bit-tech Shopping: Natsume Harvest Moon: A Wonderful Life (GC)

• Simulation
• Strategy

Rating: 10

Time with product: 4 Months

Strengths: The graphics and the ability to do normal farming chores such as rearing livestock,planting crops ect.

Weaknesses: The fishing is too slow!You have to wait for 1 to 2 gaming hours for a fish to bite. Limited days per season.Livestock get sick too easily.

Summary: Totally wonderful!!!The farming experience that you can never get in everyday life. The storyline is like this.Firstly ,your father's best friend Takakura that stays at Forget-Me- Not valley will receive a letter from you, saying that you are tired of city-life, and want to have an intersting farming experience. Then,after a few weeks,you like it at the farm, and you stay there for a life time. The fishing is a bit slow, though effective if fish is sold. A travelling salesman named Van will come every 3rd and 8th of each season and will buy anything you want to sell.Problem is, each season only has 10 days. Once you have reached summer, Takakura will give you a horse.There are 3 eligible bachelors in the Valley. Once you get a blue feather from the Harvest Sprites , you can propose to one of the bachelors. It is better to do so after the first year. PS picked flowers are a favor of the girls if you want to open a shop.

Rating: 10

Time with product: 1 Year

Strengths: is the best game in the world i think!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Weaknesses: none ok the animal how you can only have one horse.

Summary: You need more then one horse you know maybe you could have 7 or 8! And the cows hove two babys at a time not jest one!! And have baby goats you know.

Rating: 8

Time with product: 2 Years

Strengths: Beautiful graphics, Celia, turtle, Murrey

Weaknesses: Farming not very rewarding, only three potential mates

Summary: Fans of the series will like this game, but it's not nearly as good as Friends of Mineral Town or Harvest Moon 64. The chores in this game feel more like chores, and the rewards seem slim. The farming system is also needlessly complex, with hybrid crops and a wacky drawn out cow system. The division of the game into chapters is also to me a step backward. However, the normal Harvest Moon fare is still entertaining enough, despite there only being three chicks for you to swoon. I think what truly saves this game is the inclusion of the best character ever: Murrey. Moi.

Rating: 8

Time with product:

Strengths: Crazy addictive

Weaknesses: Way too many tedious tasks

Summary: I've been a fan of Harvest Moon since the n64 days. This latest entry is really more of the same but they changed the cast of characters that I'm familiar with some new faces. The gameplay is engrossing and addictive yet tedious. You'll be doing the same tasks every day in hopes of getting an upgrade or the required amount of money to make your life much easier. You can even marry again, something taken out of the ps2 Harvest Moon. Harvest Moon: AWL is an excellent game that will suck away many hours of your life.

Rating: 8

Time with product:

Strengths: Continues the addictive tradition of milking cows.

Weaknesses: Different from other Harvest Moon titles.

Summary: It's easy to dismiss this game - farming? No killing? No blood? No half-naked tomb raiders brandishing their big guns both figuratively and literally (though there are some suggestive themes)? How could that be fun? It's one of life's greatest mysteries. But spend an hour planting crops and milking cows, and you'll find the answer for yourself.You could spend a day tending to livestock, raising crops, fishing, courting the local girls, and what have you, and still not see everything the game has to offer. Admittedly, growing corn and feeding chicken sounds like a one-way ticket to Snores City. Once you get into it, though, the saying "Time flies by when you're having fun" proves true.The graphics give Harvest Moon: AWL a charming and enchanting feel to it. Granted, it doesn't look as best as it could, but overall, the variety of environments and attention to detail coupled with the cutesy (in a good way!) visuals gives an overwhelming sense of endearment. The music has an upbeat, relaxing feeling to it, but is largely unmemorable.For Harvest Moon fans, there are some changes worth noting. First, there's only three girls to marry as opposed to five or six. The game's also broken up into chapters, and other minor changes including the marriage system and the way crops are planted.Harvest Moon: AWL might not be everyone, but those who enjoy open-ended games with addictive gameplay are in for a real treat here. There's also enough variety to make it feel different from previous Harvest Moon games. This one comes highly recommended.