Archive: 21st April 2006: Harvest Moon: Magical Melody / Eurogamer
“Who’d want to be a farmer? Foot and Mouth, Mad Cow, Bird Flu – these are only some of the epidemics that threaten them. Crop farmers aren’t exempt from suffering either, as supermarkets demand the best quality produce at the lowest cost, while consumers bitch about pesticides and genetically engineered food.Plus, farmers are always incredibly hungry.
Harvest Moon: Magical Melody teaches us that farmers are the hungriest people on Earth. Play it for a bit and you’d surmise that the average farmer chose the career simply to get direct access to a food source. The simple act of watering the crops in the morning can tire out a farmer to the point where he has to devour all the freshly laid eggs in the chicken coop. In fact, a brand new farmer will spend most of his time foraging for leaves and berries just to put a dent in his appetite.
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Then again, it’s probably best not to put too much stock in the lessons of Magical Melody, because if you do then you’ll probably decide that farmers are meant, even encouraged, to go out into the forest and hug all the animals – be they raccoons, squirrels or even monkeys. Meanwhile, moles should definitely be hit with a mallet. It’s just the done thing.”
The best Harvest Moon currently available, as far as I can see. I haven’t had a chance to try Harvest Moon DS, but I’ve heard little good about it. I quite liked A Wonderful Life, even if it started far too easily (and must require about 500 hours to complete. Has anyone done it?) but it pales in comparison to Magical Melody. The Harvest Moon titles aren’t for everyone, but if they’re for you, this is the one to get.