Harvest Moon Part IV: Beginning of the PS2/GC Generation

A quick update on my blogs. I am terribly sorry I missed yesterdays blog. I hope the Panasonic Q one made up for it. A lot is happening VERY quickly in my life right now. I'm just getting over a nasty sickness and now I am getting prepared to move to the opposite side of the country. I will try to make these blogs come out on time though.

In this blog I will be covering the first four games of the PlayStation 2 and GameCube era.

Harvest Moon: Save the Homeland/Bokujou Monogatari: Heart ni Hi no Tsukete

This was the first Harvest Moon game for the PlayStation 2. It was also released for the GameCube. It released on the following dates: July 5 2001 (JP), October 2001 (PAL), and November 20 2001 (NA).

Even though I have fond memories of this game, I can't say there was much innovation.Although I will take some time to point out changes they did make.
Starting out, there is once again grandfather's land involved and an angry mayor who would rather have an amusement park. You have one year to fix up the park, which leaves a shorter time line than usual. I will say that the interesting thing about this game is the lack of marriage. Due to the short timeline, it makes finding a soul mate and having kids impossible. This makes this one of only a couple games from this series where you cannot get married.
You would think with the short timeline, that there would be little replay value. However, that is not the case as there are nine endings. When you beat the game you get to keep your animals and money so you can work towards getting the other endings as well.

Rarity: This game is super easy to find. It cant be found for under $10 easily and in good condition.
The Japanese version is actually a bit harder to find and will cost about $5 more. Either way, it is still pretty reasonable.

Harvest Moon: Friends of Mineral Town/Bokujou Monogatari: Mineral Town no Nakama Tachi & Haverst Moon: More Friends of Mineral Town/Bokujou Monogatari: Mineral Town no Nakama Tachi for Girl 

First things first, release dates: April 18 2003 (JP), November 17 2003 (NA), and March 26 2004 (PAL). More More Friends of Mineral Town the dates are as follows: December 12 2003 (JP), November 2004 (PAL), and July 26 2005. Why the long gaps in releasing this game...?

Both games are remakes of Back to Nature, so there really isn't much to explain here. The only details I want to go over here are the differences. First, there was connectivity to the GameCube version of Harvest Moon: A Wonderful Life via link cable. This allows for NPCs to comment about what is happening in Mineral Town and vice versa. NPCs will also travel between towns and return with new items and hints. Second, the "girl version" offers some bug fixes to the original game and has several extras. If you are going to choose between the two, I would actually choose that one.

Rarity: The NA version of Friends of Mineral Town goes for about $20-25 for just the cartridge. If you want the box and manual (used) it will cost about $50-60. The same is pretty much true of More Friends of Mineral Town. These prices lower to about $20 used, with a box and manual, for the Japanese versions.

Harvest Moon: A Wonderful Life/Bokujou Monogatari: Wonderful Life 

Okay, before I talk about my nostalgia for this game, release dates: September 12 2003 (JP), March 16 2004 (NA), and March 26 2004 (PAL). It was released for the GameCube and the PlayStation 2.

This game was pretty innovative as far as this series goes, at least in my opinion. I personally had a ton of fun when this game came out. An example of these small details are things like having goats and ducks, having a new choice of dog, there is a yeti (for no real reason), etc. It also made bigger changes such as having crops that grow better during certain seasons. You can also have hybrid crops as well. One new, pretty big feature, is that the child you have will actually grow into adulthood and will have a set of personality traits. These are influenced by who you introduce him/her too in the town and how you treat them. At the end of the game they will have career options they will choose from. If they choose rancher, they will stay on the farm to take care of it, although they will be unable to marry.

Rarity: This game is pretty cheap for either platform, going for $15-25. As per the usual, the Japanese version was a bit more cheap.

That wraps up this blog. My life has become hectic, but I have no forgotten about my blog. Please stick with me and thanks for reading!

