new Harvest Moon: Grand Bazaar games?, Harvest Moon Release Date Options

[Hasfusel]

Harvest, if it makes you feel any better, Gamestop.com finally changed it to Natsume as the Publisher and Marvelous as the developer. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/lalatounge.gif)

Harvest! Gamestop: (IMG:style_emoticons/default/jack2_embarassed.gif) changes; Natsume, Marvelous.... publisher, developer, right? (IMG:style_emoticons/default/jack2_smile.gif) (IMG:style_emoticons/default/puppywalk.gif) (IMG:style_emoticons/default/lalatounge.gif)

zoo games, No! farming....................................................?! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/cowannoyed.gif)

[ClassicTyler]

Alright Has. Be nice, okay? (IMG:style_emoticons/default/lalatounge.gif)

[Mizukithepanda]

Harvest! Gamestop: (IMG:style_emoticons/default/jack2_embarassed.gif) changes; Natsume, Marvelous.... publisher, developer, right? (IMG:style_emoticons/default/jack2_smile.gif) (IMG:style_emoticons/default/puppywalk.gif) (IMG:style_emoticons/default/lalatounge.gif)

zoo games, No! farming....................................................?! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/cowannoyed.gif)

Hassy, you're trying too hard. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/lalaexdee.gif)

[IdlersDream]

Hassy, you're trying too hard. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/lalaexdee.gif)

Haha, seconded.

[Hasfusel]

I'm just putting it into understandable language. It's a simple matter, really.

Also, I want Harvest Moon to make more gameboy-style games for DS. These new ones are too... 3D. It doesn't fit with the atmosphere, I think.

[IdlersDream]

I don't really understand that. Too 3D? Do you mean because they look a bit more dimensional compared to FOMT or even just HMDS?

I actually like the looks of this one, especially, than the previous ones, they were too flat and didn't look too well, atleast this one looks like they actually spent some more time on the graphics.

[ClassicTyler]

After watching some videos on Youtube, I really think I'll like this one. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/lalasmile.gif)

[IdlersDream]

Nothing wrong with that, I agree with you.

Finally a new theme and characters, and also a lot of new features and the look I think is really cute.

[ClassicTyler]

It's settled. You and I are going to have to write a review.

[Mizukithepanda]

Dude. I could write a review up for y'all right now if you wanted. I've played pretty far in the game, though I'm not married or anything..... I'm sure Nurse Fin could too.

[ClassicTyler]

I do have some questions about the game.

If Animal Parade is my favorite so far, will I like Grand Bazaar?
How are the days structured?
Crops?
How's leveling up with the people?
How is the energy bar?


Pretty much...will this game not suck like HM DS did?

[Mizukithepanda]

Alright, let’s get cracking on that list…

• Honestly, I have no idea. This game isn't structured like Animal Parade in the slightest, so basing your opinion off of that will get you nowhere.
• Well, the days run quite a bit like they did in Harvest Moon 64. You can only save when you go to bed and once you do go to bed it fast-forwards to the next day, no matter what time it is. (Yes, even just after midnight.) The clock is similar to what was present in AWL, running on a “one game minute to one real life second” type system. Oddly enough, it doesn’t make the days half as long as you’d think. The progression from Morning to Night is rather believable and the weather system is well done. Other than the basics, there’s no true “structure” to your days. You do whatever you want whenever you want – people are out and about nearly all hours of the day, and the shops don’t close until 11:30 pm, so you don’t have to worry about missing out on food from the café or buying emergency rations/medicine for your livestock.
• Crops are pretty standard, honestly. There’s only one seed per packet, but the seeds are cheap in comparison to how much money you make in game once you get going. They have a star-rating system with .5 stars being the lowest quality and 5 stars being the highest. They also have a diminishing rate – your crops will go bad the longer you leave them in storage or in your pack. This isn’t relegated only to crops though; pretty much anything perishable (like cheese, butter, and flowers) will degrade and go bad if you leave it for a long time. There’s also one other measure that it’s dictated by, though to be honest, I don’t understand it, so I can’t explain it very well. When you try to cook meals, some food products will show up in a red box and others in blue. This has to do with some kind of intrinsic value, and though it has no effect on how much your crops are worth (that I know of, at least…) it does affect what you can and can’t cook. Like, if you make a cheese cake, you have to have cheese, milk, and eggs – all in a blue box. If you have milk and eggs in a blue box, but cheese in a red box, you won’t be able to make cheesecake – if that makes any sense. I don’t really know what purpose this serves, to be quite frank. Maybe the English version will bring that to light or something. The last thing I want to mention about crops is the sheer variety available. There are tons of crops you can grow – and not just vegetables and fruits either. There’s a series of grains (namely wheat and rice) and even tea bushes. It gets pretty insane once you open up the stalls that sell the good stuff.
• Leveling up with people actually isn’t too hard. They’ll only accept one gift per day as per usual in HM games these days, (Long gone are the days when you could spam the people with gifts like in HM64. ;-;) but you can talk to them all you like and raise heart levels that way. As long as you talk to them and remember to give them gifts that they really like, their heart rates will shoot up pretty fast – it’s nowhere near as hard as it is in Animal Parade.
• The energy bar is… hm… I don’t want to say that you get loads of stamina or anything, but it doesn’t diminish too quickly, and there are quite a few ways to replenish it fully so that you can keep going. Just be careful not to diminish it completely, because you’ll faint and wake up the next day without having saved. That tends to suck, especially if you were camping out waiting for a rival or love interest scene.

