of players to bring her back. The game challenges farmers to collect 100 musical notes located throughout the world in order to restore the Goddess to her former self. The title serves up a multitude of crops and animals to harvest and care for respectively, as well as old and new festivals to take part in. But it also offers the option for players to buy land, upgrade their houses to different levels, and marry up to 10 different girls or boys (the player can choose to be a boy or a girl).

"Magical Melody has got a lot of what the Harvest Moon series has been over the last 10 years rolled into one package," said a Natsume spokesperson.

Interestingly enough, the Japanese Harvest Poem For Happiness: For World is actually more or less a port of the US Magical Melody, but it will ship in the Land of the Rising Sun first this November. The US build is set for a March 2006 release.

Based off what I've seen so far, it's definitely following the classic route. Practically uniform, even. In other words, I'm looking forward to this.

[marcus]

Re: ANOTHER Harvest Moon Game?!

I don't understand this article. Harvest Moon started on THE SUPER NINTENDO and it wasn't until it hit the N64 and Gameboy did I really start to hate the game. Harvest Moon was never about ZOMG COLLECTING NOTES, it didn't have this faux story, it didn't blend platforming with whatever. The point of the original HM was to make as much money as you could before your pirates got home. I really wish the developers would stop watering down such a simple yet good premise with all these additions that do nothing to the core gameplay. How are we even supposed to collect 100 notes while we're tending our farms and taking care of our wife?

Meh, I still own the original SNES game and it's the only one I've ever really enjoyed. I take the rest of the series with a grain of salt.

[DK]

Re: ANOTHER Harvest Moon Game?!

The point of the original HM was to make as much money as you could before your pirates got home.

[Goyle]

Re: ANOTHER Harvest Moon Game?!

Best. Typo. Ever.

[marcus]

Re: ANOTHER Harvest Moon Game?!

holy shi-

i'm not editing it either.

[Biggie]

Re: ANOTHER Harvest Moon Game?!

Ehh, this game was announced months ago.

[RPGD]

Re: ANOTHER Harvest Moon Game?!

Only if your father disapproves of your 2.5 years of work. Otherwise, the game will never end.

[Doyleman]

Re: ANOTHER Harvest Moon Game?!

You mean you can go forever on the SNES one?!
After all the times i played through it and 'passed it' for nothing?!
WHY?!
Okay, anyway, the 100 notes completely throws it off.... But I'll get it anyway, hoping that its better than I think.

edit:
also, my 'the farm life' game was actually based off of the SNES one in a way. I found the SNES one to be the best, despite its lack of rucksack.

[RPGD]

Re: ANOTHER Harvest Moon Game?!

Oh, wait, my mistake. You can go on forever in the GB and N64 versions. At least that's what I'm absolutely sure of.

[Doyleman]

Re: ANOTHER Harvest Moon Game?!

yeah, the N64 one you can, and in the PS version, you had to fix the farm and become friendly to the majority of the townspeople by the third year to keep going on forever. Never played a GB version yet.

[RPGD]

Re: ANOTHER Harvest Moon Game?!

The old GB version was quite a bit like the original in nearly all respects, but with plenty more crops and gadgets.

[Fayorei]

Re: ANOTHER Harvest Moon Game?!

I'm looking forward to this. My favorites were SNES and N64 versions.

[hitogoroshi]

Re: ANOTHER Harvest Moon Game?!

Wait a minute? Music notes? MUSIC NOTES?
This is going to be odd. To incorporate the farming aspect, it'll be like, "Give me some corn and I'll give you a music note."
Well, realism just died. Unless they do that in India or some third-world country.

[RPGD]

Re: ANOTHER Harvest Moon Game?!

I believed something in lieu of that when MR5's circus-y premise was revealed, but look how that turned out.

I'm willing to bet it will be dandy. The videos and screenshots appear to support my view.

[Fayorei]

Re: ANOTHER Harvest Moon Game?!

Wait a minute? Music notes? MUSIC NOTES?
This is going to be odd. To incorporate the farming aspect, it'll be like, "Give me some corn and I'll give you a music note."
Well, realism just died. Unless they do that in India or some third-world country.

I don't think the Harvest Goddess exists, and I certainly don't think you can smash a chicken statue in winter in real life to obtain a power fruit.
Not to mention the harvest sprites were in the SNES version.

These fictional elements add a lot to the game, really. Sprites fix tools, and the Goddess provides you with your golden axe in the SNES version, anyways.

Music notes seems a little farfetched, but I'm going to try it before I knock it.

I remember being surprised when the GB Harvest Moon came out. I never thought it would last this long and on so many consoles. The only bad Harvest Moon I have EVER seen was Save the Homeland on the PS2. Ugh.