Sources: 
http://www.ign.com/games/harvest-moon-save-the-homeland/ps2-1627
http://www.gamefaqs.com/ps2/530597-harvest-moon-save-the-homeland/data
http://www.ign.com/articles/2005/08/16/harvest-moon-more-friends-of-mineral-town
http://www.ign.com/articles/2003/11/25/harvest-moon-friends-of-mineral-town-2
http://www.ign.com/articles/2006/02/24/harvest-moon-another-wonderful-life-special-edition
http://web.archive.org/web/20100910095944/http://www.natsume.com/games/HM_wl/

Harvest Moon: Part III - PlayStation 1 and GBC Days

In this part of my Harvest Moon blog series I will be discussing three titles released during 1999 and 2000. This was the first and last Harvest Moon would see of the original PlayStation. During this time there was also another GameBoy Color game released that I will discuss. Onwards!

Harvest Moon: Back to Nature/Bokujou Monogatari Haabesetomuun (Harvest Moon)

Harvest Moon: Back to Nature/牧場物語～ハーベストムーン
I'm not going to go over the developers and publishers again, because that would be like beating a dead horse (or other farm animal). No body wants that. If you would like to catch up, please read my previous two blogs (one and two) on Harvest Moon.
What I found interesting right away was the fact that the Japanese name had "Harvest Moon" in the subtitle. There was clearly some kind of communication with the non-Japanese publisher going on here, at least for a while. Another fact to note is that this is the first Harvest Moon game to be released on a non-Nintendo console. It really speaks to how much the PlayStation had taken over the market during this time. It was released December 1999 (JP), November 2000 (NA), and January 2001 (PAL).

The story this time around is a bit more realistic. The boy visits his grandfathers farm and ends up taking care of it because his grandfather takes advantage of having him there *ahem* sorry...he was "too busy". Ten years later the boy, now grown, inherits the farm and fixes it up. If he can't fix it up in three years, the villagers and mayor threaten his due inheritance of the farm. Not sure that is their call, but hey. We need a time limit!
One thing I always noticed while playing this game and watching other let's plays to freshen up my memory is that many of the NPCs are actually from Harvest Moon 64...except they are alternate universe versions of themselves. They have new lifestyles, families, and sometimes personalities and traits.

As far as gameplay, energy is an even bigger thing this time around. The tools you are given from the start wear you out quickly, so you have to manage the time each day very well until you can upgrade them. In addition the game insists that you find a mate and start a family before the three years is up. This poor guy never gets to make decisions pertaining to HIS life. Seriously though, I actually like these upgrades because there is a bit more strategy.

Rarity: This game is actually VERY easy to find. It goes for about $35 used and $100 factory sealed. However, if you get the Japanese version you will pay $25 for the used version and about $80 for the brand new version (at most).

Additionally: I will be talking more about this game as it has been rereleased several times...as well as having a "girl version" of this game that I will be talking about in this blog.

Harvest Moon 3 GBC/Bokujou Monogatari GB3: Booi Miitsu Gaaru (Boy Meets Girl)

Harvest Moon 3 GBC/牧場物語GB3 ボーイ・ミーツ・ガール
This was the last Harvest Moon for the GameBoy Color. Kind of the end of an era. However, they went out with a bang. Once again, you can choose to be a girl or a boy. In Japan they had these on separate cartridges for some reason. Eventually they came to their senses when they released this game for the US (this did not have a PAL release as far as I know). They combined the two into a single cartridge. As always, the developers and publishers are the same. The release dates are as such: September 2000 for Japan and November 2001 for North America.

Now to the gameplay...I have to say it is better than the last two games on the GB/GBC. Once again, you have the choice to play as a boy or a girl. If you choose the boy, you end up on the farm from Harvest Moon 2 GBC for a bit. If you choose the girl you end up on an island not far from shore owned by her father. Even if you are the boy, you eventually end up on the island with the girl character. So the rest of the game takes place there. This is quite different from other Harvest Moon games as you cannot visit town whenever you want. Instead you can only visit two days a week.
Now to get into some of the more sexist details. I love these games, but this cannot be overlooked. There are several things to note if you play the girl: The girl starts out with a free cow and brush, which seems nice until you realize only the male character can upgrade tools. The male character also has more stamina than the female and if the female character marries...it is game over. You win! If the male character marries, the game continues as normal.

