Harvest Moon: Magical Melody (Game Cube, 2006)

As the owner of nearly every Harvest Moon game alive, I feel that I have found the best one yet and need to share my thoughts with other fans!...

+++ Positives +++

A STORYLINE:
Even if you don't enjoy raising crops or animals, this HM comes with a plot! Your mission: to collect 100 notes by performing various tasks. Anything from crushing rocks to attending festivals will give you the opportunity to earn a few. Collect them all to rescue the Harvest Goddess who has turned to stone. Regular Harvest Moon fans who aren't interested in this will be pleased to know that it's not a requirement...more of a side quest.

EASIER TO MANUVER:
Unlike its predecessor HM: AWL, HM: MM has made moving around and performing tasks MUCH easier. In fact, it seems to parallel the original HM64 days with a fixed perspective and simpler graphics. A 'hot box' can tell you where you about to perform an action, making it easier to hit intended targets. Also, there seems to be a '5 second rule' for dropped goods. Instead of fading away into oblivion, when you drop an item, it gradually fades away, allowing you a few seconds to pick it back up before it disappears. A WELL-NEEDED upgrade!

MORE TO BUILD:
Aside from upgrading your house to more levels, you can also buy furniture (and even rearrange it!). Also, HM: MM makes you earn your chicken coop and barn (if you choose to raise animals at all!). You can even buy as much as 20 plots of land to build houses or raise animals or crops on! So much variety and a BIG incentive to earn a lot of cash.

A RIVAL:
Now you have someone to compete against. Your game keeps stats on how well you're keeping up with your rude rival on a daily basis. Another great incentive for working hard in this game.

MORE MATES:
While the original HM and HM64 had 5 potential mates (and the 'more impressive' HM: AWL had only 3), HM: MM has 11 future spouses for you to choose from (whether you play as a boy or girl).

--- NEGATIVES ---

LIMITED DIALOGUE:
Those expecting waiting for the kind of talkback variety that Animal Crossing provides can forget it. Similar to most HM games, the conversation from person to person is usually limited to a few different lines. But, with so many people to talk to, it's not really much of an issue this time around.

LACKLUSTER FESTIVALS:
With the exception of a few of them, festivals just don't seem to have the pizazz they did in HW: FoMT or even HM64. I don't like that you can't bet on horses, even though you can still race yours. Some festivals require nothing more than showing up and talking to people. Boring.

*** IN CONCLUSION ***
With the exception of a few minor negatives, this Harvest Moon has got more playtime, features, and lasting appeal than ANY other one on the market. There's more to do (so much so that it's tough to decide what to do at first) and more to see. Easy to manuver, lots of side quests, and simple graphics make this a must have for Harvest Moon fans!