This is a response to a comment by a visitor to this site. The visitor asked why Kai won't visit the Valley in other seasons if you have unlocked the Mineral Town visitors by inserting FoMT/MFoMT into the GBA slot with HM DS or HM Cute DS.
Well, Kai is a guy who only loves Summer and refuses to work in any other season. In FoMT/MFoMT, his beach shack is open for business only during Summer. Likewise, in HM DS/HM Cute DS, he opens his stall on the beach in Forget-Me-Not Valley only during Summer. He may or may not open a stall or cafe on some tropical Island during the other Seasons... there isn't any Harvest Moon game at this point in time that features Kai working in Spring, Autumn or Winter in ANY location.
One does wonder sometimes how Kai manages to work BOTH at his seaside cafe in Mineral Town AND at his stall at the beach in Forget-Me-Not Valley simultaneously during the Summer seasons, but that is a problem in logic that is overwritten by the singular rules of magic embodied in Harvest Moon.
Incidentally, if you marry Kai in HM Cute DS, he will stay in the Valley with you, although he will maintain his philosophy of working only during the Summer season. One suspects therefore that he would not work ANYWHERE in Spring, Autumn and Winter, even in the hottest of climates, but who knows...? Harvest Moon is a saga that we hope never will come to an end.
Where all other visitors from Mineral Town are concerned, their patterns of movement follow ordinary logic: they visit Forget-Me-Not Valley on their 'Days Off'. Thus, Grey visits the Valley on Thursdays when the Smithy in Mineral Town is shut. Karen visits on Tuesday when the Supermarket in Mineral Town is closed. (The Supermarket is shut on Sunday as well, but Mineral Town visitors, apart from Kai, are allowed only one visit to Forget-Me-Not Valley per week.) And so on...
There is a game that may appear in the future where characters from Mineral Town visit an Island on a seasonal rather than weekly basis... but more about that in a month or so.
A Website for all Harvest Moon fans providing Links to all Guides by Freyashawk: Actual Links on Right Side of Webpage
Showing posts with label Harvest Moon DS. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Harvest Moon DS. Show all posts
Wednesday, July 2, 2008
Thursday, March 27, 2008
Map Guide for Harvest Moon DS and Cute DS
When a player emailed me with respect to the little Walkthrough for the first week in Cute, bewildered and out of her depth completely, I had a sudden inspiration. I have written 'map' sections in previous guides actually, so it is not entirely new for me, but I think that a little walkthrough of the Valley itself could be useful, with brief descriptions not only of the buildings but of the people inhabiting them and the best gift for each. I have a Characters Guide that does that, but that is organised according to the person rather than the location.
An hour after I began this post, I wrote a new 'Map' section for both my General Guide and my 1st Year Events Calendar Guide. The updated versions of both guides should be uploaded to IGN later today.
For any one who may need the information NOW:
Your farmhouse basically stands almost in the centre of the Northern part of the Valley. The path that leads south from your farm goes to a place where a number of paths meet. I term this the Crossroads. To the right of the Crossroads is a bridge that crosses the river from west to east. The river effectively cuts the Valley in half.
On the western side of the River, you will find the following:
Your Farm
Northeast of your farm:
The Goddess Spring: This is where you will find the Harvest Goddess after you have rescued 60 Sprites. Drop an offering into the Spring to persuade her to appear. Her favourite offering is a strawberry. Many of the villagers go to the Goddess Spring when the weather is fine. You can find Hugh, Rock, Muffy and Cody here on a regular basis. Below the Goddess Spring is:
The Sprite Company Tree: This is where you will find all Harvest Sprites. There is a reception area where you will find Guts, Jet and the postboxes for every Team. To the left of the reception area is a large pot where you will find the Baby after you have rescued 60 Sprites. Feed the Baby and ultimately he will grant wishes for you. Guts is the Sprite who organises the Sprite Labour force for you in exchange for medals. Jet sells special items from the counter, including Accessories, Records and the Harvest Moon cards. The most important Accessories are the Necklaces that are offered when your tools have been upgraded to the next level. The highest Necklace is the Mythic Necklace. In the northern wall of this chamber is the entrance to the Casino. Here you will find three gaming tables and a window where you can purchase medals as well as exchanging them for prizes. It is here that you can buy special crop seeds, the Teleport Stone, the Love Bangle and the Truth Bangle as well as the Red Cloak. When you have purchased the Red Cloak, the Godhand and Miracle Glove will be offered. Many events occur when you exit the Sprite Company Tree so visit often!
