"Guide to being a Farmer"

"Guide to being a Farmer"

Harvest Moon should be taught at farmer's schools all over the world. It is the basic essentials to a farmer's life, bringing you to the use of the simpler things in life than a gigantic truck driving through a field and doing all of the work.
Plot - 5/10
Really, the only plot you will see is the plot of land you will farm. You are taking care of dead gramp's farm. A little story here and there with the villagers and you're pretty much set for the rest of your life.

Graphics - 8/10
Knowing that it is an SNES game, graphics are pretty good. You get to move around in the basic compass directions and you can figure out how to pull of the angles by alternating direction keys. Its pretty color wise, giving it a slightly childish look. The animals are cute too, though they aren't exactly too realistic. The graphics won't annoy you, if that is anything. You can make it through the game without wishing you were blind.

Sound/Music - 7/10
You here the text as it types, which bothers me. The music is a seasonal thing, changing in each one. Town sounds a little different than the rest of the maps, though it doesn't change every season. There is a loud echo whenever you cut down tree stumps for wood. All of the rest of the tools have their own sounds too, including the seeds you throw on the floor in a 3X3 square. Not too many points for sound, but the sound covers the necessities. Season wise, it does fit the moods, with a little more down and blue music in winter compared to the up-beat summer.

Gameplay - 8/10

You farm... and then some. Not only are you stuck plowing and watering your crops all day, but you get to go out to the mountain side to cut down some tree stumps, break a rock or 100 (they regenerate whenever you leave the screen), throw your animals in places you will never have to see them again (I used to drop off my dog in the city and once I left a chicken at the mountain side for a year.) There is always something to do, though mainly you are focused on maintaining your source of money. You can always go fish in the little pond to sell the fish back at home, or you can pick berries or mushrooms or whatever the seasonal vegetation may be. You can cut enough wood to fence off you entire property, and, while I'm at it, you can fence off your entire property. There is always something essential and something random to do, so the game will keep you busy (and awake through a nice potion of the night).
"Guide to being a Farmer"

Replay Value - 10/10

You will play this game for the rest of your life, even if you decide to advance to one of the latter ones from the franchise. Because there is so much to do in this game, you just have to do it all over again to remind yourself of what you did. I myself have played this game about 6 times.

Side quests - 10/10

The side quests are what keep you busy when you are just that rich. Go ahead and start yourself a wife (you can pick from a few of the town's lovely ladies). Of course, be a gentleman and have for her a huge house instead of the one you started off with. All work and no power berries makes Jake a weak boy, so go out and break a chicken or something to find those berries. And of course, sit by the little pound and fish all day, unless you want to party at a festival.

Buy or Rent?
Since it has a 10/10 replay in my opinion, just buy it. You will play it at least twice in a month, I promise. I wouldn't consider renting it since it isn't fun to have to pay for it over and over to just finish it up.

TOTALS

Plot - 5
Graphics - 8
Sound/Music - 7
Gameplay - 8
Replay Value - 10
Side quests - 10

lets see... 5+8+7+8+10+10=48
uh.. 48/6 = 8
it gets an "8"

Reviewer's Score: 8/10, Originally Posted: 10/18/06