Harvest Moon 64
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| Harvest Moon 64 | |
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| Developer(s) | Victor Interactive Software |
| Publisher(s) | Natsume Co., Ltd |
| Platform(s) | Nintendo 64 |
| Release date | JPN February 5, 1999 |
| Genre(s) | Farm simulation |
| Mode(s) | Single-player |
| Rating(s) | ESRB: E (Everyone) |
| Media | Cartridge |
Harvest Moon 64 (牧場物語2 Bokujou Monogatari Tsuu, lit. Ranch Story 2 ?) is a farm simulation video game developed by Victor Interactive Software and published by Natsume Co., Ltd for the Nintendo 64 video game console. It was first released in Japan on February 5, 1999, and was later released in North America in November 30, 1999. It is the third game in the Harvest Moon series. Most of the characters are descendants of the characters from the very first Harvest Moon game. The characters from this game (mainly the woo-able women) were transferred to become most or all of the characters in Harvest Moon: Back to Nature (and its girl remake and their later dual port), and Harvest Moon: Friends of Mineral Town (and its girl version).
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[edit] Gameplay
The objective of Harvest Moon 64 is to take over your grandfather's farm, which was left in disarray since his death, with weeds, stones, and tree stumps littering the farm land. The game operates on an accelerated time; a single day lasts very little time, and each season only lasts for 30 days. To get a quality evaluation, the player must cultivate and ship crops, raise quality animals, interact with the other villagers, get married, and have a baby. The player starts out with the bare minimum features for the farm - a small house, a shipping bin, a barn for sheep and cows, a barn for chickens, a silo, a shed, and farm land. The player's house contains a television, which can tell the player the next event, the weather, and other information; a bed which the player can use to end the day and/or save; a journal, containing miscellaneous statistics; a calendar, which shows the date; and a toolbox, for storing tools.
Outside of the player's farm are a variety of locales. The most active locale is the Flower Bud Village, which contains a church, a bar, a bakery, a town square, a flower shop, a library, a tool shop, and other areas of interest.
[edit] Animals
There are many types of animals, and two classes: livestock and pets. They require food and tender loving care, but livestock more so; because unlike pets, they can die. Livestock that can be bought and raised in the game include chickens, cows, and sheep. The player can make money by raising the animals; by selling the chickens' eggs, the sheeps' wool and the cows' milk.
[edit] Pets
The dog once belonged to the original owner of the ranch, but now it is the playable character's responsibility to take care of it. The dog can participate in the Dog Race later in the game. After a certain event, it can also father puppies.
The horse is obtained from one of the other characters in the game. The horse can participate in the Horse Race later in the game as well.
[edit] Vegetation
Planting, growing, and harvesting crops is one of the main focuses of the Harvest Moon series. All plant-life found in the game fall into three categories: vegetables, flowers, and grass. Seeds can all be purchased at the Flower Shop in the village.
Farmable crops include turnips, cabbage, corn, potatoes, eggplant, strawberries, and tomatoes. Each crop has different sowing seasons, cultivation time, and selling price. They must be watered to grow, and can only be planted in tilled soil.
[edit] Tools
The five most basic tools are in the playable character's inventory from the start. These tools once belonged to his late grandfather, who received them from a friend. After a certain amount of use, they will be upgraded automatically, allowing the player to "charge" a tool's power for several seconds before using it. This technique, though energy-consuming, decreases the time needed for farmwork in general.
In addition to these five basic tools, the player can also obtain a fishing pole during the game.
[edit] Girls, Marriage, and Raising a Family
One of the many features of the game is the ability to marry a woman and have a child. Each girl also has an admirer that the player competes with. The player can give gifts to the other admirers to get them to marry the other girls.
Each girl has an event that will also bring the player closer to them. The player can also go to the Goddess Spring, give an offering to summon the Goddess, and ask for "love" as their wish.
There are six different color hearts that appear when the player talks to a potential bride:
- White: Indifferent
- Blue: Friendly
- Green: Stirring feelings
- Yellow: Likes you a lot
- Pink: In love with you
Then, the player must purchase a kitchen from the mountain carpenters. To have a child, the player must buy the baby bed, also bought from the Carpenters. Once the relationship enters its final stage, the player must purchase a "Blue Feather" in order to propose to the woman of his choice.