The 2nd Hot Spring: This will be unlocked when you have used the 1st Hot Spring 100 times for an hour each time.
South of your Farm:
A Row of Homes consisting, from left to right of:
Wally's house: here you will find Wally, Chris and Hugh
Grant's house: here you will find Grant and Kate
Hardy's Clinic/House: here you will find Hardy and, on Wednesdays, Elli and Trent from Mineral Town
Northwest of this row of homes, you will find a wide stairway leading north to:
Romana's Villa: here you will find Romana, Sebastian and Lumina and, on Monday mornings, Mary from Mineral Town
Witch Princess Hut: here you will find the Witch Princess
Directly south of the row of three houses, on the other side of the same path, from left to right are:
The Blue Bar: here you will find Griffin and Muffy
The Inner Inn: here you will find Ruby on the ground floor, Rock and Nami on the second floor and the two guest bedrooms on the 2nd floor where Mineral Town visitors stay
The Girls' guest bedroom is on the left and here you will find Karen on Tuesday, Elli on Wednesday, Ann on Friday and Popuri on Sunday
The Boys' guest bedroom is on the right and here you will find Trent on Wednesday, Grey on Thursday, Cliff on Saturday and Rick on Sunday
To the left of both guest rooms in the corridor, you will find a wooden Orange crate. It is here that Van has his stall on every day that ends in 3 or 8, beginning with the 3rd day of the season and ending with the 28th day.
South of the Crossroads, you will find the following:
Daryl's house and laboratory: here you will find Daryl on the ground floor and Leia the Mermaid in the basement. The basement will be locked until you have 100 FP with Daryl.
Gustafa's Yurt: here you will find Gustafa
Gustafa's Yurt is on the right side of a path that leads south from the crossroads and has a view of the river from the western shore. Daryl's house is on the left side of this path and can be reached from another path that leads south from the Blue Bar.
Turtle Pond: this is almost directly south of Daryl's house. It can be reached from either of the paths that lead from north to south.
The Beach: this is at the southern edge of the Valley. The entrance is below Turtle Pond. Most Festivals occur at the Beach between 10.00 a.m. and 5.50 p.m. The exceptions in terms of time are the Fireworks Festival, which occurs from 6.00 p.m. to 8.50 p.m. and the Year End Festival which begins at 6.00 p.m. and ends at 11.50 p.m.
If you go west from Turtle Pond, you will find a caravan park and, a little northwest of that, a tower on stilts. You can reach this area as well if you take the path that leads south from the Blue Bar.
In the Caravan, you will find Cody.
In the Tower, you will find the Twins, Patrick and Kassey. They make fireworks. You have to climb a rope to reach their home.
Cutting the Valley in half is the River. At the top of the river is a Waterfall. Behind the Waterfall is a secret Field named the Super Field. Boulders on either side prevent access to the Super Field until you are able to claim the Legendary Sword on the 255th floor of the 2nd Mine. In Cute, you will not be able to claim it until ALL 6 tools are upgraded to Mystrile. In the original HM DS, you can claim it if your experience level is at Mystrile even if all the tools themselves have not been upgraded. To remove the boulders, equip the Legendary Sword, stand next to a boulder and press the 'A' button. Note: You do NOT use the Legendary Sword here as a tool. You can use it as a tool inside the Mines to defeat Dark Creatures, however.
You can cross the River by means of a bridge in the centre of the Valley. When you have destroyed the two boulders on either side of the Waterfall, you can take a path there above the river to cross from west to east.
East of the River are the following, from North to South:
At the far North:
Carter's Tent: here you will find Carter and Flora, living chastely together in separate sleeping bags
The Excavation Site: here you will find the four Mines, but only when they are unlocked. When each mine is unlocked, an entrance will be created in the northern wall of the Excavation Site. It is at the Excavation Site that you can dig for jewelry that ships for 2000G and can be sold to Van for up to 3250G.
A path leads south from Carter's Tent to some Windmills. Below the Windmills is another crossroads of sorts. You can continue south along the path or you can take a path that leads from the bridge to the exit from the Valley. From the windmills, you will see the exit on your right and the bridge on your left. YOU NEVER CAN LEAVE THE VALLEY!!! Other residents come and go from the Valley, but your character never can visit Mineral Town in this game.
