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Revisiting: HARVEST MOON (for upcoming Wii version)

Smiles and Cries

Smiles and Cries

Member
I know many of you here on GAF have played the old Harvest Moons.
My last one was on the N64, I gave the game up after playing 3 years of "game time".

It seems like since these old games Harvest Moon has really become advanced.
I want to know how do you still keep track of all the tasks and animals you have to take care of in this game, taking a "real time" clock into consideration?

Look at all these damn cows and sheep?

How does anyone make time for all of this?

How can I manage it?

What are some other changes in this game I should be aware of before purchase?

PantherLotus posted a whole bunch of images for the Wii version in his pics thread
http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showthread.php?t=119261&page=59

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Here's some info:

Tree of Peace takes place on an island that is home to a goddess and a great tree. One day, the tree suddenly goes extremely dry and the goddess disappears. The Sprites, a group of helper creatures, call upon the player to farm the land, build relationships with other characters and, eventually, revive the tree and bring back the goddess.

All farming chores will be performed with direct controller motions. To till the player's garden's soil, for instance, they will swing the controller like a hoe. To water their plants, players will tilt the controller downwards as they would a bucket. The controller is expected to be used similarly when fishing and taking care of animals.

A few face buttons will be used as well. Left and right on the d-pad will be used for cycling between tools. Pushing down on the d-pad will disable all tools. The A button will be used to perform an action of some form; it has been presumed that this will be a general button for speaking with people or entering buildings.

Tree of Peace will include cows, sheep, goats, chickens, a dog, and a white cat. The Game's Japanese website shows pictures of: cows, horses, sheep, monkeys, bears, chickens, dogs, ostriches, and another animal lacking immediate identification (most likely an ermine), but it is not clear what the roles of some of these animals will be in the game.

You'll also use motion controls for two mini games: fishing and horseback riding. For fishing, you raise the Wiimote up and down to send out your line into the water. After a fish has bitten, you press A to bring it in. During the horseback riding sequences, you shake the nunchuck controller to adjust your speed as you aim to beat others to the goal.

In addition to the mini games, the Wii version of Harvest Moon will feature all the Harvest Moon style gameplay we've come to expect, right down to the ability to raise a family and produce offspring, who will then help out with your farming chores.

Previews:

http://au.wii.ign.com/articles/744/744005p1.html

http://www.1up.com/do/previewPage?cId=3154898
 
It seems to have changed a lot. I need some tips and impressions on how time is managed in these newer Harvest Moons?

If I slack off does my Cows die? and other things like that...

Thanks Alkaliine, I think I will pick this one up but still feel a bit worried about how to manage this game.
 
Smiles and Cries said:
It seems to have changed a lot. I need some tips and impressions on how time is managed in these newer Harvest Moons?

If I slack off does my Cows die? and other things like that...

Thanks Alkaliine, I think I will pick this one up but still feel a bit worried about how to manage this game.
Click to expand...

No problem.

I would give you more info but that's pretty much all i can find, as we near the Japanese release date I'm sure more info and impressions will come out.

But for now I will say that those screens look awesome and this game could turn out really good if the gameplay (inc. controls) is backs them up.
 
as long as there's lots of events and festivals to take part in this one will be amazing. the island looks huge compaired to the areas in previous games. 3d grass, moving clouds that cast shadows on everything and foliage that sways in the wind... the game is one of the best on wii visually. hopefully there's some nice weather effects (typhoons, etc) and they bring back collecting wood. breaking rocks seems to have returned so i have high hopes.


my dream harvest moon would let you beat your animals to death with your axe or hammer. would also be cool if you could take your kid outside the farm and leave him in a ditch...
 
big_z said:
my dream harvest moon would let you beat your animals to death with your axe or hammer. would also be cool if you could take your kid outside the farm and leave him in a ditch...
Click to expand...

What sort of weirdo are you? :p
 
canocha said:
WOW what happened to harvest moon?! It looks really good now!

Just needs 16:9
Click to expand...


maybe yous hould look into the psp version (innocent life: a futuristic harvest moon), which looks better than the wii game imo.
 
ram said:
maybe yous hould look into the psp version (innocent life: a futuristic harvest moon), which looks better than the wii game imo.
Click to expand...

Just did that.. and the only thing that seems better are the colors! But thats just me...
 
canocha said:
Just did that.. and the only thing that seems better are the colors! But thats just me...
Click to expand...

