"Don't under-estimate this game"

Harvest Moon is probably the best game i have ever played. You'll find out why if you read this review and play the game itself. You'll love this, if you're like me.

Story- 8/10

Not much here. But hey, it's a farm! Wow! Cows! Chickens! It's a Kansas dream come true! here's the story. your parnts are old farts and they decide to leave the farm to you for awhile. 2 1/2 years to be exact. In this time, you must improve your trashpile-of-a-farm into a prospering wonderland. It's not a great story, but it's still a story!

Pros-
Fairly good story
Your parents are idoits

Cons-
the story dosen't progress at all

Gameplay- 10/10

The gameplay is too good to be true! In the beginning of theg ame, you have a rundown, trashed farm (some responsible parents, huh?) and you must make a little bit of money to start planting. The controls are basic... you carry 2 tools, A is to pick up, B is to run, Y is to use a tool, and X is to change tools. As theg ame goes on, you must run the farm on a daily basis, like you always do. It gets rather difficult, especoally with a fun field, and maximum animals. if you're a charming guy, you can date girls, and marry them. You can even have kids, which your wife will take care of. oh, there's so much more i could tell you, but, we must move on

Pros-
fun
easy to control
great festivals and minigames

Cons-
Characters act like robots
Very Frustrating and Repetive
Glitches are everywhere

Sound- 9/10

The music soundtrack is small, but very detailed. each season has a different tune. at night there are just sound effects. The town, Mountain, and Farm all have different tunes. While the farm tunes change through the year, the other areas remain the same. The sound effects are cheesy, but very well used.

Pros-
Somewhat wide soundtrack
fun, classic music that we know and love

Cons-
VERY repetive
bad SFX
Text sound effect is annoying

Graphics- 7/10

The graphics are basic, but they belong that way. all characters are colorful and 16-bit. Cows and Chickens are very cute-looking. Some people are ugly, though. Everyone has only eyes on their faces, with a few exceptions. Some characters are glitchy.

Pros-
Colorful and easy to see.

Cons-
Glitchy and fuzzy
Text errors galore

Overall- 10/10

This game is great for you simulaton lovers. Not for actions player, of course. Overall, you will get a kick out of this game. and, although it's about farming, you should never overlook this. if it interests you, give it a try. Try the sequels for other systems as well. This would be great on the GBA.

The good...
Fun, funny, and Exciting
60+ hours of gameplay
You'll never put the controller down
Would go great on the GBA

The bad...
Action players, stay away
very repetive

And the ugly...
Ellen's Parents

Reviewer's Score: 10/10, Originally Posted: 10/30/01, Updated 10/30/01