If you go west from the exit towards the bridge, you will find Vesta's farm. In fact, on the northern side of this path, from left to right are:
Vesta's Storeroom: here you will find Vesta, Marlin and Celia in the early evening when Vesta sells seeds, including the seasonal seeds sold at the Supermarket, tree saplings and Mushroom seeds (spores really).
Vesta's Home: here you will find Vesta, Marlin and Celia
On the south side of this path you will see Vesta's fields. Her crops always are ripe and ready to harvest, even on the first day of any season, which can be rather annoying!
There are two paths actually that lead south from here. One is the path that continues south from the Excavation Site. The other is a path that begins south of the bridge and skirts the river.
If you take the path south of the Windmills, to the right you will find:
The Construction Site owned by Barney's Circus: After your child is born, Barney will move into the Valley and you will find his huge colourful tent on this site.
The 1st Hot Springs: this must be unlocked by an event with Flora when she reaches 250 FP.
The tomb of your character from FoMT or MFoMT if you insert a GBA cartridge to unlock the visitors from Mineral Town.
To the left is Galen's house, more easily reached by taking the path that leads south along the river's edge.
Take the path south from the bridge to find a little hill on the right where Galen's house stands. If you take the path south from the windmills, the hill will be on the left.
Galen's House: This is where you will find Galen and his wife Nina. Both are pivotal characters. Galen will give you a Fishing Rod if you visit him on a sunny Saturday between noon and 1.50 p.m. and make certain that no tool is equipped in your tool slot. Nina will knit you a Yule Stocking if she is at 255 FP and you visit her on a sunny morning in Winter to give her a ball of yarn. Note that she needs YARN, not wool so you will need the Yarnmaker.
An hour after I began this post, I wrote a new 'Map' section for both my General Guide and my 1st Year Events Calendar Guide. The updated versions of both guides should be uploaded to IGN later today.
For any one who may need the information NOW:
Your farmhouse basically stands almost in the centre of the Northern part of the Valley. The path that leads south from your farm goes to a place where a number of paths meet. I term this the Crossroads. To the right of the Crossroads is a bridge that crosses the river from west to east. The river effectively cuts the Valley in half.
On the western side of the River, you will find the following:
Your Farm
Northeast of your farm:
The Goddess Spring: This is where you will find the Harvest Goddess after you have rescued 60 Sprites. Drop an offering into the Spring to persuade her to appear. Her favourite offering is a strawberry. Many of the villagers go to the Goddess Spring when the weather is fine. You can find Hugh, Rock, Muffy and Cody here on a regular basis. Below the Goddess Spring is:
The Sprite Company Tree: This is where you will find all Harvest Sprites. There is a reception area where you will find Guts, Jet and the postboxes for every Team. To the left of the reception area is a large pot where you will find the Baby after you have rescued 60 Sprites. Feed the Baby and ultimately he will grant wishes for you. Guts is the Sprite who organises the Sprite Labour force for you in exchange for medals. Jet sells special items from the counter, including Accessories, Records and the Harvest Moon cards. The most important Accessories are the Necklaces that are offered when your tools have been upgraded to the next level. The highest Necklace is the Mythic Necklace. In the northern wall of this chamber is the entrance to the Casino. Here you will find three gaming tables and a window where you can purchase medals as well as exchanging them for prizes. It is here that you can buy special crop seeds, the Teleport Stone, the Love Bangle and the Truth Bangle as well as the Red Cloak. When you have purchased the Red Cloak, the Godhand and Miracle Glove will be offered. Many events occur when you exit the Sprite Company Tree so visit often!
The 2nd Hot Spring: This will be unlocked when you have used the 1st Hot Spring 100 times for an hour each time.
South of your Farm:
A Row of Homes consisting, from left to right of:
Wally's house: here you will find Wally, Chris and Hugh
Grant's house: here you will find Grant and Kate
Hardy's Clinic/House: here you will find Hardy and, on Wednesdays, Elli and Trent from Mineral Town
Northwest of this row of homes, you will find a wide stairway leading north to:
Romana's Villa: here you will find Romana, Sebastian and Lumina and, on Monday mornings, Mary from Mineral Town
Witch Princess Hut: here you will find the Witch Princess
Directly south of the row of three houses, on the other side of the same path, from left to right are:
The Blue Bar: here you will find Griffin and Muffy
The Inner Inn: here you will find Ruby on the ground floor, Rock and Nami on the second floor and the two guest bedrooms on the 2nd floor where Mineral Town visitors stay
The Girls' guest bedroom is on the left and here you will find Karen on Tuesday, Elli on Wednesday, Ann on Friday and Popuri on Sunday
The Boys' guest bedroom is on the right and here you will find Trent on Wednesday, Grey on Thursday, Cliff on Saturday and Rick on Sunday
To the left of both guest rooms in the corridor, you will find a wooden Orange crate. It is here that Van has his stall on every day that ends in 3 or 8, beginning with the 3rd day of the season and ending with the 28th day.
