Harvest Moon 64
Encyclopedia
is a farm simulation video game developed by Victor Interactive Software
and published by Natsume Co., Ltd
for the Nintendo 64
video game console
, and the third game in the Harvest Moon series. It was first released in Japan
on February 5, 1999 and was later released in North America
on November 30, 1999.
. The player is initially given a set of tools to use in order to achieve this goal. Along with restoring the farm, there are a number of other side quests that the player may choose to partake in, including training and racing a horse, selling crops, participating in a variety of town festivals as well as random events, falling in love and getting married, collecting recipes, and collecting photographs from various achievements and events.
The player starts out with the bare minimum features for the farm: A small house, a shipping bin, a barn
for sheep and cows, a coop
for chickens, a silo
, a shed, and farm land. Along the way, the player has the opportunity to upgrade tools, add extensions to the house, fill the barn and coop, and cover his farmland with flowers, grass, and crops. The local town, where most of the villagers spend their day, contains a church, a bar, a bakery, a town square, a flower shop, a library, a tool shop, among other things.
Unlike the original Harvest Moon for the SNES
, there is a limited amount of time to work in any given day as well as a limited amount of stamina for work. Many game features, such as character locations and whether shops are open or closed, depends on what time and day it is. Each season lasts 30 days and has different weather patterns, crops to grow, and wild herbs available.
s, potato
es, corn, and strawberries
. A greenhouse
can be built so that any plant can grow anytime during the year.
The player starts with five basic tools to help restore the farm: a hammer
, an axe
, a sickle
, a hoe
, and a watering can
. After a certain amount of usage, a tool will automatically upgrade
(signified when the tool becomes silver
and then later gold
), allowing the player to do more work faster using less energy. Tools for livestock
such as a cow milker and an animal brush
can be purchased in the village.
Along with crops planted on the farm, there are also wild growing plants and herbs that the player may pick as he goes through his daily chores. The wild growing plants change from season to season. Unlike the crops grown on the farm, however, they reappear each day. Some of the wild growing plants can cause sickness and some may prevent it.
Taking care of animals is another essential part of maintaining the farm. There are two pets available in the game: a dog
and a horse
. The player begins with a dog that originally belonged to the player character
's grandfather. The dog can participate in a Dog Race; its performance is determined by its relationship with the player. The horse, obtained from Green Ranch, can be ridden and used as a portable shipping crate. Like the dog, it can also participate in races. Livestock, such as cows, sheep, and chicken
s, may also be purchased at the Green Ranch. These animals require food and care in order to produce more valuable products. If a livestock is either unfed or left outside for many consecutive days, it will become sick and eventually die unless the player gives it medicine.
suitor that will eventually marry her if the player chooses to marry another girl or takes too long to woo her.
Photographs and recipes are ways to track a player's success in the game. In addition to being collector's items, photographs and recipes are used as guides when the farm is rated during the third year. When the player reaches a certain milestone or achieves a certain goal-- winning a festival or getting married for example-- he will receive a photograph to remember the event. Earned photographs are available for viewing at any time by checking the photo album on the bedside table. If a character has become good enough friends with the player, he will give the player a recipe in exchange for a certain crop. As the player becomes friends with more townspeople, he will receive more and more recipes.
Festival days are special days that offer the player a break from daily chores and a chance to see events that only occur once per year. Some festivals give the player a chance to interact with the townsfolk in unique ways, like dancing or swimming, and some give the player a chance to make some extra money betting on races.
Aaron Boulding, who rated Harvest Moon 64 for IGN
, rated the game at 8.2 out of 10, or "great", stating that "(he) was able to forgive a lot of shortcomings like poor audio and visual elements because (he) found (himself) playing it for hours at a time."
Joe Fielder, who rated it for GameSpot
, gave it 7.3 out of 10 and claimed that "although not for everyone, Harvest Moon 64 is a strangely compelling, original little game that makes hours melt away incomprehensibly."
Mars Publishing's Parent's Guide to Nintendo Games gave Harvest Moon 64 the only Parent's Guide Choice Award for a Nintendo 64 game because it met the requirements of a game that "displays imagination, creativity, ingenuity of the first order, while offering a playing atmosphere that is educational and enriching."
Nintendo Power
ranked Harvest Moon 64 as the 78th greatest Nintendo game of all time.
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...
and published by Natsume Co., Ltd
Natsume Co., Ltd
is a Japanese video game developer and publisher in Shinjuku, Tokyo, Japan founded on October 20, 1987. Its American branch, Natsume Inc., is located in Burlingame, California...
for the Nintendo 64
Nintendo 64
The , often referred to as N64, was Nintendo′s third home video game console for the international market. Named for its 64-bit CPU, it was released in June 1996 in Japan, September 1996 in North America, March 1997 in Europe and Australia, September 1997 in France and December 1997 in Brazil...
video game console
Video game console
A video game console is an interactive entertainment computer or customized computer system that produces a video display signal which can be used with a display device to display a video game...
, and the third game in the Harvest Moon series. It was first released in Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
on February 5, 1999 and was later released in North America
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
on November 30, 1999.
