bit-tech Shopping: Natsume Harvest Moon: Magical Melody (GC)

• Role Playing Games (RPG)
• Simulation

Rating: 10

Time with product: 2 Weeks

Strengths: more features than previous versions, replay value

Weaknesses: graphics

Summary: Great farming simulation on the cube! I loved the n64 version, but the other versions on the cube have been lacking. I picked up Magical Melody, boy this game has a lot more features over its predecessor by combining all the good things into one game. You are given more ranches, mini games, challenges, girls, and theres actually an objective to the game (save the harvest goddess) rather than just farming. Your also allowed to play as a boy or a girl, rather than just buying a whole new game like previous versions. Now I can share it with my sister. The graphics are a bit cartoony, but the replay value makes up for it. It never ends! Buy it!

Rating: 8

Time with product: 1 Days

Strengths: Can play either as a girl or a boy, mini games, less tedium in chores, classic harvest moon gameplay, cute and charming characters

Weaknesses: Graphics are starting to show its age, animations a little stiff, time clock advances too fast, not enough time in a day to get things done

Summary: Another Harvest Moon game from Natsume and this one is worth playing if you are a fan of the series. If you haven't ever played one before, this is just as good as any to start off to see what makes harvest moon such a charming and additive game. Magical Melody is a better one to start off with than the first ps2 Harvest Moon. I just wish natsume would update the graphics a bit, I dont mind the simplistic art style, I wouldn't want it any other way, but you can use today's graphics to still make simple graphics. Animations is a big place where they could really make the game stand out. As it is, its a great harvest moon, nothing too new here but always welcomed.

Rating: 10

Time with product: 2 Months

Strengths: You get to raise horses, make friends with the animals. and a lot of different spouses to choose from.

Weaknesses: The time goes too fast, your dog cant do anything

Summary: This Harvest Moon is the best of the entire series. You can be a boy or a girl, raise horses and other different types of animals, get a pig, and can marry 10 different spouses. Ten for a boy and 10 for a girl. You can make friends with the animals that live in your town. You can buy different plots of land in the town and decorate it inside. Its a mix between Animal Crossing and Harvest Moon. It's a free roaming game. The game is fun, enjoyable, and i would recommend it for anyone who likes these types of games.

Rating: 10

Time with product: 1 Week

Strengths: Tons of choices: You can succeed in the game regardless of how you play it; Plant, farm location (that's new) and (many) spouse options are great. Plus it's kinda got that classic feel (a la N64, BTN)

Weaknesses: Graphics are a bit too childish, silly-looking for some tastes, especially the characters. Your character has a potbelly(!) But this can be overlooked, just as how quickly days progress.

Summary: Despite the drawbacks (which, hey, every game has) this installation is one of the greater ones to emerge of late. For those who experienced A Wonderful Life, or Save the Homeland, (which tried to be a bit more innovative and different than prior HMs) and weren't happy, this is good news. It has a good combination of new and old meshed together. But for people who've never played a Harvest Moon game ever (you have my tears!) this is a good place to start. Of course you won't be able to appreciate the old faces you've come to love, but you'll grow to love them anyhow. There are many different ways to enjoy the game; if you're the hopeless romantic, the wooing and marriage and family happily ever after aspect is highly satisfying. If you're secretly have the desire to be a farmer... well! You can cook in the game, which is nifty, and fish, mine, all good stuff.I can't stress enough the CHOICES. This is your opportunity to shine, buddy! Sure, in past games you had your few options, but they came at a cost ("I hate growing crops! I'll stick to my animals!" --your income suffers and neighbors aren't so friendly since they really want turnips) Here, the gameplay feels really open-ended and it's refreshing (albeit a little daunting since there's nobody holding your hand along the way and saying you NEED to grow plenty of crops and MUST raise some chickens, etc..) But live it up, I say!OK, I suppose the bottom line: if you've ever played a HM game and enjoyed it--here you go! Animal Crossing? Step right up! (you can get different kinds of furniture and arrange your room as you please, and the fishing system's very similar) This game is different, fun, and you'll soon find it eating away at any hope of a "normal" life! Happy gaming :)

Rating: 10

Time with product: 3 Weeks

Strengths: You will have a competiter this time. Therefore, you will need to try very hard to beat your competiter. Also, there are much more charecters in this game.

Weaknesses: The "time" in the game is too fast. You can only do only a few things a day.

Summary: This is the best of Harvest Moon series. The charecters in this game is much more compared to the previous generation. They will travel in and travel out.The special part of this generation is that you have stamina. If keep farming without eating any food, you will run out of your stamina and faint.The purpose of this game is to make havest goddes come alive. You have a farming rival in the game. If you don't try to beat your farming rival, you will not able to be the one who save the harvest goddes.