South of the Crossroads, you will find the following:
Daryl's house and laboratory: here you will find Daryl on the ground floor and Leia the Mermaid in the basement. The basement will be locked until you have 100 FP with Daryl.
Gustafa's Yurt: here you will find Gustafa
Gustafa's Yurt is on the right side of a path that leads south from the crossroads and has a view of the river from the western shore. Daryl's house is on the left side of this path and can be reached from another path that leads south from the Blue Bar.
Turtle Pond: this is almost directly south of Daryl's house. It can be reached from either of the paths that lead from north to south.
The Beach: this is at the southern edge of the Valley. The entrance is below Turtle Pond. Most Festivals occur at the Beach between 10.00 a.m. and 5.50 p.m. The exceptions in terms of time are the Fireworks Festival, which occurs from 6.00 p.m. to 8.50 p.m. and the Year End Festival which begins at 6.00 p.m. and ends at 11.50 p.m.
If you go west from Turtle Pond, you will find a caravan park and, a little northwest of that, a tower on stilts. You can reach this area as well if you take the path that leads south from the Blue Bar.
In the Caravan, you will find Cody.
In the Tower, you will find the Twins, Patrick and Kassey. They make fireworks. You have to climb a rope to reach their home.
Cutting the Valley in half is the River. At the top of the river is a Waterfall. Behind the Waterfall is a secret Field named the Super Field. Boulders on either side prevent access to the Super Field until you are able to claim the Legendary Sword on the 255th floor of the 2nd Mine. In Cute, you will not be able to claim it until ALL 6 tools are upgraded to Mystrile. In the original HM DS, you can claim it if your experience level is at Mystrile even if all the tools themselves have not been upgraded. To remove the boulders, equip the Legendary Sword, stand next to a boulder and press the 'A' button. Note: You do NOT use the Legendary Sword here as a tool. You can use it as a tool inside the Mines to defeat Dark Creatures, however.
You can cross the River by means of a bridge in the centre of the Valley. When you have destroyed the two boulders on either side of the Waterfall, you can take a path there above the river to cross from west to east.
East of the River are the following, from North to South:
At the far North:
Carter's Tent: here you will find Carter and Flora, living chastely together in separate sleeping bags
The Excavation Site: here you will find the four Mines, but only when they are unlocked. When each mine is unlocked, an entrance will be created in the northern wall of the Excavation Site. It is at the Excavation Site that you can dig for jewelry that ships for 2000G and can be sold to Van for up to 3250G.
A path leads south from Carter's Tent to some Windmills. Below the Windmills is another crossroads of sorts. You can continue south along the path or you can take a path that leads from the bridge to the exit from the Valley. From the windmills, you will see the exit on your right and the bridge on your left. YOU NEVER CAN LEAVE THE VALLEY!!! Other residents come and go from the Valley, but your character never can visit Mineral Town in this game.
If you go west from the exit towards the bridge, you will find Vesta's farm. In fact, on the northern side of this path, from left to right are:
Vesta's Storeroom: here you will find Vesta, Marlin and Celia in the early evening when Vesta sells seeds, including the seasonal seeds sold at the Supermarket, tree saplings and Mushroom seeds (spores really).
Vesta's Home: here you will find Vesta, Marlin and Celia
On the south side of this path you will see Vesta's fields. Her crops always are ripe and ready to harvest, even on the first day of any season, which can be rather annoying!
There are two paths actually that lead south from here. One is the path that continues south from the Excavation Site. The other is a path that begins south of the bridge and skirts the river.
If you take the path south of the Windmills, to the right you will find:
The Construction Site owned by Barney's Circus: After your child is born, Barney will move into the Valley and you will find his huge colourful tent on this site.
The 1st Hot Springs: this must be unlocked by an event with Flora when she reaches 250 FP.
The tomb of your character from FoMT or MFoMT if you insert a GBA cartridge to unlock the visitors from Mineral Town.