As much as I just bashed the game for its sexism, it is still fun to play. Now for rarity:
Once again, SUPER easy to find. the North American version goes for $10-20 used and $80-90 new. If you get the Japanese version you can get it new for $30.

Bokujou Monogatari Haabesutomuun for gaaru (Japan only)

Bokujou Monogatari Haabesutomuun for Gaaru (牧場物語～ハーベストムーン～forガール) 
This game is a bit confusing as it has been rereleased to the English speaking world several times in recent years. I will, of course, be going over this in later blogs. This game was first released during December of 2000 for Japan only.
The story revolves around the girl character who washes up on the beach near Mineral Town with amnesia. The mayor allows her to live on the farm, and fix it up, until she is better. Through the fog of her amnesia she remembers trying to find a boy and random bits of poetry.

The gameplay is basically Back to Nature. Think of this as the "girl version" of that game if you will. However, just like Harvest Moon 3 GBC, once you woo yourself a man he proposes to you and you leave the town...ending the game. Besides being a tad bit sexist, it makes the game shorter than Back to Nature, even though it is otherwise identical gameplay wise.

As for rarity, this game is also pretty easy to find. It goes for about $20 for a lightly used copy. I was unable to find any new copies at this time, but I am sure they will pop up.

That is all for this blog. Next time I will be discussing the next three games in the series.
Thanks again for reading!

Sources: 
http://www.gamespot.com/reviews/harvest-moon-back-to-nature-review/1900-2665649/
http://www.ign.com/articles/2000/11/28/harvest-moon-back-to-nature
http://www.ign.com/articles/2002/01/16/harvest-moon-3
http://www.gamespot.com/harvest-moon-3-gbc/related/release/platform/gbc/
http://harvestmoon.wikia.com/wiki/Bokujō_Monogatari:_Harvest_Moon_for_Girl
For rarity: Amazon, eBay, and Craigslist
For gameplay on games I had not played in a bit: YouTube let's plays. from various users. 

Collectible Games - The Beginnings of Harvest Moon

In this blog I will be talking about the first four Harvest Moon games: Havest Moon (duh), Harvest Moon GB, Harvest Moon 64, and Harvest Moon GBC. While most information can be found on each Wikipedia page, as usual I like to go a step beyond. I will explain basic gameplay, release dates, how rare the games are, and other random trivia. I ran into some additional development information that is also not on the English wikipedia pages for those who like a bit of trivia.

For more information on the series as a whole please check out my first blog.

Harvest Moon (North American SNES cover)

Harvest Moon/Bokujou Monogatari
The original Harvest Moon is known in Japan as Bokujou Monogatari (牧場物語), which means Farm Story/Tale. It was released there in August 1996, North America in 1997, and Europe the following January of 1998.
Although I explained at length in my previous blog that Harvest Moon was developed by Pack-in-Video/Victor Interactive (later Marvelous Entertainment), the first game was actually developed by Amccus. The only thing I could find out about them was that they produced one other game called Monstania. I am assuming that this company had something to do with Pack-in-Video, which was bought by Victor Interactive in 1996...although I know nothing for sure. Since no credit has ever been given to anyone else but Pack-in-Video/Victor Interactive for the creation of the series, this is the only guess I have.

Those of you who have played Harvest Moon games before already know the formula for the gameplay. However, for those who have not played the games I will quickly summarize. In this game you are a boy given a farm...because all small children should be given large plots of land and living animals to take care of. It is an adorable game. Do not question it. Anyways, the farm is failing and it is your job to fix it up! Your character has between 6am and 6pm to allocate time to different tasks on the farm. These tasks include planting and watering crops, buying seeds, talking to other villagers/NPCs, and feeding animals. There are even weather patterns and seasons to worry about. You sell what your animals and crops produce in town for an income. This money is used to upgrade different things around your farm, including your tools. You can also get married...I will resist rural jokes about underage marriage because it is an adorable game. 

