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Editorials   E3 2003 - Harvest Moon: A Wonderful Life impressions.
- By Neal Gittens

At the past week's E3, Natsume had a build of Harvest Moon: A Wonderful Life on display, and even in its early state that was on display, it is looking impressive.

The build that was shown was not the current one, which is remaining tucked away for now, but one which pretty much consisted of the engine showing off the environment. There wasn't much in terms of interaction, but the running around through the areas showed off just how pretty this game is going to be. The water effects, the forested areas, the houses, all of it is looking very, very nice.

Of course, the graphical aspects are mere gravy, because Harvest Moon has always been about the game play, and while that wasn't shown in the E3 playable version, it will no doubt remain startlingly fun. You will still have the standard farming, raising crops, tending to animals, etc... and the marriage system is returning in all its repeated-gift-giving glory. (This is only speculation, but I'd be willing to bet that flowers will remain a staple of the dating scene in HM: A Wonderful Life.)

The "chapter" system was also clarified in more detail for us. One chapter may have you moving into the farm, as the next may start when you get married. From there, you may have a child, see the child grow, etc... We were also informed on more details about your child. It seems that your child's personality will vary, depending on factors, such as who your wife is, and you will need to change your interactions with the child to build a good relationship. It's entirely more in depth than the previous children you had in other games, and I think that is due to the fact that for the first time your child will progress beyond the stage of merely a toddler. As you progress, the child will grow, and (I'd assume) join in on the everyday workings of the farm. The game is said to end up around the point in time that your child is roughly the age that you begin the game at, bringing the game around full circle. I'd love to see a version where your child would then continue in the town which has progressed to the next generation of residents, like the kids of the ladies you didn't court, (who your child could then court) and the children of the shopkeepers, etc..., but that would be an intense pain in the behind to program. I'm not expecting that, but man would that be awesomely awesome. Maybe in a future Harvest Moon? The addition of more layers of depth to the gameplay and character interaction only adds to my "frothing demand for this game". (Sorry, had to do it.)

The interaction with the GBA version was also discussed. There will be some events which will only be available through the connectivity with Harvest Moon: Friend of Mineral Town. One example given was the fact that the innkeeper, found only in HM: AWL, would "move" to the GBA version when you connect the two up. I didn't think to ask whether the character would remain in the Cube version as well, or move entirely to the GBA version permanently, but that will likely be clarified as the games come closer to release. It sounds as if the connectivity will be pretty heavy, and yet another strong point in the games' already strong lineup of features.

There is much more to look forward to, but there is time to get into that as we approach the games' October release here in the States. There will be no shortage of quality in the game, as Natsume is being careful to polish it intensely. (Nintendo is publishing the game in Japan, which may have a little to do with that.) The two Harvest Moons will be a pair of gems for the latter part of the year, bolstering a strong Nintendo holiday lineup with another pair of great games. Stay tuned for more Harvest Moon-y goodness here at NGenres.