To the left is Galen's house, more easily reached by taking the path that leads south along the river's edge.
Take the path south from the bridge to find a little hill on the right where Galen's house stands. If you take the path south from the windmills, the hill will be on the left.
Galen's House: This is where you will find Galen and his wife Nina. Both are pivotal characters. Galen will give you a Fishing Rod if you visit him on a sunny Saturday between noon and 1.50 p.m. and make certain that no tool is equipped in your tool slot. Nina will knit you a Yule Stocking if she is at 255 FP and you visit her on a sunny morning in Winter to give her a ball of yarn. Note that she needs YARN, not wool so you will need the Yarnmaker.
Sunday, February 17, 2008
The delightful madcap Witch Princess
*********************************************************************
When Harvest Moon DS first was released, I was as entranced by the mischievous Witch Princess as I am about Skye in HM Cute. The only problem there was the necessity that you kill 50 of your livestock in order to satisfy her marriage requirements.
Even so, I remained rather attracted to her... and find her fully as enchanting in Cute. She is the ultimate rebel against conventional society and some of her pronouncements are hilarious.
When you attain Orange Heart with her, she will tell you: 'Nice to see you, Freya. Let me know if you die. I'll bring you back with my potions.'
She made a similar offer in the original Harvest Moon DS... As helpful as she may be here, how on earth are you supposed to let her know if you are dead?
Her glee when she receives a piece of Chocolate Cake at the Winter Thanks-Fest, a gift that formerly was intended only for boys, is fully in character. If she did not require the death of so many beloved animals, I would not hesitate either to wed her or make her my official 'Best Friend'. Unfortunately, although this is possible in the original Japanese version of Cute, it is not possible in the upcoming Natsume English edition of the game.
Incidentally, whenever she gives you her special gift, she will tell you that it has no value, but this is a small misrepresentation on her part. If you carry her gift or the gift of the Harvest Goddess in your rucksack for a full day and night, you will gain points towards the next level of your Farming Degree.
Saturday, January 12, 2008
Just call me... Phantom Skye
Natsume is a company that considers the desires both of male and female players and make different versions of Harvest Moon games for each. The original English version of Harvest Moon DS was the 'boy version'. In that game, your male character had a choice of 5 ordinary 'Valley' girls, 5 Mineral Town girls and 4 magical or 'special' girls to court. Quite a generous selection!
When I discovered that the girl version of the game, otherwise known as 'Harvest Moon Cute' had only one 'special' bachelor, I initially felt that our gender had been cheated.
A day after I received an advance copy of the game, I have to admit that the single 'special' bachelor is worth a handful of 'special' girls in terms of dramatic potential and allure.
The 'special' bachelor in 'Harvest Moon Cute' is a smooth-talking famous thief who has the reputation of warning his victims in advance, rather like a contemporary Japanese version of the old British 'gentleman' cat burglars and jewel thiefs beloved of cinema. Skye dresses like a pimp in a leopard-patterned jacket but his manner is calculated to sweep any girl off her feet. At first meeting, he won Lumina's heart and mine as well. I couldn't help it. The guy possesses a cheeky charm that is irresistable.
I have included some rather poor photographs of Skye in the event that is known in Harvest Moon games as the 'First Heart Event' or 'Black Heart Event'. No doubt the quality of the photographs could be improved greatly but I hope they will give players some idea of the delights in store for them when Harvest Moon Cute is released at the end of March.
Skye may be the most elusive bachelor in the game as he visits the Valley only at night and his tastes tend to be extravagant compared to other bachelors, as one might imagine. Moreover, you have no opportunity to socialise with him after the Heart Event occurs as you are sent straightway to bed to dream 'sweet dreams' of the charming thief.
Kai held the position of the charming vagabond character in former Harvest Moon games. I'm afraid he now must yield first place to Skye.
Your first meeting with Skye will be his first Heart Event, and it will occur between 10.00 p.m. and midnight as you walk up the staircase to enter Romana's garden at the Villa. The weather must be fine as Skye is the sort of chap who pampers himself and refuses to 'work' in bad weather conditions.
As you will be sent straight to bed after the event, I wished to complete all my farm tasks before I met the elusive cat burglar. I therefore entered the screen at the last possible moment at 11.50 p.m. to trigger the event.
Me: (?)
A stranger came out of the front door of the Villa. He then walked forward to stand next to me in front of the fountain.
Skye: (!) He he. Hello, beautiful. Walking alone at night?