Gameplay
The objective of Harvest Moon 64 is to restore and maintain an abandoned farmFarm
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...
. The player is initially given a set of tools to use in order to achieve this goal. Along with restoring the farm, there are a number of other side quests that the player may choose to partake in, including training and racing a horse, selling crops, participating in a variety of town festivals as well as random events, falling in love and getting married, collecting recipes, and collecting photographs from various achievements and events.
The player starts out with the bare minimum features for the farm: A small house, a shipping bin, a barn
Barn
A barn is an agricultural building used for storage and as a covered workplace. It may sometimes be used to house livestock or to store farming vehicles and equipment...
for sheep and cows, a coop
Chicken coop
A chicken coop is a building where female chickens are kept. Inside there are often nest boxes for egg laying and perches on which the birds can sleep, although coops for meat birds seldom have either of these features....
for chickens, a silo
Silo
A silo is a structure for storing bulk materials.Silo may also refer to:* Silo , a 3D modeling software* Silo , a defunct chain of retail electronics stores* SILO , used in Linux...
, a shed, and farm land. Along the way, the player has the opportunity to upgrade tools, add extensions to the house, fill the barn and coop, and cover his farmland with flowers, grass, and crops. The local town, where most of the villagers spend their day, contains a church, a bar, a bakery, a town square, a flower shop, a library, a tool shop, among other things.
Unlike the original Harvest Moon for the SNES
Super Nintendo Entertainment System
The Super Nintendo Entertainment System is a 16-bit video game console that was released by Nintendo in North America, Europe, Australasia , and South America between 1990 and 1993. In Japan and Southeast Asia, the system is called the , or SFC for short...
, there is a limited amount of time to work in any given day as well as a limited amount of stamina for work. Many game features, such as character locations and whether shops are open or closed, depends on what time and day it is. Each season lasts 30 days and has different weather patterns, crops to grow, and wild herbs available.
Farming
Planting, growing, and harvesting crops is one of the main focuses of the Harvest Moon series. To plant crops, the player must till the soil, plant the seeds, then water the plots. All vegetable seeds can all be purchased at the Flower Shop in the village during their respective season. At the end of a season, the crop withers and must be cut down with the scythe. Several crops will yield multiple vegetables throughout the season if continually watered. The crops available to plant include turnipTurnip
The turnip or white turnip is a root vegetable commonly grown in temperate climates worldwide for its white, bulbous taproot. Small, tender varieties are grown for human consumption, while larger varieties are grown as feed for livestock...
s, potato
Potato
The potato is a starchy, tuberous crop from the perennial Solanum tuberosum of the Solanaceae family . The word potato may refer to the plant itself as well as the edible tuber. In the region of the Andes, there are some other closely related cultivated potato species...
es, corn, and strawberries
Strawberry
Fragaria is a genus of flowering plants in the rose family, Rosaceae, commonly known as strawberries for their edible fruits. Although it is commonly thought that strawberries get their name from straw being used as a mulch in cultivating the plants, the etymology of the word is uncertain. There...
. A greenhouse
Greenhouse
A greenhouse is a building in which plants are grown. These structures range in size from small sheds to very large buildings...
can be built so that any plant can grow anytime during the year.
The player starts with five basic tools to help restore the farm: a hammer
Sledgehammer
A sledgehammer is a tool consisting of a large, flat head attached to a lever . The head is typically made of metal. The sledgehammer can apply more impulse than other hammers, due to its large size. Along with the mallet, it shares the ability to distribute force over a wide area...
, an axe
Axe
The axe, or ax, is an implement that has been used for millennia to shape, split and cut wood; to harvest timber; as a weapon; and as a ceremonial or heraldic symbol...
, a sickle
Sickle
A sickle is a hand-held agricultural tool with a variously curved blade typically used for harvesting grain crops or cutting succulent forage chiefly for feeding livestock . Sickles have also been used as weapons, either in their original form or in various derivations.The diversity of sickles that...
, a hoe
Hoe
Hoe may refer to:* Hoe , a hand tool used in gardening* Hoe , a Korean dish of raw fish* Plymouth Hoe, a public space in Plymouth, England* Hoe, Norfolk, a village in Norfolk, England* USS Hoe , a World War II US submarine...
, and a watering can
Watering can
A watering can is a portable container, usually with a handle and a spout, used to water plants by hand. It has existed since at least the 17th century and has since been improved. It is used for many other uses too, as it is a fairly versatile tool....
. After a certain amount of usage, a tool will automatically upgrade
Experience point
An experience point is a unit of measurement used in many role-playing games and role-playing video games to quantify a player character's progression through the game...
(signified when the tool becomes silver
Silver
Silver is a metallic chemical element with the chemical symbol Ag and atomic number 47. A soft, white, lustrous transition metal, it has the highest electrical conductivity of any element and the highest thermal conductivity of any metal...
and then later gold
Gold
Gold is a chemical element with the symbol Au and an atomic number of 79. Gold is a dense, soft, shiny, malleable and ductile metal. Pure gold has a bright yellow color and luster traditionally considered attractive, which it maintains without oxidizing in air or water. Chemically, gold is a...
