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Rating:  -
This is a great game in the Harvest Moon series. The graphics are cute and bright the music is fun and is a pleasure to hear every day instead of a pain. The gameplay is like the rest of the games and involves crop growing and raising animals on a farm. There are plenty of festivals to enjoy throughout the year, lots of interesting characters, a variety of mini-games and a wide range of choice for marriage. The best thing about it is the ability to play as either a boy or a girl! It's a brilliant game that will keep you playing for months.
Rating: -
I bought this game with money from Christmas and now my parents are playing this game as much as or more than I am.
Rating: -
My son loves this game and has been playing it a lot. He learns about taking care of animals on his farm. It quickly has become one of his favorites.
Rating:  -
This is a great game. I asked my mother to buy it when I heard others speak of it online, and did my own research. It's a lot of fun, but whether I recommend you get it or not, depends on who you are; or who you're getting it for. While I don't think the rating is inappropriate (and trust me, I don't even like the likes of Halo), if you are getting this game for a young child, there are several things you should know before buying this game. Parents, if you are considering this game for a child about eight or younger (depending how much you baby them) I recommend you read on and gauge the characteristics of this game with your child's heart before deciding on this purchase. If you don't have a lot of time, then just skip to the "Points for Parents" section to learn a couple of items to beware of in this game; if those points don't bug you, you can read more to be sure this game is the one for you.
Fun Facts about the game:
Basically, you're a new kid in town who is looking to buy a plot of land for farming; this also comes with a plot twist concerning the Harvest Goddess. You may pick whether your character is a boy or a girl (for this game's purposes, I recommend you pick the gender that matches yours). There are three plots of land for you to choose from depending on your playing style. While the mayor, Theodore, tells you a little information on each plot, he's a little vague on the finer details of each property. If your a first time player in the series of the Harvest Moon games (like I am) then the extra information I'm about to disclose may help. While I don't consider it a spoiler, if you're sensitive about such information, then just skip ahead to "Points for Parents".
Flower Bud plot:
This land is the smallest of the three. It has good soil for crops, and is the closest plot of land to the town square ( that's to the east, and it's where most of the festivals occur). To the south is the Junk shop (a useful place for buying kitchen utensils and other tools) and to the north is a cavern for mining (useful in obtaining much needed money at the game's start). The clinic (where you wake up when you pass out) is also to the north. There are also other things further southeast, and while they aren't exactly close, they're closer from there than anywhere else. The most major downside is there isn't room for barns and chicken coops along with your house on that land, so you can't raise animals. Also, if you want to grow huge amounts of crops, this land just won't cut it; you'll have to spend a nice chunk of money on other lands to raise animals and more crops, or risk losing crops to people moving in on public lands (land anyone can normally use).
Riverside plot:
A plot of medium size. This land is the most versatile as you can grow crops and raise animals on it. It's not as close to the action as the Flower Bud plot, so you'll need to learn how to rely on your T.V. and Calendar for news on festivals (if you want to avoid wasting time). The river right to the left of your home is perfect for anglers who enjoy river fishing. Next door on the right, is the Blue Sky Ranch (a place where they sell animals and feed, as well as other supplies for them). Further south across the bridge, you'll be closer to things like Woody's workshop (where you can build houses, buy land, and other things) and the Spring Farm (where you buy seeds for crops). This is the plot of land I chose. I recommend you use it for raising animals, and use the public land just north for crops. More points are that it's closest to your rival's farm (a good example to go by for beginners), the Echo Mountains (a good place to forage), and the Harvest Goddess Spring (a place where you'll need to venture often).
Ocean Plot:
The biggest of the three plots. The best place to raise animals even though it's not as close to the Blue Sky Ranch as the River plot. It's not a good place to raise crop although, ironically, the Spring Farm is next door on the right (do you think they're the ones who made the dirt there so infertile?) Directly north you have Woody's workshop and, if you ship some ore from the mines, later you'll have the blacksmith to the west. Other good points include that the Moon Beach is right southwest (a place where some festivals are held) and that this area is the best investment for the winter month (It's close to a lake that you can fish from in all other seasons except winter; when you can cross the frozen lake and enter a mine that's full of rare goods). A huge downside is it's an even bigger hike to the town square and anything good that's near the town square. Actually, I don't recommend this lot as your first unless your in for a real challenge during the adjustment period. If you take on this challenge and don't like it then don't worry, you can buy the lots you didn't get as your first later in Woody's workshop; so I recommend buying it as your second, or even third, lot when you obtain the finances.
Points for Parents:
Two major points you'll need to get past before deciding whether or not this game is appropriate for your child:
1. While the people of this game don't die, the animals do. Chickens live two to four years (according to the game's dating methods. It's even less time in our time), sheep live three to five, and cows and horses live about four to six. Being kind to animals won't keep them from dying, but will expand there lives. If they're left out in the rain, abused, or never fed, they will get sick; and, needless to say, die without medical treatment (they sell meds at the Blue Sky Ranch). Reguardless of this, you shouldn't be afraid to care for animals as it's fun. Just make sure your child realizes that death is part of life.
2. Marriage plays a part in the game. Watch out for this. Although there are many conditions that have to be fulfilled before this even has a chance of happening, it's possible to marry another character in the game (one of the opposite gender) and even have a baby. While they don't show you anything you really shouldn't see, this process can be a little creepy to someone who is young. Be prepared to answer questions such as "Where do babies come from?" and "I did this thing called marriage, so why is this guy/girl living in my house?"
Conclusion:
I didn't do a specific good/bad points section this time because I think they're obvious. Farming is a hard life as well as romance. This game can be repetitious, but the festivals break that up and it's not a bad type of repetition anyway. I would like to close with three tips to help get you started if you get the game.
Tip 1: The in game clock only passes time if you're outside. Take advantage of this and spend as much time indoors (your house, barns, chicken coops, and the shops) as much as possible to save time.
Tip 2: The mayor gives you a feature that's especially useful at the start. Press the Z button and the grounds will gain colors. Blue land is your land, yellow is someone else's, green is public land, and red is your rival's land. Also note that this button will show your animal's names; if the name is in green, the animal has already been fed.
Tip 3: If your stuck in the game, try reading your manual. It has a good map and shares more information than other manuals. Also, if your lost, it gets late, and you just can't find your house, hit the Y button to bring up the menu (kind of a pause menu that also has a map and other important information such as how much your animals and the neighbors like you) and hit the Z button.
Rating:  -
i have been wanting this game for a long time and have read a lot of reviews on how great it is, so i finally bought it. yet once i started playing, i'll admit, i was a little disappointed! it is harder to figure out than i was expecting, i'm no gamer, but still, i thought it would be pretty easy. so i get frustrated more often than i have fun with the game. hopefully this will change if i ever get the hang of it!
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