Animal Parade VS Tree of Tranquility? Options

[BACCHIKOI!!]

Okay, so we all know the characters of both games, and we all know the storyline: revitalize the island. The only question is: which is better?

If I may start with my own debate...

PLEASE REMEMBER THAT THIS POST IS MY OWN PERSONAL OPINION, AND I WILL REMEMBER THAT YOURS IS YOURS. I'm not really trying to defend myself, but you know how people can be. This topic is for general debate and conversation only. I'm not saying that this topic will decide which is seriously better.

Now onto my debate! :D

Characters:
Well, the 3 added characters for Animal Parade (Witch, Wizard and Harvest King) were a bonus, and seeing that all 3 were eligible for marriage was a bigger bonus.

I also enjoyed that you can pick from 4 heroes (2 boys and 2 girls) instead of just 2 (just 1 boy or 1 girl). Although the new female heroine of Animal Parade bugs me a bit.

And a Harvest Moon game with TWO children? I know there's another Harvest Moon SOMEWHERE out there where you can do that as well, but I'm lost at what it is. (Although I can be mistaken.)

But then again, in Tree of Tranquility, you can start over as your child by creating a Journey Rucksack, and you inheret your previous file's money and makers. Helpful right? But can't you do that in Animal Parade as well?

Also, the characters got some more detailing. There are shadows on their eyelids, and Toby opens his eyes!!! (Even if it is just a crack.) But honestly, I find the more detailed characters kinda... creepy.

However...

Section Winner: Animal Parade

Challenge:
Well, even though I've only recently gotten Animal Parade, and I'm in my first summer of my first file, I've already rang 4 of the bells. >.>

I must say that the challenge of Animal Parade is fairly low. I do appreciate that you start out with a barn and coop like in the A Wonderful Life series, (THANK YOU) and you start out with some crops which is also helpful.

Now, I'm not saying there's no challenge.

I haven't gotten this far, but I have a feeling that obtaining a Hero title will be very difficult.

Also it takes 100 lumber and 100 Material Stone to upgrade your house along with 25,000 G, while the barn is 40-50 and 30,000 G and the coop being 30-20 and 24,000G. The materials aren't intimidating to me, it's the funds. (I'm almost ready to upgrade my barn! :D)

And while I make it seem easy to ring the bells, they don't come without their own challenges, like unlocking corn and Toucan Island.

The last bell drives me nuts though. You have to get 10 people up to about 3 hearts to get their wishes. If you're like me, and you focus on just getting your desired bachelor/bachelorette up to 10 hearts and toss other people on the back burner, you know how hard it is. It's like Magical Melody all over again, but with less required people, and more required hearts. >.<

I did like the challenge of Tree of Tranquility. The game is like a big scavenger hunt. Very enjoyable, and I didn't complete my first file until my second spring. Although, the game is extremely time consuming...

Section Winner: Tree of Tranquility

Raising Affections:
I may make a big deal about raising people's affections, but really, after you get them to 2 hearts, it just gets a lot easier to raise their affections. Also, the animals are so easy to befriend, whether it be the ones on your farm, or in the wild.

There's also another feature in this game that's interesting to me: jealousy. When you get a bachelor/bachelorette to 7 hearts, you will have a confession of love. Now here's the interesting part: when that happens and you tell them you like them back, other bachelores/bachelorettes will lose a little affection for you. Interesting right?

And a word of advice: if you have a second Wii Remote, turn it on and repeatedly move it over people/animals BEFORE giving any of them gifts. Turn the remotes sound on so you know when to stop. It'll make beeping noises, and then it will "sing". Repeat the process until it sings twice. It will make the gift you give them give you just a few more affection points. It can go a long way.

Section Winner: Animal Parade

Music:
In every Harvest Moon game that my mom watches me play, she says the music alone is brain-numbing, repetative, and just downright... boring. But in every Harvest Moon game, I have enjoyed the music... to an extent. After awhile, I'll turn off the sound and just listen to my iPod.

Section Winner: Neither! :D (In my opinion, no Harvest Moon game ever wins this section.)

Additional Details:
Bashing time!

In Animal Parade, if you get a barn animal up to about 5 or so hearts, you can ride them! :D Awesome!

But this right here is one of the worst parts of Animal Parade: you can only have 3 TYPES of animals in your barn. So if you were to have 1 cow, 1 goat, and 1 sheep, you'd have to sell one in order to have a horse. XP Stupid in my opinion, but either way, cows, goats and sheep are the only profitable animals in the barn anyway. You can even use them to race in the Animal Contest. (And sheep give milk! :D)

In both games though, (actually, in every Harvest Moon game) they never gave up the extensive travel. Omigosh I absolutely HATE all the travel, like going from the seed store to your house to the clinic, but I've learned to get over it.

Section Winner: Neither! :D

So overall, I have yet to decide on a winner. D: Too hard! I'll leave you to decide!

Now, debate! (Nicely please.)

This post has been edited by BACCHIKOI!!: Aug 11 2011, 02:47 AM

[Sparrow]

Characters
Well to be honest, I wasn't very impressed with any of the characters expect Gal. I'm actually extremely picky with them. Ignis, I found he was rather douchey (Twi will kill me but whateva c:) The witch not much of a fan. The whole recycling character just tells me they're running out of ideas. Its just a different island really. Same people. Same stories. Just new pack of characters. Which was only like 4? With this being the only two Harvest moon games for the Wii. It would of been nice to have two different places with different people. Or maybe used older HM characters. Which I find better than the new ones. The Marriage candidates were decent as in size. A lot of options to choose from. But really, they never really tell you anything about the characters. Oh Lukes mom...Gils mom...blahblah.. nothing really. They have no character development. Which I would like.

Overall, since they practically had the same characters. And then the 4 new characters was an improvement of somewhat. Animal Parade wins this category

Challenge
Well, The challenge in both games was not so difficult. If you’re very determined to finish the game and such, I would say by the first Summer or Fall you can manage to have 3 bells rung.I would call this more of a scavenger hunt and such. In both games you start out with a barn and coop. The animals really I don’t find give you as much money. Reason why there’s land right near the barn to farm. But for some reason, I just prefer ToT. Less time consuming than AP.
AP wins this section

Raising Affections:
In ToT it was very simple to raise affection to other characters. Unlike tot,every 10 days in AP a heart level is raised. The animals in both games are very easy to befriend. Currently I have about 2 cats and I’m forever alone without a husband and children. I find it too much of a hassel to go running back and fourth to that person. With the time so slow, And I tend to finish all my farm chores by 7. And most shops with the bachelors/bachelorettesa open around 8 or 9. The time in AP is very slow.

ToT wins this section.

Music:
I hate it, I just turn on my ipod. Eff this.
Niether of them win

Additional:
Both games are good, but neither are my favorites. They were decent. The little addition of children was good. But really, riding cows? Stick to horses. I like the game simple like the good old days. In my opinion I can’t decide which one is better. Because in my opinion they’re in basically the same thing.