Harvest Moon: Back to Nature

Harvest Moon: Back to Nature is a video game in the farm simulation series Harvest Moon, developed by Victor Interactive Software. It is the only Harvest Moon game developed for the PlayStation, as well as the first Harvest Moon game for a non-Nintendo console. Characters from Harvest Moon 64 were transferred to be the characters in this game, although with new lifestyles, personalities, and relatives, including the wooable girls from Harvest Moon 64 (Ann, Elli, Popuri, Maria [known as Mary], and Karen).

A girl-oriented remake, Bokujō Monogatari Harvest Moon for Girl (or simply "for Girls"), was also developed, but until 2007, had not seen a localized English release. The setting of this game was later transferred to the 2003 and 2005 Game Boy Advance games Harvest Moon: Friends of Mineral Town and Harvest Moon: More Friends of Mineral Town. Also, the game was coupled with the girl version and ported in 2006 (2007 for North America) as Harvest Moon: Boy & Girl for the PlayStation Portable, although the box art and instructions portrayed it as a completely new game. In 2008, Marvelous Interactive released Harvest Moon: Back to Nature and Bokujō Monogatari Harvest Moon for Girl for the PlayStation 3 and PlayStation Portable via the PlayStation Network.

Gameplay

In the game, Jack (who can be renamed if the player so wishes; but his given name pertains his memories and his destiny to take over his grandfather's farm) begins with a ramshackle farm, enough money to begin small-scale crop farming and no standing within the Mineral Town community. Over the course of the game, the player must build a thriving farm, and become friends with the citizens of Mineral Town. Whilst gameplay typically involves the acts of farming itself and interacting with the people the character meets, almost all of the actions a player makes must be balanced with the two most overriding factors of the game, time and money. A third factor, energy, threads through them both, but not in all circumstances and to an ever-decreasing extent as the game progresses.

Time passes whilst players traverse the village or remain outside buildings. The growing of crops and raising of livestock requires daily attention and the expenditure of time. The old and inefficient tools the player begins the game with cause crop farming to be a slow and unproductive way of earning money. Upgrading the tools requires time and money. Once the tools have been upgraded, it allows the player to farm more efficiently, resulting in more crops being grown at once. This results in more money being earned and more options becoming available. As the cashflow increases, the ability to upgrade tools further, buy more seeds of a higher quality at once and purchase livestock enables the player to increase their earnings yet further.

Players who find that they have purchased enough upgrades, extensions and stock for the farm and begin to keep their profit from farming will also find that they have suddenly acquired a lot of time as well. Instead of toiling over small patches of crops, they'll be tending far greater amounts of crops yet spending a fraction of the time doing so. This slow build-up to a sudden change of fortunes is a trademark of the Harvest Moon series. The common factor in this sudden turnaround of fortunes is the poor state of the farm at the beginning of the game, several of the game's 'days' are spent making the fields suitable for seed planting. This also is a common occurrence in the Harvest Moon series.

In Back to Nature, since the passing of Jack's grandfather, the farm has fallen into disuse and the fields have become overgrown with weeds. Once this initial obstacle is cleared, the player can then start to expand on these most basic tasks as they proceed to build up the value of their produce. There is no requirement for crops to be planted immediately or for any other tasks to be performed upon starting a new game, though players have a limited number of days before being asked to leave the farm if it remains in disrepair.

Energy is the other concern facing players who wish to be successful, particularly in the early stages of the game. The main character can perform a limited amount of tasks each day. Rather than displaying an energy bar, the game instead shows the character becoming more tired as he performs more tasks and spending time in a daze. Repeatedly pushing Jack beyond exhaustion will result in him passing out and having to visit the local hospital. Jack's maximum energy can be increased by locating hidden "power berries" scattered throughout the town. Energy can be regained through rest, eating, or visiting the local hot springs.

The weather can affect how the player completes their goals during that day. Regardless of season, most days are calm and do not cause adverse or positive affects on the player's activities. Rainfall results in crops being watered without player intervention, freeing time to pursue other goals, but at the same time, can cause the player to develop a cold, forcing him not to work for a day. Hurricanes and blizzards cause the destruction of crops, the loss of certain livestock if they're left outside and also prevent the character from leaving his home for the day.

Years ago, the main character, Jack, came to his grandfather's farm for the summer. His grandfather was too busy taking care of the farm to spend much time with the boy, but the boy was free to explore the town and the forest as he wished. Jack befriended his grandfather's puppy and met a little girl his own age with whom he became close friends.

When the summer was over, the boy had to go back home, but he promised the little girl that he would return someday. He was waiting a very long time to meet her again

When Jack's grandfather died years later, Jack had grown into a young man, and he came to the town again to take over the farm. The mayor talked things over with the village, and they had decided that Jack could stay as the rightful owner if he could restore the farm back to its original state. But if Jack couldn't restore the farm, or wasn't able to get along with the villagers, he would have to leave.

Dating

There are 5 different girls that the player has an oppurtunity to date with and marry, which can be achieved by giving the specific girl an amount that multiplies with hundred of her favorite gift.^[3]

Outbuildings

The barn holds your cows and sheep, like the farmhouse this building can be expanded. Players interested in keeping livestock will spend time talking to their animals, brushing and feeding them in this building. If they are healthy and happy, you can get milk from the cows daily, and wool from the sheep weekly. The barn is where wool and milk processing machinery will be delivered, once they are purchased.

