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Experiencing the 2nd or Blue Rival Heart events in Cute in my 2nd year (after taking a break to play Harvest Moon Boy & Girl), in some cases reminds me of all the reasons I really DIDN'T want to marry these guys. In particular, Marlin and Gustafa in their 2nd Blue Rival Heart Events, display their more unsympathetic personality traits.
The events occur in the original Harvest Moon DS (boy version) game as the 2nd Rival Heart Events for Celia and Nami. These events cannot be experienced before the beginning of the 2nd year and they will not trigger if the eligible girl or bachelor respectively are at Green Heart level or higher.
In my game, I had to LOWER the bachelors' heart levels from deepest red to experience the events, as I had raised them originally in order to experience all proposal and marriage events (without saving the results). As I wished to receive Spring Thanksgiving Cookies from all the bachelors, I did not begin to lower their heart levels seriously until after 14 Spring. I then used the 'Secret Weapon of Hate' item on each to bring them down to Blue Heart Level.
I will be able to raise them easily back to Green Heart Level in order to experience next year's 3rd Rival Heart Event... (Sometimes, in my eagerness to wed Skye, I tend to forget that, if I wish to contrive the marriages of all other couples, I must wait at least until the third year to marry, in order to experience the 3rd Rival Heart Event and then raise bachelor heart levels another level so that I will be able to experience the 4th Rival Heart Event in the fourth year. Once you are married, both in the original HM DS and in Cute, you no longer can affect ANY ONE's heart levels. You only can affect FP or Friendship levels after marriage. This applies to Keira and her Heart Events in both games as well. You must experience her heart events BEFORE you marry if you wish to gain all rewards. There is some evidence to the effect that the 4th Mine cannot be unlocked AFTER marriage, so make certain to unlock all 4 mines before you propose to some one and marry.)
In Marlin's 2nd Rival Heart Event, he is outraged on Celia's behalf by some comments a customer made about the quality of Vesta's vegetables. Celia is not particularly bothered and is more concerned to maintain goodwill with every one. Marlin tends to display excess machismo in his desire to balance his fragility or 'weakness' in physical terms. In the course of the event, Celia essentially is reduced to BEGGING him not to confront the customer.
I personally would not like this role...
In Gustafa's 2nd Rival Heart Event, he visits Nami as she stands at the shore of the ocean in the early afternoon. Bear in mind the fact that it is HE who visits her and that his own schedule 'requires' him to stand at the shore of Turtle Pond all afternoon meditating or drawing inspiration from the 'natural beauty' of the place.
He begins one of his usual self-centred rambling monologues about why he loves the Valley and always returns to it. He then solicits a question from Nami as to why he returns...
Here is the dialogue:
Gustafa: Even if I leave, I always end up coming back to Forget-Me-Not Valley. Do you know why?
Nami (obligingly): (?) Why?
Gustafa: Because I love this place. The air, the sea, and the people. That's why.
(This is such a general answer. It does not make any reference to Nami specifically as being a reason for his love of 'this place', nor it is particularly poetic or lyrical in nature.)
Nami (evidently NOT inspired by Gustafa's confession): Yeah.
At this point, Gustafa evidently realises he should bring Nami into the conversation a little more, so he asks her why she returns always to the Valley.
Gustafa: Nami, you've lived here a long time. What is it that keeps you here?
Nami: (...) I...
Gustafa has NO patience to wait for a proper response and now displays what I consider his indifference to any one apart from himself, except insofar as they act as 'inspiration' for his music.
Gustafa: Ah, I've gotta go. See you later.
Nami: Ah.....
Where on earth could he be going??? Only back to Turtle Pond to stand!!! He isn't the most handsome of men, but if he were sensitive and attentive, it would count for much. As it is, witnessing this event, I was reminded of all the reasons he would be my LAST choice of spouse in ANY world.
4 comments:
Well, I never liked Gustafa much from the start because he looked too much like a puppet/Pinnochio so I spent my first few game days playing HMDS to walk up to Gustafa, talk to him and examine for any puppet-like similarities. Well, I do like Sasori from Naruto even though he is a human/puppet (he looks more human, but he's a puppet with a living core, according to him) but that's beside the point.
As for Marlin, I do believe that he was doing it to protect Celia, though he was too carried away with it.
However, the rival events do show something - each character in Harvest Moon are carefully fleshed out to bring them to life and make them more "human" and more believable - rather than a two-sided video game character that you sometimes get. And that is the charm of Harvest Moon - and what makes it worth replaying over and over again.
Oh, I agree with you entirely! Harvest Moon is a REAL world, and that is why we become so emotionally involved with the characters and their lives.
I never liked Gustafa either, but I have to try to find positive traits in every one as a guide writer, because there are players who DO like him and choose him. But yes, his nose is like a carrot, as you pointed out, and he has to be one of the ugliest creatures posing as a male I have encountered... if his personality were wonderful, I could overlook his lack of beauty, rather in the spirit of Cyrano de Bergerac, but in the circumstances, he simply annoys me.
Hi Freyashawk!
How's everything?
I have to agree with Kalypsocry also.He looked like a guy who had a peach needle attached to his nose!I always nicknamed him 'music obsessed Pinochio'!
Gustafa is very down to earth but I HATE his personality.He is obsessed with music.All he talks about is music.He wears music,talks about music,breaths music WHAT NEXT?EATS AND DRINKS, BATHES(well he already does...)!!!!
He is one annoying character but when I play HM, I feel like I am in a real world with real people and real everything.And my heart is always in contact with HM as I call it my electronical Home.
All best wishes,
Natalie
I agree. Gustafa is hideous. HMDS Cute has the most ugliest bachelors ever. At the same time, it has the cutest. Skye is my favorite. I mean, I fine him the most obvious and hottest choice. Look what we have to choose from: an elvis, a puppet, a grandpa, a boy who looks 12, a theif, an old miner, a guy in a bandana, the characters from FoMT + MFoMT that have been given bad makeovers. It`s horrible. And in the end they all have the same personality.
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