The colours look like shit (i.e. washed out) in these screencaps because they are not framebuffer grabs. They are done using capture equipment on a PC (the interlacing absolutely gives it away) which is why they are so washed out. No idea why they chose not to do framebuffer grabs from the devkit, but as with any PC capture solution that isn't thousands of dollars, the colours are going to look like crap. As I stated in the other thread, and in the Spiderman 3 Wii thread (with IGN's horrible captures), you can expect the final game to look quite a bit more vibrant.

The PSP version doesn't look better than this, that taken for what it's worth.
 
Smiles and Cries said:
big_z said:
my dream harvest moon would let you beat your animals to death with your axe or hammer. would also be cool if you could take your kid outside the farm and leave him in a ditch...
Click to expand...
What sort of weirdo are you? :p
Click to expand...
(neutral) big_z
Member
(Today, 03:19 AM)
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Harvest Moon SNES is one of my all-time favourite games but after the N64 game I haven't really been that interested in HM, I have high hopes for this one and it looks great so I can't wait for some more info to come out for it.

And yeah hopefully lots of festivals and events in this one, A Wonderful Life was so boring and repetitive, the festivals are a nice change of pace.
 
ram said:
maybe yous hould look into the psp version (innocent life: a futuristic harvest moon), which looks better than the wii game imo.
Click to expand...
WTF? The PSP game looks like complete and utter shit. They should've kept it on 2D backgrounds.
 
Hey, I just bought Harvest Moon: Magical Melody to play on the Wii, because I needed my Harvest Moon fix for the year. Damn is that good. They fixed everything that ever needed refining in a Harvest Moon game, and added a lot of neat features like land-buying, rival farms, and other cool stuff. Hopefully this new Harvest Moon brings more of the same. I think this is the first time I've ever seen a Harvest Moon game that actually looks good graphically as well.
 
I expected something to look very much like the former Harvest Moon games, but this one certainly has my attention at the moment. If it's anything like the last Harvest Moon GameCube game, Europe might not see a release in the first place though.
 
Is the series fun enough?

I have never bought a Harvest Moon, but thanks to Animal Crossing Wild World I'm into this type of games now. Looking forward to MySims, and this looks interesting and fun. How is it?
 
Harvest Moon is great, I played loads of the first one on SNES. They didn't bring the N64 to aus, so the next one I played was the GC and then the GBA one. I didn't get into them as much, but its not as bad as animal crossing where if you leave the game for a significat period of time your town falls apart.

Is there any word of this working through online? Running around different peoples towns would be really really awesome.
 
Harvest Moon has more hits and misses than any other game series I can think of. Hopefully the Wii version will play good.
 
Man, i´d love to see a Harvest Moon with a deeper "love-system". You know, getting in love with more than 2 girls, then either your first girl leaves or you can get both girls to get along with each other and yourself :D

But, well...have there every been real changes compared to the original SNES Harvest Moon? I mean...planting plants, caring for animals and marrying a girl, together with one secret place set anywhere in the game world.
Anything new in this HM?
 
MasterMFauli said:
Anything new in this HM?
Click to expand...

Besides what the 2nd post has already mentioned:

- You can raise Ostriches and ride them like horses
- Your wife and child will help you with farmwork


If you watch the uploaded Tv Commercial on MMV's site, you can get a glimps of the main character riding an Ostrich.

There hasn't been any information yet as to if there's going to be online play.
 
Cherubae said:
Besides what the 2nd post has already mentioned:

- You can raise Ostriches and ride them like horses
- Your wife and child will help you with farmwork


If you watch the uploaded Tv Commercial on MMV's site, you can get a glimps of the main character riding an Ostrich.

There hasn't been any information yet as to if there's going to be online play.
Click to expand...
lol I thought u were joking, I would've thought they'd bring in some more normal farm animals first but it still looks cool.

Is the series fun enough?
Click to expand...

yes, IMO Harvest Moon > Animal Crossing
 
i loved Harvest Moon on GBA, and i really want to try Magical Melody on GC, but because of Wonderful Life, it made me step back from any console Harvest Moon... :(
 
You know what Harvest moon needs? More depth.

I'm a huge fan of the series since it began in the SNES. And I've seen just little improvements, being Back to Nature the most significant leap of them all. I also love FoMT for the GBA, and I've been playing it since last Saturday. I love it as much as I love BtN.

Some things that this game needs to implement ASAP.

