Grow crops, raise animals, marry the girl of your dreams and teach your child the ways of life in this amazing farm game
The story goes like this; Your father and his friend, Takakura found an old run-down farm in Forget-Me-Not Valley. It was your father's dream to fix the place up and make a successful business out of it, but he died before he got that chance. Now it's up to you to fulfill your father's dream, with the help of his old friend, Takakura of course. You have now taken on the challenge of planting the correct crops in the correct season and harvesting on time, raising and breeding animals, and choosing one of four bachelorettes to become your bride. This should mostly be completed by the end of the first year, and then your new challenge is to influence your child to become whatever it is you want them to grow up to be. This particular Harvest Moon game incorporates both the realism of farming and the joys and sorrows of life.
The three dimensional anime graphics may seem somewhat strange at first, but once you become used to the unique and funny characters, you will grow to really love and appreciate them. The people have both cartoonish and realistic qualities about them, and the scenery is very detailed and pleasant to look at. Although I find the colours to be a little dull, the attention to detail in both the characters and the scenery greatly make up for this small flaw and succeed in making gamers forget about the dull colours.
The sound in this game, although not extraordinary, is rather amusing and cute. For example, your wife's giggle makes you want to giggle as well, and the cutesy baby sounds your child makes during their younger years never fails to make you go "Awwww!" The nature sounds, such as the rushing of the waterfall and the wind blowing through the trees makes for a nice detailed touch.
The actual gameplay in Harvest Moon: A Wonderful Life Special Edition is superb. Everything about running your farm is amazingly realistic, unlike previous Harvest Moon games, and although this can be more frustrating than enjoyable at times, in the end you learn to appreciate it more. For example, when you breed a cow, she must be kept in an isolation fence a few days before the birth and once the calf is born, it must stay in a protective calf-hutch until it becomes bigger. The crops must be planted at certain times of the year and some crops won't grow in certain types of soil. This is much more realistic than previous Harvest Moon games. One major flaw with the gameplay in this game, however, is that it is very S...L...O...W...! Every action your character does is painstakingly, mind numbingly slooowwww. This is a drawback, because often times, gamers will try to avoid many tasks that would otherwise benefit them in the game, because of the enormous amount of time it takes to complete. However, this is the only flaw in gameplay that I can find, and some gamers like myself may be able to get past it without too much of a problem, but for gamers who like fast-paced action, this is probably not the game for you.
One nice feature of this farming simulation is the witty, unique characters. Each inhabitant of Forget-Me-Not Valley has their own personalities, likes and dislikes and family and friends. You may want to be a social butterfly and make friends with everyone, or you may be drawn to one or two particular people and become close with them. Remember, you MUST become close with the girl you want to marry in the first year if you want her to accept your proposal at the end of the summer. The many different characters in this game make the experience that much more fun and colourful. Making friends with certain people can reap endless benefits.
Overall, Harvest Moon: A Wonderful Life Special Edition is the ultimate farming experience. The story line is entertaining, the graphics and sound are wonderfully adorable, the gameplay is mostly enjoyable and the characters are fun and inviting. Fans of virtual life games will love and appreciate this realistic, detailed farming simulation. I have a feeling the Harvest Moon series will be around for many years to come.