Harvest Moon 3
Encyclopedia
, is a farm
simulation
video game for the Game Boy Color
developed by Victor Interactive Software
, part of the long-running Harvest Moon series of video games. Harvest Moon 3 is the last game for the Game Boy Color in the series, and also one of the most distinctive. Its original Japanese release was on two separate cartridges (one for the Boy side and one for the Girl side), but was combined into one single cartridge for overseas release.
, who is asked by the mayor
to help a girl on a nearby island run the farm of her father. The girl's beginning shows her trying to save Harry's farm by taking control of it. She then meets the boy character.
Harvest Moon 3 takes place on an island, which has some mountain
ous regions, a grassland
, a small village
, and the farm where a lot of the game takes place. There are no shops to buy things like tools, crops, and animals; every Monday and Thursday a ferry
is available to take the character to the mainland
, where all of the shops reside. This is an element unique to Harvest Moon games, as most allow players to buy things whenever they desire.
Growing crops
and raising livestock
are among the prime tasks in Harvest Moon 3. But, as with many other HM games, the player has the opportunity to marry his/her partner, and even have a baby. There are some differences between playing as the male or female character; the girl starts out with a free cow and a brush, but cannot upgrade tools, when the boy character can. The male also has more stamina than the female. Also when the player marries as the girl, the game ends, but as a boy, the game continues.
Livestock include cows, chickens, and sheep, and the player can have up to eight of each. Cows produce milk, chickens produce eggs, and sheep produce wool. These animals can give birth under the right conditions. The player can also raise up to eight horses. Horses do not produce any goods, but can be ridden, sold, or entered in the horse racing circuit. Horses entered in the races will not be returned, but their placement can be checked by reading the "Cherry Cup Report" and the "Gallop Stakes Report," found in the bookshelf.
rated the game at 7.0, or "decent", saying that the game has colorful graphics and deep gameplay, though the use of sound effects was not the best.
Farm
A farm is an area of land, or, for aquaculture, lake, river or sea, including various structures, devoted primarily to the practice of producing and managing food , fibres and, increasingly, fuel. It is the basic production facility in food production. Farms may be owned and operated by a single...
simulation
Simulation
Simulation is the imitation of some real thing available, state of affairs, or process. The act of simulating something generally entails representing certain key characteristics or behaviours of a selected physical or abstract system....
video game for the Game Boy Color
Game Boy Color
The is Nintendo's successor to the 8-bit Game Boy handheld game console, and was released on October 21, 1998 in Japan, November 19, 1998 in North America, November 23, 1998 in Europe and November 27, 1998 in the United Kingdom. It features a color screen and is slightly thicker and taller than...
developed by Victor Interactive Software
Victor Interactive Software
Victor Interactive Software, Inc. was a Japanese video game software publisher and developer, established in 1970-08-03 as a division of Victor Entertainment.In 1996-10-01, Victor Entertainment Inc. merged with Pack-In-Video Co., Ltd...
, part of the long-running Harvest Moon series of video games. Harvest Moon 3 is the last game for the Game Boy Color in the series, and also one of the most distinctive. Its original Japanese release was on two separate cartridges (one for the Boy side and one for the Girl side), but was combined into one single cartridge for overseas release.
Gameplay
The character may be chosen as a boy or a girl. The beginning and ending are different depending on which character the player chooses. The boy is a successful Rancher, living on the farm from Harvest Moon 2Harvest Moon 2
, is a farm simulation video game for the Game Boy Color developed by Pack-In-Video. The object of the game is to cultivate a farm to prevent the land from being used to build an amusement park. As with the previous game the player may choose to play as a boy or a girl.There are several differences...
, who is asked by the mayor
Mayor
In many countries, a Mayor is the highest ranking officer in the municipal government of a town or a large urban city....
to help a girl on a nearby island run the farm of her father. The girl's beginning shows her trying to save Harry's farm by taking control of it. She then meets the boy character.
Harvest Moon 3 takes place on an island, which has some mountain
Mountain
Image:Himalaya_annotated.jpg|thumb|right|The Himalayan mountain range with Mount Everestrect 58 14 160 49 Chomo Lonzorect 200 28 335 52 Makalurect 378 24 566 45 Mount Everestrect 188 581 920 656 Tibetan Plateaurect 250 406 340 427 Rong River...
ous regions, a grassland
Grassland
Grasslands are areas where the vegetation is dominated by grasses and other herbaceous plants . However, sedge and rush families can also be found. Grasslands occur naturally on all continents except Antarctica...
, a small village
Village
A village is a clustered human settlement or community, larger than a hamlet with the population ranging from a few hundred to a few thousand , Though often located in rural areas, the term urban village is also applied to certain urban neighbourhoods, such as the West Village in Manhattan, New...
, and the farm where a lot of the game takes place. There are no shops to buy things like tools, crops, and animals; every Monday and Thursday a ferry
Ferry
A ferry is a form of transportation, usually a boat, but sometimes a ship, used to carry primarily passengers, and sometimes vehicles and cargo as well, across a body of water. Most ferries operate on regular, frequent, return services...
is available to take the character to the mainland
Mainland
Mainland is a name given to a large landmass in a region , or to the largest of a group of islands in an archipelago. Sometimes its residents are called "Mainlanders"...
, where all of the shops reside. This is an element unique to Harvest Moon games, as most allow players to buy things whenever they desire.
Growing crops
Agriculture
Agriculture is the cultivation of animals, plants, fungi and other life forms for food, fiber, and other products used to sustain life. Agriculture was the key implement in the rise of sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of domesticated species created food surpluses that nurtured the...
and raising livestock
Livestock
Livestock refers to one or more domesticated animals raised in an agricultural setting to produce commodities such as food, fiber and labor. The term "livestock" as used in this article does not include poultry or farmed fish; however the inclusion of these, especially poultry, within the meaning...
are among the prime tasks in Harvest Moon 3. But, as with many other HM games, the player has the opportunity to marry his/her partner, and even have a baby. There are some differences between playing as the male or female character; the girl starts out with a free cow and a brush, but cannot upgrade tools, when the boy character can. The male also has more stamina than the female. Also when the player marries as the girl, the game ends, but as a boy, the game continues.
Animals
The player is given a pet in the beginning of the game. This includes a dog, a cat, a pig, or a bird.Livestock include cows, chickens, and sheep, and the player can have up to eight of each. Cows produce milk, chickens produce eggs, and sheep produce wool. These animals can give birth under the right conditions. The player can also raise up to eight horses. Horses do not produce any goods, but can be ridden, sold, or entered in the horse racing circuit. Horses entered in the races will not be returned, but their placement can be checked by reading the "Cherry Cup Report" and the "Gallop Stakes Report," found in the bookshelf.
Tools
There are a variety of tools, some familiar from previous Harvest Moon games, some new.Reception
IGNIGN
IGN is an entertainment website that focuses on video games, films, music and other media. IGN's main website comprises several specialty sites or "channels", each occupying a subdomain and covering a specific area of entertainment...
rated the game at 7.0, or "decent", saying that the game has colorful graphics and deep gameplay, though the use of sound effects was not the best.