I have seen many complaints about the gameplay not evolving as the series goes on, but I would like to inject my opinion here. It is a farm simulator. An adorable farm simulator. Simulators do not make major changes to their gameplay and that is pretty typical of the genre. Changes, however, ARE made from game to game, and they often mean a good deal to fans of the series. The makers know keeping a fanbase is like walking a very fine line. That is all I will say on the matter. 

Harvest Moon GB(GBC)/Bokujou Monogatari GB(GBC)
This is the second Harvest Moon game and the first for a handheld. It was produced by developed by Pack-in-Video/Victor Interactive and released in 1997/1998 (Japan/the rest of the world). A GameBoy Color version was released in 1998 as well. It was called Harvest Moon GBC. 

Because of the limitations of the GameBoy, crops are the main source of income. There are, however, two types of livestock: cows and chickens. In addition, you can choose a cat or dog for a pet and you get a horse for shipping items and farm work. Just like in the original, you can also upgrade your tools.
Unlike the original Harvest Moon for the SNES and the upcoming Harvest Moon 64, you can actually choose your gender. 

Harvest Moon 64/Bokujou Monogatari 2
While this game was known as Harvest Moon 64 in North America because almost every N64 game had to have that "64" attached to it, it was known as Bokujou Monogatari 2 in Japan and therefore the sequel to the original. The game was released in 1999. According to Wikipedia, it was developed by Toy Box Studios and Victor Interactive. When I clicked on the link to Toy Box Studios it sent me to Marvelous' page...
So I got a bit confused. The researcher in me got angry at the English Wikipedia page and suddenly I didn't want to waste the five years I spent learning Japanese in college. To Japanese websites I went! 
That cleared pretty much everything up. I have links up at the bottom of the page for any Japanese readers. I couldn't find any direct relation or mention of Toy Box Studios on the Japanese websites but I found a ton of copyright material for Marvelous. So I believe that clears that up pretty well. The two companies clearly worked closely on the game with both having hands in the development process. Pack-in-Video (owned by Victor Interactive) was the publisher in Japan while Natsume published and localized the game for the North American audience, as per the usual. 

The the persistent Harvest Moon development confusion out of the way, now to the gameplay.  Once again, the player is given a farm, this time by your in-game grandfather. Although feeling very much like the first game in that you need to raise crops and animals to turn a profit, there are some more RPG elements this time around. Not only is there a limited amount of time in the day to work, but your character has limited stamina. It reminds me a bit of HP in RPGs and forces the player to make more critical choices. There are also side quests this time around as well as the chance to raise a family for the first time. Once again, you have your pick of the ladies in town. However, they all have their own personalities so there needs to be a bit of strategy in the wooing process. Besides all of this there are more crops, tools, and animals.

Harvest Moon 2 GBC/Bokujou Monogatri GB2
This cute little handheld Harvest Moon was released in 1999 for Japan, 2000 for North America, and 2001 for PAL regions. Its development process was easier to track down. It was developed and produced by Pack-in-Video (Victor Interactive) in Japan with Natsume localizing it in the states.

I have not actually played this one, but if you watch let's plays it seems to be less sim like and focuses more on RPG elements such as story and getting to know towns people. The gameplay seems a bit more linear as well. Just like the previous handheld Harvest Moon, you do get the choice of gender, which is nice. The storyline is a nice change of pace too. You are given a farm to fix up and if you fail to do so the place will get turned into an amusement park by the mayor. As with all the games, you are given a limited amount of time to repair the farm. 

Rarity:
Harvest Moon - The American version goes for hundreds. If you have a PAL SNES you can find it for $50. I sadly could not find the Japanese version of the game, which is a real shame because I have a Super Famicom.
Harvest Moon GB(GBC) - This one was far more reasonable! I found the American/Japanese/PAL versions all ranging from $6-30 depending on condition. If you want new...it will cost a bit more ($1000-2000) but that is typical. Keep in mind that nearly no kid kept the boxes for GB/GBC games, so that really jacks up the prices of a new game. 
Harvest Moon 64 - This goes for about $50 used. If you get the Japanese version it is about $20-30 and that included the box. As a side note, it is almost always cheaper to get the Japanese version of an older game (with exceptions). New, the game runs about $150-300 for the North American release.
Harvest Moon GBC - This game was about $20 used and $150-300 new. However, once again if you are willing to buy the Japanese version and have a Japanese GB you can buy it nearly new with a box for about $20.

