Harvest Moon 3

Infobox VG
title = Harvest Moon 3


developer = Victor Interactive Software, Natsume
publisher = Natsume
designer =
engine =
released = vgrelease|JP=2000-09-29|NA=2001-11-14
genre = Simulation/Role-playing
modes = Single player
ratings = vgratings|ESRB=Everyone
platforms = Game Boy Color
requirements =

"Harvest Moon 3" is a farm simulation video game for the Game Boy Color developed by Victor Interactive Software, part of the long-running "Harvest Moon" series of video games. Harvest Moon 3 is the last game for the Game Boy Color in the series, and also one of the most distinctive. Its original Japanese release was on two separate cartridges (one for the Boy side and one for the Girl side), but was combined into one single cartridge for overseas release.

Gameplay

The character may be chosen as a boy or a girl. The beginning and ending are different depending on which character you choose. The boy is a successful Rancher, living on the farm from "Harvest Moon 2", who is asked by the mayor to help a girl on a nearby island run the farm of her father's. The girl's beginning shows her trying to save Harry's farm by taking control of it. She then meets the boy character.

"Harvest Moon 3" takes place on an island, which has some mountainous regions, a grassland, a small village, and the farm where a lot of the game takes place. There are no shops to buy things like tools, crops, and animals; every Monday and Thursday a ferry is available to take the character to the mainland, where all of the shops reside. This is an element unique to "Harvest Moon" games, as most allow players to buy things whenever they desire.

Growing crops and raising livestock are among the prime tasks in "Harvest Moon 3." But, as with many other HM games, the player has the opportunity to marry his/her partner, and even have a baby. There are some differences between playing as the male or female character; the girl starts out with a free cow and a brush, but cannot upgrade tools, when the boy character can. The male also has more stamina than the female. Also when you marry as the girl, your game ends, but as a boy, the game continues.

Animals

The player is given a pet in the beginning of the game. This includes a dog, a cat, a pig, or a bird. The player can acquire a horse after a period of time, which can be ridden and can be used to help do farm work.

Livestock includes cows, chickens, and sheep. Cows produce milk, chickens produce eggs, and sheep produce wool. These animals can give birth under the right conditions.

Tools

There are a variety of tools, some familiar from previous "Harvest Moon" games, some new.

Development

Reception

IGN rated the game at 7.0, or "decent", saying that the game has colorful graphics and deep gameplay, though the use of sound effects was not the best. [cite web | author=Donald Evanoff| date= January 15, 2002| title=Harvest Moon 3| format= | work=IGN | url=http://gameboy.ign.com/articles/167/167428p1.html| accessdate=2008-02-12]

References