Thirty days after the wedding, the wife will feel uneasy and say she's pregnant. Sixty days later, the wife will be ready to give birth. The baby (it's always a boy) can grow until he wears clothes, walks, and talks.
There are five women who the playable character can wed, each who have different hobbies and interests:
[edit] Karen
Karen can be the easiest or the hardest girl to impress. She is often rude towards strangers and initially is not very talkative. Her father, a gruff and irritable farmer, owns the vineyard, so she appreciates gifts of wine or wild berries. She and her father seldom get along, and her only real friends are Kai (a worker on the vineyard) and Ann. It is also noted in the game that Cliff is her cousin. Once she is befriended, she will begin to be more open, even saying her dream was to be a famous dancer. Somewhat of a wine connoisseur, Karen waitresses nights at the local bar and is the town champion in the customary New Year's drinking contest. Her other male admirer is Kai, the vineyard worker. Her birthday is the 29th of winter. If you do not befriend her, she will eventually leave for the city. An easy way to become her friend is to show her your dog 250 times (every 50 times she will increase of a heart, NOTE: you can show her all in the same day; there is also a cheat... if you show keep showing her your dog at the bar when it is open then you can change her black heart --- to a red heart to marry her!)
She made a reappearance on Back to Nature, Friends of Mineral Town (Boy & Girl Versions), and Harvest Moon DS.
[edit] Maria
Maria is a modest and thoughtful girl who works as the local librarian. She is the daughter of the mayor of Flower Bud Village. She is initially very quiet and shy, but will open up more as your relationship with her grows. She is terrified of dogs and loves to study insects, much to the chagrin of the other girls in town. Maria is fond of cabbage, and will even give the player a recipe if she receives one. Since she rarely leaves her haven at the library, Maria is happy when people come to visit there. She is a talented organist, and can sometimes be found playing at the church. If the player marries Maria, her mother takes over as librarian. Harris, the mailman, is her love rival with the player. Maria's birthday is the 11th of Winter.
[edit] Ann
Ann lives at Green Ranch and adores animals, especially horses. She has a protective older brother named Gray. Ann's family raises every kind of livestock available at their ranch, so she is an expert at caring for sheep, cows, and chickens. She gives the player a pony that the player can raise and use in the horse races. The mention of wild animals, however, is one of the few things that can dampen her usually high spirits. She is cousins with Rick, a gadget inventor (a role which Ann had in the Super Nintendo game). She loves corn and wool. She'll also become warmer if the player wins the horse races and befriends Gray. Cliff, a wanderer and Karen's cousin, is Ann's suitor. Her birthday is the 14th of Summer.
[edit] Elli
Elli is a warm and generous young woman who runs the local bakery with Jeff. She also takes care of her ailing grandmother, as her mother and father are deceased. Though Elli is a wonderful cook, she particularly likes gifts of food items, such as eggs, milk, and fish. She also loves strawberries and will be flattered if the player buys cake or pie from the bakery. Her other potential is Jeff, the bakery owner. Elli's Birthday is the 1st of Fall. She also makes an appearance in the Harvest Moon game for Wii (Harvest Moon: Tree of Tranquirity) as an apprentice baker.
[edit] Popuri
Popuri is a sunny, upbeat girl who helps her mother and father raise and sell vegetables. Her mother Lilia is the local florist, and her father is a botanist. She loves flowers, especially pink catmint flowers, and will be overjoyed if the player plants them in his fields. Another of her favorites she likes to receive are strawberries. Popuri often journeys to the mountains to pick wild flora, and has a favorite spot at the very top of the northern peak. Her potential other is Gray, Ann's brother. Popuri's birthday is the 22nd of Spring.
[edit] Festivals
In Harvest Moon 64, like many other games in the series, there are various festivals the player character may participate in. These include, but are not limited to, the Harvest Goddess festival, the Horse Race, Dog Race, and cow competitions.
[edit] Reception
IGN rated the game at 8.2, or "impressive", saying that though the graphics and sound could be much better, the game is addictive.[1]
[edit] References
- ^ Marc Nix (November 28th, 2000). Harvest Moon 2. IGN. Retrieved on 2008-02-12.
[edit] External links
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