The stable provides living space for a horse, should the player choose to accept an invitation to care for the animal. You do not need to feed him, but he does prefer to be outside. If players treat their horse well, he will become an adult and can help carry crops. This enables Jack to work more efficiently as he doesn't have to run back to the shipping box when his inventory is full. If the horse is not properly cared for, there is a chance he may be removed from the farm.

The chicken coop provides room for five birds but can be expanded like the farmhouse. After the expansion you can keep up to 10 chickens. There is also an incubator to hatch chicks. The egg processing machine will be placed here if purchased by the Player.

All livestock can be taken or lead outside in order to feed themselves, though all dislike being left out in bad weather or during rain.

Though all the outbuildings which house livestock are present from the outset, players must pay for a hothouse to be built if they require one. Within the hothouse, any crop can be grown, even those out of season. Purchasing the hothouse enables crops to be grown and harvested during winter; this being the only way to farm crops during that season. Extreme weather conditions can destroy the hothouse, since it is not built to withstand such force. Players must consider whether they're willing to risk the expense of losing the hothouse and its contents, balanced by the opportunities it presents.

Arable land

You can clear the land by pulling weeds, breaking rocks, and chopping stumps for lumber. Your first hammer and axe are capable of dealing with only small rocks and branches (you can also just put the rocks and branches in your rucksack, and move them to another part of the field where they won't be in the way). After you upgrade the tools at least once, you can chop up stumps and break the large, smooth rocks. To do this, equip the appropriate tool, face the object, then hold and swing six, three, two or one times without moving, depending on which ore you upgraded your tool with. If you move, you will have to start over.

Upgraded tools will break and chop things with fewer strokes. The heavy and bulky rocks(not the smooth ones)cannot be broken with the first hammer upgrade.

Once you have cleared the land, you can till it using a hoe and then plant seeds. If you water the seeds daily, they will grow, and eventually you can harvest them and sell the crops. Some crops are single-harvest (such as potato) while others multi-harvest able (such as corn) and will give harvests until the season changes and the crops die,unless if you have a 'hothouse'.

There is a different set of crops for each season (spring, summer, fall), and none can be grown in winter without the purchase of a 'hothouse' in which all types of seeds can be grown.

Once you get the fishing pole from Greg and are able to catch fish, you can add any fish to the pond by throwing them into the water. Should you decide to raise fish you will need to feed them daily. In doing so they will breed. The fish do grow up (small fish become medium fish then become big fish). However during the winter the pond freezes over making feeding and removal of the fish impossible. (It can be noted that the player is free to remove the fish, store them in their refrigerator for any period of time and return them to the fish pond with no negative effects.)

Mineral Town and surrounding area

Many characters tend to live within mineral town, making visits worthwhile for new information. The townspeople follow a routine around the town, and most of the houses are available for exploration. Mineral Town also contains shops for seeds, farming machinery, wine, and other items. Buying livestock is done within town, and expected buildings common to towns such as a church, library, inn, clinic, and more. Outside of the town one can find the blacksmith to upgrade tools and buildings. Located also out of town include several mines, and a mountain top that is considered a romantic place for couples.

Festivals take place within the town on a yearly schedule. Befriending townspeople result in one being invited to more festivals rather than watching the television and showing up day of.

Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harvest_Moon:_Back_to_Nature

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Ingin maen Harvest Moon!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Hooo...

Harvest Moon, game favoritku.

Yeah, salah satu hobiku yang belum pernah diceritain di blog ini adalah main game. Ga semua game aku suka sih. Aku suka game2 simulasi seperti Harvest Moon dan The Sims. Aku suka menyusun dan mendesain, tetapi bukan berarti aku pandai menyusun dan mendesain. Aku suka merencanakan sesuatu, tetapi bukan berarti aku pandai membuat rencana.

Jika The Sims adalah game yang visualisasinya mirip dengan manusia asli, visualisasi Harvest Moon berupa kartun, sangat lucu. Berhubung saya suka kartun, saya lebih suka visualisasi Harvest Moon daripada The Sims. Berikut ini beberapa contohnya.

Lucu kan gambarnya?

Harvest Moon: Back to Nature adalah game untuk konsol PSone. Saya mulai memainkannya pada pertengahan 2003. Beberapa kali saya mengulang memainkan game tersebut. Saat pertama kali main, saya belum mengetahui informasi apa-apa mengenai game ini, sehingga banyak target yang tidak tercapai. Kemudian, pernah juga saya menggunakan game shark agar uangnya banyak, sehingga target utuk membeli barang-barang, membangun rumah, membeli ternak bisa segera terpenuhi. Akan tetapi, rasanya hambar, tidak menantang. Jadi, saya ulangi lagi permainannya. PSone sudah tidak populer lagi. Akhirnya, aku jarang main PSone lagi. Aku pun meninggalkan game Harvest Moon: Back to Nature. Ada sih game Harvest Moon untuk PS 2, tetapi aku kurang terbiasa karena visualisasinya 3D, bisa melihat ke segala arah. Wkwkwkwkwk...

Setelah sekian lama, aku merindukan Harvest Moon lagi. T_T