That about wraps that up! This blog ended up being far longer than I thought it would but I had a ton of fun researching for it. :) Check the bottom of the page tomorrow for my full list of sources. I wanted to get this up at the promised time, but my sources are out of order and the HTML doesn't want to accept the Japanese...so I need to fiddle with the page a bit.
Thanks for reading!

Collectible Games: Harvest Moon (Part I: It is Complicated)

Before actually delving into Harvest Moon (Bokujou Monogatari or "Farm Story/Tale" in Japan), I feel it is necessary to give some background information on this ongoing series...that has recently become two series. This has led to a lot of confusion amongst gamers, and if I am going to be honest, with myself as well. After reading up on the legal dispute though, it all makes perfect sense in the way only court battles can. So sit back while I spin you a yarn about two (or so) companies...

Bokujou Monogatari for the Super Famicon (Japan's SNES)

Back on August 6 1996 Pack-In-Video (soon to be Victor Interactive Software) released a video game for the Japanese market called Bokujou Monogatari, or "Farm Story/Tale" translated. Since Pack-In-Video just developed the game, they needed someone to actually port the thing to the North American market and translate it (Nintendo had Europe, while Pack-In-Video covered Japan).
This is where a company called Natsume comes in to localize and distribute in North America. This also means that they had the rights to the name Harvest Moon because they specifically created it for an English speaking audience and it was never used in Japan.

In 2003-4, Marvelous USA Inc. (Marvelous bought/merged with XSEED JKS Inc. ...we are going to need a flow chart)  buys Victor Interactive Software (the developer) as part of a string of company acquisitions. In November of 2004 they also created a subsidiary called XSEED Games out of XSEED JKS that will localize, publish, and distribute games for them so they do not need to hire an outside party. However, for the time being they stick with Natsume for Harvest Moon for North American localization. I am unsure why, but most likely because XSEED was busy finishing up projects that it had going on before being bought. As a side note: XSEED does still make their own games that they made prior to the merger.
However, after a bankruptcy that followed the Rune Factory spin-off series of Harvest Moon/Bokujou Monogatari, Natsume and Marvelous finally decided to part ways.

During the making of the game Story of Seasons (Bokujou Monogatari: Tsunagaru Shin Tenchi in Japan), Marvelous decided to cut the middle man for the first time since the Rune Factory incident by using its own localization studio, XSEED games. In doing so they had to change the North American and European name of "Harvest Moon". This was the proper split from Natsume.
Meanwhile, the old localization team for Harvest Moon (Natsume) has begun making their own cute farming simulation games...of course called Harvest Moon.

That about wraps that up for this blog. Games will actually be covered next time, I promise!
In addition to looking at the Pack-In-Video/Victor Games/Marvelous Harvest Moon/Story of Seasons, I will be covering what Natsume has done since the split as well. Check up coming blogs! Collectible Game blogs are released every Thursday, with an extra sometimes thrown in for fun.
Thanks for reading.

Sources: 

1)http://www.ign.com/articles/2014/05/28/harvest-moon-returns-in-story-of-seasons-on-3ds
2)http://www.xseedgames.com/news.php?id=37 
3)http://web.archive.org/web/20110714105059/http://www.mmvus.com/release/001.pdf
4)http://www.destructoid.com/so-what-the-hell-is-happening-with-harvest-moon--276051.phtml
5)http://www.nintendolife.com/news/2014/05/xseed_games_localizing_newest_harvest_moon_for_north_american_release
6)http://www.siliconera.com/2015/07/03/return-to-popolocrois-fails-to-attract-the-harvest-moon-audience-in-japan/