), allowing the player to do more work faster using less energy. Tools for 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...
such as a cow milker and an animal brush
Horse grooming
Horse grooming is hygienic care given to a horse, or a process by which the horse's physical appearance is enhanced for horse shows or other types of competition.-Reasons for grooming:...
can be purchased in the village.
Along with crops planted on the farm, there are also wild growing plants and herbs that the player may pick as he goes through his daily chores. The wild growing plants change from season to season. Unlike the crops grown on the farm, however, they reappear each day. Some of the wild growing plants can cause sickness and some may prevent it.
Taking care of animals is another essential part of maintaining the farm. There are two pets available in the game: a dog
Dog
The domestic dog is a domesticated form of the gray wolf, a member of the Canidae family of the order Carnivora. The term is used for both feral and pet varieties. The dog may have been the first animal to be domesticated, and has been the most widely kept working, hunting, and companion animal in...
and a horse
Horse
The horse is one of two extant subspecies of Equus ferus, or the wild horse. It is a single-hooved mammal belonging to the taxonomic family Equidae. The horse has evolved over the past 45 to 55 million years from a small multi-toed creature into the large, single-toed animal of today...
. The player begins with a dog that originally belonged to the player character
Player character
A player character or playable character is a character in a video game or role playing game who is controlled or controllable by a player, and is typically a protagonist of the story told in the course of the game. A player character is a persona of the player who controls it. Player characters...
's grandfather. The dog can participate in a Dog Race; its performance is determined by its relationship with the player. The horse, obtained from Green Ranch, can be ridden and used as a portable shipping crate. Like the dog, it can also participate in races. Livestock, such as cows, sheep, and chicken
Chicken
The chicken is a domesticated fowl, a subspecies of the Red Junglefowl. As one of the most common and widespread domestic animals, and with a population of more than 24 billion in 2003, there are more chickens in the world than any other species of bird...
s, may also be purchased at the Green Ranch. These animals require food and care in order to produce more valuable products. If a livestock is either unfed or left outside for many consecutive days, it will become sick and eventually die unless the player gives it medicine.
Raising a Family
One of the major features of Harvest Moon 64 is the ability to marry and have a child. There are five eligible girls in Harvest Moon 64. These girls have hearts that appear in their speech bubbles representative of her affection toward the player ranging from white (indifferent) to pink (in love). Each of these girls has a non-player characterNon-player character
A non-player character , sometimes known as a non-person character or non-playable character, in a game is any fictional character not controlled by a player. In electronic games, this usually means a character controlled by the computer through artificial intelligence...
suitor that will eventually marry her if the player chooses to marry another girl or takes too long to woo her.
Other Notable Features
The player can also visit the carpenter and his apprentices in the mountains to request additional construction for the house and farm. The head carpenter comes by the farm to make an estimate and, if the player has enough money and lumber, will begin work the next day. Construction of all of the house add-ons will result in a photo.Photographs and recipes are ways to track a player's success in the game. In addition to being collector's items, photographs and recipes are used as guides when the farm is rated during the third year. When the player reaches a certain milestone or achieves a certain goal-- winning a festival or getting married for example-- he will receive a photograph to remember the event. Earned photographs are available for viewing at any time by checking the photo album on the bedside table. If a character has become good enough friends with the player, he will give the player a recipe in exchange for a certain crop. As the player becomes friends with more townspeople, he will receive more and more recipes.
Festival days are special days that offer the player a break from daily chores and a chance to see events that only occur once per year. Some festivals give the player a chance to interact with the townsfolk in unique ways, like dancing or swimming, and some give the player a chance to make some extra money betting on races.
Reception
Many reviews claim that although Harvest Moon 64 has a repetitive soundtrack and often glitchy visual displays, the game's captivating and unique gameplay make up for it.Aaron Boulding, who rated Harvest Moon 64 for IGN
IGN
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 8.2 out of 10, or "great", stating that "(he) was able to forgive a lot of shortcomings like poor audio and visual elements because (he) found (himself) playing it for hours at a time."
Joe Fielder, who rated it for GameSpot
GameSpot
GameSpot is a video gaming website that provides news, reviews, previews, downloads, and other information. The site was launched in May 1, 1996 by Pete Deemer, Vince Broady and Jon Epstein. It was purchased by ZDNet, a brand which was later purchased by CNET Networks. CBS Interactive, which...
, gave it 7.3 out of 10 and claimed that "although not for everyone, Harvest Moon 64 is a strangely compelling, original little game that makes hours melt away incomprehensibly."
Mars Publishing's Parent's Guide to Nintendo Games gave Harvest Moon 64 the only Parent's Guide Choice Award for a Nintendo 64 game because it met the requirements of a game that "displays imagination, creativity, ingenuity of the first order, while offering a playing atmosphere that is educational and enriching."
Nintendo Power
Nintendo Power
Nintendo Power magazine is a monthly news and strategy magazine formerly published in-house by Nintendo of America, but now run independently. As of issue #222 , Nintendo contracted publishing duties to Future US, the U.S. subsidiary of British publisher Future.The first issue published was...
ranked Harvest Moon 64 as the 78th greatest Nintendo game of all time.