Topic: Harvest Moon: Tree Of Peace

[DAaaMan64]

So a new Harvest Moon is on it's way out.  That has my interest.

Very little media is available that is anywhere near recent. All videos of it are from last year, however they look promising:

http://media.wii.ign.com/media/815/815014/vids_1.html

This has planned release of
July 14, 2008

I suppose I am jumping the gun a little.

How did you guys like the GameCube one? I thought it was alright.

[Guitar Smasher]

Admittedly, I know little about this game.  I just hope they simplify it like the old formula.  For me HM64 was the perfect incarnation, despite its flaws.  I don't think any new edition can match it, no matter the effort.

[DAaaMan64]

Admittedly, I know little about this game.  I just hope they simplify it like the old formula.  For me HM64 was the perfect incarnation, despite its flaws.  I don't think any new edition can match it, no matter the effort.

Save your confessions for hell, no one else knows anything about this game. But thanks for coming into my thread

[UltimatePartyBear]

There were two Gamecube "ones."  Magical Melody stuck pretty close to the original formula and seemed pretty good.  I didn't get very far into it, unfortunately.

I'm looking forward to motion controlled milking.

[DAaaMan64]

Oh right I forgot about that.  There was Magical Melody, A Wonderful Life, and a Another Wonderful Life.  "Another" was essentially the female version of "Wonderful Life".  I never played Magical Melody, but I got bored with A Wonderful Life faster than I would have liked. I don't think I every did woo a woman in that one. :/

[UltimatePartyBear]

I don't think I every did woo a woman in that one. :/

Wow.  And that's done by the end of the first in-game year.  I think.  Or was it second?  Anyway, it was one of your first tasks in the game.

Incidentally, I'm also looking forward to motion controlled wooing.

[DAaaMan64]

My sister and I played the piss out of the 64 game. Like everyone else did.

[UltimatePartyBear]

I didn't.    I thought it looked great, but I didn't have the disposable income then that I do now, being a kid and all.

[Kairon]

The N64 game was GODLY. GODLY I SAY!!!

But I tried wonderful life on the GC and it quickly made me go "blech." Harvest Moon games have to be careful, because they're successfuly based on a delicate balance of simulation, simple accessible fast-paced gameplay, and charm. Knock one of those pegs out, even inadvertently like a horrendous 3D camera, and... well... T_T

[animecyberrat]

SO far A Wonderful life is the only game in the series I have played. All the other ones are way too expensive. I found a Harvest Moon 64 in a used game shop here once for $30.00 , too much for me to spend on that game at the time. I am tempted to download the SNES game every time I log into the Wii Shop Channel though. Is it any good? 

[DAaaMan64]

It's good, but it's not nearly as good as the 64 one. Wait to see if that comes out on VC. Or see if this one is some how better than the rest.

[Ian Sane]

I'll bet Harvest Moon 64's strong reputation is somewhat based on the fact that for most people it was probably the first Harvest Moon game they ever played.  The SNES game was pretty damn obscure and released in 1997 well after the N64 was already out.  The first Gameboy game was quite limited and released pre-Pokemon and pre-GBC (ie: no one played it).  HM64 was the first Harvest Moon game to be released at a time where it would be noticed.

The core gameplay of Harvest Moon is so solid that anyone's first experience is going to be memorable.  But the concept is limited in that sequels aren't going to improve it much.  It's a lot like Bomberman.  Your first Bomberman game is a classic.  However the sequels feel like more of the same because that initial thrill of how new the experience is isn't there.

So this is probably going to be a good game because, you know, it's Harvest Moon.  However for anyone who has already played a Harvest Moon game it might feel like it's missing something.

They COULD cut back on the sequels a bit though.  Did the Cube really need THREE Harvest Moon games?  And why don't they just allow you to pick if you want to be a boy or girl?  Releasing a seperate girls version is pretty lame.

[NinGurl69 *huggles]

"Did the Cube really need THREE Harvest Moon games?"

Nah, but Natsume WANTED to make more money, especially after solidifying its Nintendo-platform audience.

[EasyCure]

I'll bet Harvest Moon 64's strong reputation is somewhat based on the fact that for most people it was probably the first Harvest Moon game they ever played.  The SNES game was pretty damn obscure and released in 1997 well after the N64 was already out.  The first Gameboy game was quite limited and released pre-Pokemon and pre-GBC (ie: no one played it).  HM64 was the first Harvest Moon game to be released at a time where it would be noticed.

The core gameplay of Harvest Moon is so solid that anyone's first experience is going to be memorable.  But the concept is limited in that sequels aren't going to improve it much.  It's a lot like Bomberman.  Your first Bomberman game is a classic.  However the sequels feel like more of the same because that initial thrill of how new the experience is isn't there.

So this is probably going to be a good game because, you know, it's Harvest Moon.  However for anyone who has already played a Harvest Moon game it might feel like it's missing something.

They COULD cut back on the sequels a bit though.  Did the Cube really need THREE Harvest Moon games?  And why don't they just allow you to pick if you want to be a boy or girl?  Releasing a seperate girls version is pretty lame.

I was given it as a gift in '97 before i saved up enough allowance to buy myself my 64. Loved it to death and its the only reason i bought HM64. For the first few months i liked the SNES version better but eventually I thought HM64 was a good improvement. The fact alone that you could continue your game after your father comes to evaluate you.. did that really need a spoiler? was awesome to me because i hated having to re-start a save file on my SNES game.