Me: (?)
Skye: Hehe. I'm quite the ladies' man, and a prince of the stars.
Me: (!)
Lumina now came out of the Villa, and walked towards us.
Lumina: (!) Hey! Aren' t you that famous thief who warns his victims ahead of time?!
Skye and I both: (!)
Skye: Hehe. Sorry, but I'm a bit pressed for time. I'm about to jet out.
He began to walk towards the stairway to leave, but then turned back towards us:
Skye: Hehe. Call me Phantom Skye. I have a feeling we'll meet again. It's in the stars.
Me: (!)
Lumina then raced towards Skye to confront him.
Lumina: Wait right there!
Skye: Hehe. Hold up, beautiful. Don't let such raw anger steal away your beauty.
Lumina (!): What a smooth talker... Phantom Skye...
Lumina displayed a huge red heart and attempted to follow Skye as he departed.
Lumina: Phantom Skye! He... he got away from me!
Me: (...)
The event ended with Lumina at the gates and me in front of the fountain still.
Afterwards, I spoke to Lumina:
Lumina: Hehehe, that thief is cool!
As I exited from the stairway to the next screen, my parting thoughts were:
Me: I got to meet Phantom Skye today. What a pretty boy... Time for some sweet dreams...
I was sent straight to bed to dream of the elusive heartbreaker and only regained control of my character at 6.00 a.m. the next morning.
END of FIRST HEART EVENT
I have included the full text of this event as it is a good introduction to the character of Skye and shows his effect on the 'ladies', including Lumina.
Although Skye undoubtedly has potent charms, I was delighted to discover that a player can marry one of the lads from Mineral Town in Harvest Moon Cute without ending the game automatically with this act. In the original boy version, marriage to a Mineral Town girl meant that your character would move to Mineral Town. The game therefore ended summarily and you never were able to create a family in the Valley with a Mineral Town wife.
In Harvest Moon Cute, you can marry any of the eligible bachelors from Mineral Town and continue the game. I have to admit that, however powerful the allure of Skye may be, I was thrilled anew by the old Mineral Town 'heart event music' when I entered the Excavation Site and experienced the 1st heart event with my old husband from MFoMT Grey in a new incarnation.
It is amazing how 'real' memories of past Harvest Moon games can be and the depth and profundity of emotions they can evoke. In Harvest Moon games, there are musical themes for special events such as Heart and Rival Heart Events. The 'Heart Event theme' from More Friends of Mineral Town is my favourite. When that theme floated from the DS as I experienced Grey's 1st Heart Event in Harvest Moon Cute, I was swept away emotionally. What tender memories it engendered in me! What excitement and yearning!
A part of me laughs at myself for the incredible potency of my attachment to Harvest Moon but another part of me recognises the magic, bows to the power of the creators of these games and delights in their power to affect players. I am not alone in this. Other players have wept when they have lost their games due to some malfunction or some accidental overwrite of a file. Harvest Moon is more than a game. It is another reality.
As the game unfolds for me, I will be forced ultimately to make a decision. Will I return to the arms of Grey or will I follow a new path and marry the ultimate 'bad boy' of Harvest Moon?
Incidentally, there is a new twist to Harvest Moon in the Cute version. Although you cannot marry the special magical girls in the Valley, you can court them for a new relationship known as 'Best Friend'. I noticed immediately that one still could experience the Heart Events with the magical girls but what I did not realise initially was that it could lead to a socially recognised relationship! One actually can choose a female 'Best Friend' instead of a husband and offer the Blue Feather to HER. It is only the magical girls that can be courted in this fashion. Ordinary girls do not qualify. Moreover, it is an either/or situation. Having offered the Blue Feather to a magical girl, one no longer can marry a bachelor.
A magical girl, once she is a 'Best Friend' can give you a child as well. A child given in this fashion has an appearance that is randomly chosen in the same way that a child of a magical girl spouse in the original HM DS would have a randomly chosen appearance.
This is NOT to suggest that Harvest Moon is encouraging any sort of same gender marriages. The fact that Heart Events for magical girls are tied to special items and other events probably was the reason why it was decided to create the 'Best Friend' option. In any event, it is interesting to discover that one can have all the benefits of family life without marriage now in Harvest Moon. Despite this, I believe I am going to 'set my cap' either for Skye or for Grey in my first game...
