<div style='font: 12pt ; text-align: left; '>That is Harvest Moon which will be making it's debut on both Gamecube and GBA this year. However, between the Gameboy version, the N64 version, and the SNES version, I found that I played the Gameboy one about 10 times as much as the others combined. It just seams as if Gameboy is exactly the right type of gaming system for this, it's portable so you can play it just about anywhere, and with the new GBAsp, it will be any time, and any place...
For some background information on the game, it is essentially an open ended RPG-sim where you play the role of a young man who has just inherited the family farm. You live close to a village, and each character in the village plays a major role in the game. Events can be opened up by accomplishing verious tasks and by being successful at farming, there are many ways of doing this, exploring the lands around the town, exploring the town itself, finding things out from people etc... You can also date a number of girls and when one likes you enough you can propose and get married, have kids, and name your kids etc...
Graphically, the GBA one is superior to the SNES version (No real features have been anounced for the portable version though aside from what is basic to all the other titles. Yet it can be hoped that it is essentially a handheld clone of the Gamecube one...
The Gamecube version has gone for a unique look from previous games, it has taken a more photo-realistic approach rather than the traditional cel-shaded style.
http://cubemedia.ign.com/cube/image/har ... 1602_7.jpg
The gameplay of the Gamecube version (and hopefully the GBA version as ell) has been radically updated from previous versions. Instead of just a short time period, the game is now 6 stories (not exactly sure that that means) and over a period of 30 years. Unlike previous games this time raising your kids plays a major part of the game (probably because of the very long time period involved). I do know that the GBA and Gamecube versions both take place in different towns, however, using the GBA link you can take your character and travel between those two towns, and this leaves the possibility open up many different events in both games (none of those events have been specified yet). So if by chance you buy both games (as I most likely will since this is oneof my favorite genre's and there are so few games in it), the world will be absolutely huge.
Of course, dating and marriage is back in this game (it was absent in recent versions on other consoles) and that has been expanded on as well as there are more girls to choose from and many more ways to go about things.
I guess it is safe to assume that the game has been expanded in other area's as well. Both of them as far as I know will be out during the Summer. Here is what is said on the Natsume homepage:
"Harvest Moon: A Wonderful Life will span a lifetime on the farm and follow the drama that goes with it. Not only must you build and successfully run a farm, but you must also build a successful life with family and friends! This new Harvest Moon experience will take the best qualities of the series and add more…more animals, more vegetables and more drama! What sort of life will you live?
Non-linear game play, making each game a new adventure!
New vegetables and the ability to make hybrid vegetables!
New farm yard animals!
Get married and raise a family!"
World Wide Release date is Q2 2003 (July-September).
The only three other games I have heard of in this genre being released any time soon are Animal Crossing 2 (been in the works for years now, supposedly a hyper advanced version of the first), Giftopia (picture modern world, part animal crossing and part Earthbound), and Fable (middle ages European setting).</div>
For some background information on the game, it is essentially an open ended RPG-sim where you play the role of a young man who has just inherited the family farm. You live close to a village, and each character in the village plays a major role in the game. Events can be opened up by accomplishing verious tasks and by being successful at farming, there are many ways of doing this, exploring the lands around the town, exploring the town itself, finding things out from people etc... You can also date a number of girls and when one likes you enough you can propose and get married, have kids, and name your kids etc...
Graphically, the GBA one is superior to the SNES version (No real features have been anounced for the portable version though aside from what is basic to all the other titles. Yet it can be hoped that it is essentially a handheld clone of the Gamecube one...
The Gamecube version has gone for a unique look from previous games, it has taken a more photo-realistic approach rather than the traditional cel-shaded style.
http://cubemedia.ign.com/cube/image/har ... 1602_7.jpg
The gameplay of the Gamecube version (and hopefully the GBA version as ell) has been radically updated from previous versions. Instead of just a short time period, the game is now 6 stories (not exactly sure that that means) and over a period of 30 years. Unlike previous games this time raising your kids plays a major part of the game (probably because of the very long time period involved). I do know that the GBA and Gamecube versions both take place in different towns, however, using the GBA link you can take your character and travel between those two towns, and this leaves the possibility open up many different events in both games (none of those events have been specified yet). So if by chance you buy both games (as I most likely will since this is oneof my favorite genre's and there are so few games in it), the world will be absolutely huge.
Of course, dating and marriage is back in this game (it was absent in recent versions on other consoles) and that has been expanded on as well as there are more girls to choose from and many more ways to go about things.
I guess it is safe to assume that the game has been expanded in other area's as well. Both of them as far as I know will be out during the Summer. Here is what is said on the Natsume homepage:
"Harvest Moon: A Wonderful Life will span a lifetime on the farm and follow the drama that goes with it. Not only must you build and successfully run a farm, but you must also build a successful life with family and friends! This new Harvest Moon experience will take the best qualities of the series and add more…more animals, more vegetables and more drama! What sort of life will you live?
Non-linear game play, making each game a new adventure!
New vegetables and the ability to make hybrid vegetables!
New farm yard animals!
Get married and raise a family!"
World Wide Release date is Q2 2003 (July-September).
The only three other games I have heard of in this genre being released any time soon are Animal Crossing 2 (been in the works for years now, supposedly a hyper advanced version of the first), Giftopia (picture modern world, part animal crossing and part Earthbound), and Fable (middle ages European setting).</div>
-Insert Inspiring Quote-