I never played HM:DS because it was a Mineral Town game, and I have a personal vendetta against games that take place there, so I can’t really say, but I can tell you that I enjoyed this game immensely.

I was a little surprised you didn’t ask about the Bazaar or the Windmills since they’re fairly integral to the gameplay, but... *shrugs*

[ClassicTyler]

I understand the point of the Bazaar, but go ahead. I am interested in leveling up and how to sell items there.

I didn't know about the windmill, so please tell.

[IdlersDream]

I like the point about how many seeds there are, and tea bushes. I'm kind of annoyed about the red and blue cooking boxes and the fact that things will go bad, but that's a lot more realistic, so that's a good point.

They're finally making things a tad more realistic!

Is there a good choice of marriage candidates?

[Mizukithepanda]

Well, the boxes aren't just on the cooking screen. It's actually their... inventory-ish space thing that appears that color.

Like this:
(IMG:http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b55/Mizukithepanda/IMG01259.jpg)

Okay, the marriage candidates...

Honestly, much like most bachelor/ettes in HM titles, their personalities are based upon stereotypes. This is pretty much standard Marvelous fare, so don't expect anything super amazingly original. That said, most of the characters are cute and have interesting little quirks to add to their stereotypical-ness. It's kind of refreshing.

With the guys you have the "upbeat shounen-hero" type crossed with the "shouta" type, the "aloof megane (glasses)" type, the "sensitive artist" type, the "polite gentleman" type, and the *eh-hem* "foreign prince" type. With the girls you have the "cold woof woof" type, the "girl-next-door" type, the "adorable moe" type, the "flirty socialite" type, and.... then there's Kagetsu, who I really don't know how to describe. She's weird. You don't meet her until year two anyway...

*sighs* I'll get to the Bazaar and the Windmills later...

[ClassicTyler]

Technically it's "later" so you should tell me now. :3

[Pumpkin Patch]

I'm really excited for this game especially after reading this forum it sounds really fun. I'm so happy there is finally a release date! I also like the pre-order bonus. But what about the English names. I saw some screen shots of the English version and some of the names are alright. Freja is Freya, Royd is Lloyd but Enju is Antoinette where did that come from. I never liked that name. Every time I hear it I think it's a name only fit for a porcelain doll or something. Well the names aren't that big a deal for me, but if anyone knows any more of the English names I'd love to hear what they are. I'm almost afraid to find out what Schmidt was changed to.

[ClassicTyler]

Technically, Schmidt could stay as. It's a commonly used name in the states.

[IdlersDream]

I don't know why these names bug people. If we didn't know the Japanese names we wouldn't even talk about it. I think they sound fine, and it doesn't affect the gameplay.

[ClassicTyler]

That's what I'm thinking. It's silly to freak out over something as insignificant as names.