-An alarm clock, so you an decide when to wake up, may it be to plant new crops, cut the grass, clean the field, whatever you want to do.

-A really, (and I mean it, really) improved animal AI system. Taking 16 barn animals to feed outside has never been an easy task in Harvest Moon. They need to ease thing up so the game becomes more enjoyable.

-A freaking TRACTOR: And I know you will definitely agree with me on this one. As soon as you become familiarized with your field, you'll require heavy machinery to prepare a large area for an specific crop. So, for the love of God, we need tractors.

-Machinery: For watering, fertilizing, etc. You name it.

One of the big problems with the developers of Harvest Moon is the fact that they just don't want the game to reach new heights. They have a gold mine, but they don't know what to do with it.

Just imagine what better motive to keep you farming for more than 2 years than having the opportunity to become a recognized farmer. Having the chance to export your crops. I don't know. You know, there's real life if you need a point of reference for christ sake
 
big_z said:
my dream harvest moon would let you beat your animals to death with your axe or hammer. would also be cool if you could take your kid outside the farm and leave him in a ditch...
Click to expand...



I like the way you think.

I figured I was the only one who made death rollercoasters in Rollercoaster Tycoon, and grew bored of TheSims and Animal Crossing when I found out there was nothing cruel or torturous I can do.

I think it would be cool if you could kill your livestock, gut them up in the barn using my wiimote, and then cook them over a fire to eat, rotating them slowly with my wiimote.
 
gimz said:
i loved Harvest Moon on GBA, and i really want to try Magical Melody on GC, but because of Wonderful Life, it made me step back from any console Harvest Moon... :(
Click to expand...

Magical Melody >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Wonderful Life

That alone should hopefully entice you to return to Harvest Moon
 
Garcia said:
Some things that this game needs to implement ASAP.

-An alarm clock, so you an decide when to wake up, may it be to plant new crops, cut the grass, clean the field, whatever you want to do.
Click to expand...

In Innocent Life you can either wake up at 6am or 4am.

Garcia said:
-A really, (and I mean it, really) improved animal AI system. Taking 16 barn animals to feed outside has never been an easy task in Harvest Moon. They need to ease thing up so the game becomes more enjoyable.
Click to expand...

In Innocent Life the animals are automatically outside when the weather is good, and inside when the weather is bad. You don't even have to feed them.

Garcia said:
-A freaking TRACTOR: And I know you will definitely agree with me on this one. As soon as you become familiarized with your field, you'll require heavy machinery to prepare a large area for an specific crop. So, for the love of God, we need tractors.
Click to expand...

In Innocent Life you have a robot which can prepare the fields. You have to till the soil manually, though. You can even build rails for your baskets, which is really great if you have to harvest many vegetables and fruits.

Garcia said:
-Machinery: For watering, fertilizing, etc. You name it.
Click to expand...

The robot can even water all your plants.



In short: Innocent Life seems like the perfect HM game for you. ;)
 
Innocent Life is great, an awesome experiance really, that I wasn't expecting. I think it's just as good as AWL, but it has it's flaws.

Something to do: during the day there is nothing to do beside either crops or progressing in the story (when it allows you to). AWL had digging and fishing and whatnot and little adventures with the town folk. This stuff is missed.

Family: Getting hitched and the gameplay implications around character relationship building and subsequent family developments is soley missed. This takes the most away from the charm and feels slightly sterile.
 
MySims pulls off this art style a lot better, and that's only pretending to be Japanese. The outdoor environments notably don't seem to match the rest.
 
The art direction looks a good bit better than before. Didn't like what A Wonderful Life and Magical Melody did with the style. I looking forward to it.
 
I hope it dosent have Wii Gesture controls. I hate Wii Gesture controls.

Now, if you want to let me Hoe the fields dynamicly, and dig exactly how I want then sweet. But if i have to swing the Wiimote to make the onscreen character do the exact scripted dig animation to dig the exact same hole, then forget it.
 
Linkup said:
The art direction looks a good bit better than before. Didn't like what A Wonderful Life and Magical Melody did with the style.
Click to expand...
I thought Wonderful Life style was alright, the problem was their engine was so detestingly bad it made it look like poop. This one has the reverse problem, I can't stand the art, but it at least looks adequately rendered.

That said, it's a good question what the series could turn into if it got a half decent budget for a change. There's so much potential (especially with expanding online) but I doubt we'll see it until well into 2010 (assuming the series is still around then).
 
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