In my view, there are far more attractive Mineral Town bachelors than Valley bachelors. Rock is handsome but rather feckless but Marlin, Gustafa, Griffin and Carter all appear to be of a different older generation than the girls in the game and they are NOT particularly handsome physically. The Mineral Town bachelors, on the other hand, all are of the same age as the girls and very cute with the possible exception of one whom I will not name because I know that EVERY bachelor has his own admirers among players. I even hesitate to say anything negative about the Valley bachelors... except that it really cannot be denied that, apart from Rock, they must be classified as 'older men'!
Friday, January 11, 2008
Harvest Moon Cute for DS
All other projects must be set aside now. A moment ago, I received an advance copy of 'Harvest Moon Cute' for the DS. This is the 'girl version' of Harvest Moon DS and it has been awaited eagerly since the original 'boy version' was produced. I will begin on it at once.
The sad part of this, as with an advance copy of any game made for the DS system, is that I cannot keep my game ultimately. It is not a retail cartridge and therefore belongs to Natsume. My life as a girl in Forget-Me-Not Valley will be wiped, along with the game itself and the cartridge will be used then for data in a different game entirely.
Most players of Harvest Moon games, including myself, become very attached to their Harvest Moon character and life. In fact, I recently received a series of emails from a player's mother. Her son lost everything in 'Innocent Life' because he failed to perform the actions necessary to avert the volcanic eruption and subsequent destruction of the island. 'Innocent Life' is one of the few Harvest Moon games, apart from 'Save the Homeland' with a time limitation for specific goals.
I personally prefer the games that do not impose dire consequences for 'failure' to perform specific actions in a specific time period. In any case, I could understand and empathise with the grief of the player who lost his cat, his dog and his robot when the volcano erupted. In fact, one of the reasons I write guide for games like 'Innocent Life' is to allow a player to enjoy the game fully without worrying about any negative consequences. By following the guide, the player can be assured of success. Some players revel in uncertainty and like to pit their wits against the game, but others would prefer simply to enjoy their lives in the world of Harvest Moon. There is no 'right' or 'wrong' way to approach the game, but I personally will do everything in my power in my own games to prevent catastrophes of any kind. My heart grieves when any animal dies in Harvest Moon. I always try to sell the animal before he/she exceeds his/her life expectancy in order to prevent that awful scene by the gravestone!
In any event, I am off to Forget-Me-Not Valley now to embark upon a new life as a girl farmer. Even though the data ultimately will be lost, I will endeavour to forget that sad future and enjoy my adventure to the fullest, creating a new guide as I do.
The sad part of this, as with an advance copy of any game made for the DS system, is that I cannot keep my game ultimately. It is not a retail cartridge and therefore belongs to Natsume. My life as a girl in Forget-Me-Not Valley will be wiped, along with the game itself and the cartridge will be used then for data in a different game entirely.
Most players of Harvest Moon games, including myself, become very attached to their Harvest Moon character and life. In fact, I recently received a series of emails from a player's mother. Her son lost everything in 'Innocent Life' because he failed to perform the actions necessary to avert the volcanic eruption and subsequent destruction of the island. 'Innocent Life' is one of the few Harvest Moon games, apart from 'Save the Homeland' with a time limitation for specific goals.
I personally prefer the games that do not impose dire consequences for 'failure' to perform specific actions in a specific time period. In any case, I could understand and empathise with the grief of the player who lost his cat, his dog and his robot when the volcano erupted. In fact, one of the reasons I write guide for games like 'Innocent Life' is to allow a player to enjoy the game fully without worrying about any negative consequences. By following the guide, the player can be assured of success. Some players revel in uncertainty and like to pit their wits against the game, but others would prefer simply to enjoy their lives in the world of Harvest Moon. There is no 'right' or 'wrong' way to approach the game, but I personally will do everything in my power in my own games to prevent catastrophes of any kind. My heart grieves when any animal dies in Harvest Moon. I always try to sell the animal before he/she exceeds his/her life expectancy in order to prevent that awful scene by the gravestone!
In any event, I am off to Forget-Me-Not Valley now to embark upon a new life as a girl farmer. Even though the data ultimately will be lost, I will endeavour to forget that sad future and enjoy my adventure to the fullest, creating a new guide as I do.
Wednesday, July 25, 2007
Is Harvest Moon for DS worth the effort?