I tried the first HM game to come out on GC but graphics and art direction took the charm of the latter two titles away and i just couldn't play it. I'd love an updated remake of HM64 to appear on my DS so i could play it a few mins at a time wherever i am. I have AC but i havent touched it in months so i don't want to see how messed up my town has become. HM beats AC in the casual sim's in my opinion.

Speaking of HM, i've been trying to find the Rune Factory titles for DS with no success. whats up with that?

[Darkheart]

I'll bet Harvest Moon 64's strong reputation is somewhat based on the fact that for most people it was probably the first Harvest Moon game they ever played.  The SNES game was pretty damn obscure and released in 1997 well after the N64 was already out.  The first Gameboy game was quite limited and released pre-Pokemon and pre-GBC (ie: no one played it).  HM64 was the first Harvest Moon game to be released at a time where it would be noticed.

The core gameplay of Harvest Moon is so solid that anyone's first experience is going to be memorable.  But the concept is limited in that sequels aren't going to improve it much.  It's a lot like Bomberman.  Your first Bomberman game is a classic.  However the sequels feel like more of the same because that initial thrill of how new the experience is isn't there.

So this is probably going to be a good game because, you know, it's Harvest Moon.  However for anyone who has already played a Harvest Moon game it might feel like it's missing something.

They COULD cut back on the sequels a bit though.  Did the Cube really need THREE Harvest Moon games?  And why don't they just allow you to pick if you want to be a boy or girl?  Releasing a seperate girls version is pretty lame.

I was given it as a gift in '97 before i saved up enough allowance to buy myself my 64. Loved it to death and its the only reason i bought HM64. For the first few months i liked the SNES version better but eventually I thought HM64 was a good improvement. The fact alone that you could continue your game after your father comes to evaluate you.. did that really need a spoiler? was awesome to me because i hated having to re-start a save file on my SNES game.

I tried the first HM game to come out on GC but graphics and art direction took the charm of the latter two titles away and i just couldn't play it. I'd love an updated remake of HM64 to appear on my DS so i could play it a few mins at a time wherever i am. I have AC but i havent touched it in months so i don't want to see how messed up my town has become. HM beats AC in the casual sim's in my opinion.

Speaking of HM, i've been trying to find the Rune Factory titles for DS with no success. whats up with that?

Only one of the Rune titles is out in America and the last time I was at Best Buy they had at least 12 copies.  I am holding out for the supposedly far superior Japanese sequel which apparently fixed most of the first game's flaws.

My fav HM was the one on the GBC hands down.  I feel that while the wooing was fairly weak, the actual harvesting and planting was super sound.

[KDR_11k]

Magical Melody is on the Wii here, was ranked pretty high in some store's sales chart. Is it better than AWL?

[EasyCure]

I've heard that the sequel is better, but i didnt realise its not out in the States yet.

As for the new HM, i'll keep my eye on it since I've been thinking about getting back into the series lately. I'd still much rather have a good HM title for my DS since it's an easy game to pick up and play for a few minutes, but if this Wii version ends up anything like the first two titles, i'll buy it.

[UltimatePartyBear]

Magical Melody is on the Wii here, was ranked pretty high in some store's sales chart. Is it better than AWL?

That depends on what you think of AWL.  MM sticks much closer to the original formula, and I think it does it well.  I found the farming part of AWL totally broken, so I prefer MM for that reason.  MM also has many more wooing targets, but the wooing is less story driven.

[DAaaMan64]

I just watched some youtube videos.  MM looks like it is just an upgrade from the 64 game   Where as AWL is really all new stuff.  Funny that MM came out after AWL did.

[KDR_11k]

I got really bored with AWL, everything was so tedious (and after finally growing those crops I realized the profit margins on them are razor thin and really not worth all the effort). I did like the GB versions much better due to their arcadey nature. Never got much into interacting with the other villagers, hearing the same three lines from each and occassionally wasting stuff on them isn't really interaction. I have no idea what would have happened had I played until the point where you're forced to marry. Or when the milk, the only decent source of income, runs out...

[matt oz]

I loved 'A Wonderful Life.'  I think I got to the winter of chapter 5, so I never really beat it.  Still, I thought it was awesome.  I must've put ~100 hours into that game.  The first HM on the DS was awful.  Rune Factory is awesome, but I haven't played it in a few months.  I need to get back to that one soon.

I will most likely buy the Wii version and never beat it, which seems to be my method with HM games.

[NWR_insanolord]

I loved the original Harvest Moon and Harvest Moon 64, I hated A Wonderful Life, and I never played Magical Melody. I'm much more into the handheld Harvest Moons lately, Friends of Mineral Town on the GBA is my favorite game in the series and I enjoyed Harvest Moon DS despite its flaws. I'm not sure if I'll get this new one, but it's definitely something I'll look into.

[Kairon]

RISE FROM THE GRAVE!

Anyways, a co-worker lent me this game over the Holidays (Tree of Peace == Tree of Tranquility?) and I just pulled an all-day-er and all-nighter on it. Harvest Moon games can be really hardcore experiences if you approach them that way.

Actually, I don't think I'd be enjoying this so much if not for the walkthrough I'm using. This Harvest Moon has a pretty long tutorial/story start sequence, and it also seems like there's so much to keep track of what with the story quests and exact specifics of how to meet certain characters/trigger certain events. Honestly, without this walkthrough, I think I'd have put this HM down from my ocd brain not being able to understand the game's different systems after just 2 hours.