Harvest Moon DS (Nintendo DS, 2006)

Harvest Moon DS is a simulation game where the player is responsible for running a farm in order to ensure the return of an NPC known as the Harvest Goddess.

Gameplay flows through the four seasons of the year (Spring, Summer, Autumn and Winter) and the Player can do everything from run a crop-centered farm, a farm with animals on it, or a farm that is a combination of both. To help with daily chores are stores to buy items from, arrange for buildings (anything from a silo, a bird shed, house enlargements, or a pond), and a blacksmith who's willing to use the Player's mined ore to upgrade their tools for them. Days on the farm can be sunny and clear, rainy and overcast, or even so torrential that the Player's character has no choice but to remain in the house during a raging storm which will leave branches and rocks to pick up later. The Player even has the option of choosing one of a group of young ladies for their character to give gifts to, woo, and marry. Even a mermaid!

The actual look of the game is comparable to the Pokemon games where most of the screen time is taken by a camera view looking down on the main character. When the Player talks to another character their picture appears on the bottom screen along with the text of the conversation.

There are 101 Harvest Sprites to locate in the game in order to return the Harvest Goddess to her proper world, and the Player must deal with the fact that the way you "locate" them is by actually getting your daily chores of getting rid of weeds, chopping branches for wood, smashing rocks for stones, and general good farm boy business done.

The music in the game does not detract from its play/replay value, as the music is used sparingly and not for so long that its repetition gets on the nerves. In fact, for much of the gameplay it seems to not even be used at all. This makes rainy days on the game relaxing since you have no music cluttering up the rainwater sound effect.

Made for the DS and it's touch screen, this game makes use of the stylus primarily when the Player is interacting with their animals (you pet the dog, cat and horse via it, along with milking your cows and shearing your sheep). This is done on the game once the Player's character has purchased a "Touch Glove" Tool. Otherwise the majority of the game is controlled by way of button pushing and directional controls, which is nice when you are trying to get the most mileage out of that touch screen that you can.

This game is best suited to those who prefer simulation games, such as the Pokemon series, being as it is yet another of them; the lack of fighting in it, however, makes it seem less suitable for those who like simulation/horror games such as the Silent Hill or Resident Evil series.

Truthfully I wish I could rate this game between the Good and Excellent ratings, with something more like a 4.5 out of 5 points sort of thing, but Good is good enough. If simulation games are your "thing" you just might enjoy Harvest Moon.