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Review: 'Harvest Moon: Back to Nature'

From...

January 29, 2001
Web posted at: 2:09 p.m. EST (1909 GMT)

by Cheat Monkey

GALLERY

(IDG) -- For those of you who never played the Super Nintendo version, "Harvest Moon" is not an RPG. It is more "SimFarm" than "Final Farmtasy," so anyone expecting an 'RPG for the whole family' complete with magic and airships will be sorely disappointed.

The game begins with your character at his grandfather's old farm, which has become a mass of weeds and rickety sheds. The task at hand is to make the farm profitable again, and that means work, work, and more work. Rebuilding the farm requires daily weeding, watering, wood-cutting, feeding, and even dog-hugging. "Harvest Moon" is not for the impatient.

Lest you think that the game is outright boring, however, there are quite a few ways to break the monotony. Your character interacts with the nearby village, runs errands, does favors, and generally chats the day away. If you work at it enough, your character could even marry one of the available maidens. Festivals are also held each season, leading to a collection of great mini-games; Chicken Sumo and The Tomato Festival are even more fun than they sound.

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In the end, "Harvest Moon" is not a game for the "Street Fighter" crowd. It requires a large time investment, but for those willing to put in the time, it can be quite rewarding.

Graphics: A combination of simple 3-D models and 2-D character art gives "Harvest Moon" a distinctly cartoonish look that works well.

Sound: The game's tunes range from ear-bleedingly tinny to strangely catchy, supported by a solid but unspectacular assortment of sounds.

Controls: The controls are simple and effective, but activities like picking up an egg can be an exercise in frustration.

Fun Factor: "Harvest Moon" isn't for the impatient gamer, but those who stick with it long enough will discover its rustic charm.