Having written a number of guides for Harvest Moon DS, and having explored the different glitches in the game, I wanted to make a statement giving my own assessment of Harvest Moon DS. It is one of the greatest games ever created by Natsume. The glitches exist really because it is such a marvelous game. Harvest Moon games are not linear. There are hundreds of variables that can affect the course that the game will take. There are sub-plots within the main plot. There are more than a dozen eligible girls that one can court and marry, or one can choose a single life. One can choose to be an active matchmaker for other couples or let circumstance decide.
Almost every Harvest Moon fan longed for a game that would unite Mineral Town with Forget-Me-Not Valley. Natsume made Harvest Moon DS in response. Very few game companies pay as much attention to the wishes of the players as Natsume does. In Harvest Moon DS, Natsume created a game that was far more extensive than any other in every possible Harvest Moon activity: farming, ranching, courtship, mining, fishing, gambling and Sprites! The fact that the game sometimes can overload the DS system cannot be ignored completely, but that having been said, it is amazing that a complex game like this can be played on a handheld system at all.
The games created by Natsume combine intelligence, ethics, philosophy, creativity, humour, characters with depth and simple pleasure. Even for a fanatical Harvest Moon player like myself, every new Natsume game holds surprises and new challenges.
If your game freezes, you should be able to play through it. If the save files freeze, it is a tragedy but you can start a new game. It is a privilege simply to be able to 'live' in the world of Harvest Moon, even when that life ends abruptly because of a freeze. After all, in this real world, one's life is no more secure. One could be hit by a car when crossing a street. I try to see the 'file freeze' threat in Harvest Moon DS as an 'act of God'. In some games, the player never will experience it. In fact, there are many players who have played multiple games of HM DS without ever encountering this problem. For those whose games have been terminated abruptly, I have great empathy. I have experienced it myself. It can be devastating. On the other hand, would you rather never had the pleasure of playing the game and exploring the incredible world created by Natsume? Would you rather never have had the chance to meet Muffy and Karen in the game game?
Harvest Moon DS offers so many events, apart from the regular heart and rival heart events, allowing us to delve deeper into the histories and personalities of all the characters we have come to love. Is that not worth any price?
As I begin a new adventure in Rune Factory, I may have abandoned Harvest Moon DS temporarily, but I am certain I will play it many more times in my lifetime. It is one of my favourite Harvest Moon games, despite the occasional glitches.
Incidentally, with respect to Rune Factory, I see today that EB Games now gives the release date as 14 August rather than 31 July. I definitely should have a preliminary guide by then!
Almost every Harvest Moon fan longed for a game that would unite Mineral Town with Forget-Me-Not Valley. Natsume made Harvest Moon DS in response. Very few game companies pay as much attention to the wishes of the players as Natsume does. In Harvest Moon DS, Natsume created a game that was far more extensive than any other in every possible Harvest Moon activity: farming, ranching, courtship, mining, fishing, gambling and Sprites! The fact that the game sometimes can overload the DS system cannot be ignored completely, but that having been said, it is amazing that a complex game like this can be played on a handheld system at all.
The games created by Natsume combine intelligence, ethics, philosophy, creativity, humour, characters with depth and simple pleasure. Even for a fanatical Harvest Moon player like myself, every new Natsume game holds surprises and new challenges.
If your game freezes, you should be able to play through it. If the save files freeze, it is a tragedy but you can start a new game. It is a privilege simply to be able to 'live' in the world of Harvest Moon, even when that life ends abruptly because of a freeze. After all, in this real world, one's life is no more secure. One could be hit by a car when crossing a street. I try to see the 'file freeze' threat in Harvest Moon DS as an 'act of God'. In some games, the player never will experience it. In fact, there are many players who have played multiple games of HM DS without ever encountering this problem. For those whose games have been terminated abruptly, I have great empathy. I have experienced it myself. It can be devastating. On the other hand, would you rather never had the pleasure of playing the game and exploring the incredible world created by Natsume? Would you rather never have had the chance to meet Muffy and Karen in the game game?
Harvest Moon DS offers so many events, apart from the regular heart and rival heart events, allowing us to delve deeper into the histories and personalities of all the characters we have come to love. Is that not worth any price?
As I begin a new adventure in Rune Factory, I may have abandoned Harvest Moon DS temporarily, but I am certain I will play it many more times in my lifetime. It is one of my favourite Harvest Moon games, despite the occasional glitches.
Incidentally, with respect to Rune Factory, I see today that EB Games now gives the release date as 14 August rather than 31 July. I definitely should have a preliminary guide by then!
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