Harvest Moon: Save the Homeland
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| Harvest Moon: Save the Homeland | |
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| Developer(s) | Victor Interactive Software |
| Publisher(s) | Natsume |
| Release date(s) |  July 5, 2001 November 22, 2001 |
| Genre(s) | Simulation/Role-playing |
| Mode(s) | Single player |
| Rating(s) | ESRB: Everyone |
| Platform(s) | PlayStation 2 |
Harvest Moon: Save the Homeland, published in the U.S. by Natsume in 2001, is a farm simulation game, part of the popular Harvest Moon series of video games. It was the first PlayStation 2 Harvest Moon game released, and the second to be released in the U.S. on a non-Nintendo console.
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[edit] Overview
The player takes on the role of a 21-year-old man whose grandfather, Tony, recently died and left him his farm. Upon arriving at the farm, nominally to pick up his grandfather's belongings, the player's character encounters three "Harvest Sprites," as well as the Harvest Goddess, who ask him to stay on the farm and help them.
Within one year, the area is slated to be demolished to make way for a resort and amusement park. The goal of the game is to find a way to save the town before the year's end.
[edit] Gameplay
Like other Harvest Moon games, the player makes money by the following activities:
- Growing and selling crops - potato, tomato, corn, or a domesticated (and fictional) version of breadfruit.
- Gathering eggs and milk from cows and chickens kept on the farm.
- Gathering herbs and other items from the wild, then selling them.
As in other Harvest Moon games, the player can also adopt a dog and a horse. The horse can be used to get around the village faster, while the dog can be trained for useful tasks, such as herding cows into the barn. If the player finds and eats "Power Berries," he or she is able to work longer hours.
Winning is dependent on interaction with NPCs in the surrounding village. After certain actions are taken, a full motion video will start and start pointing the player towards steps needed for a winning ending.
[edit] Differences from other Harvest Moon games
HM:STH differs considerably from other Harvest Moon games. To name some changes:
- Limitation on crops. The only space where crops are allowed to be grown are on eight two-by-four plots, a much smaller area than in most other HM games. The player cannot cultivate more land, nor can he or she find more efficient ways to water the crops on dry days.
- Materials not needed. The only resource the player needs to gain additional items is money. Unlike other HM games, the player does not have to gather wood for buildings. While the player can dig up rocks and other minerals, their main use is to raise extra money.
- Odd jobs. The player can make extra money daily by working at a local horse ranch.
- Expansion limitation. Aside from building a kitchen (which allows the player to cook) and a doghouse (which makes owning a dog more convenient), there are no improvements the player can make to his or her farmhouse.
- Replayability. The game has nine possible endings; if the player wins, he or she can continue playing with the same character in an attempt to win a different way.
- Inheritability. If the player takes the above option, upon the game starting over, he or she retains all livestock, planted crops, and possessions built up in earlier games. The only things that doesn't carry over are relationships with townspeople, which must begin from scratch.
- No marriages. While some plotlines allow the character to form romantic bonds with female characters, there is no way to marry any of them, and they remain independent characters. For example, one of the plotlines allows the player to form a bond with Dia; another will hook the player up with Gwen. Katie forms a romance with the player during one plotline, but dates Joe in another.
- No festivals. Unless one wins the game with the "treasure hunt," there are no seasonal festivals that, in other HM games, allow more varied interaction with the NPCs.
The above changes may reflect the overall goal of the game. Unlike other HM games, the goal is not to make money and enlarge the farm, but to find a way to save the area. While money is needed and often helps obtain this goal, it is only a minor factor - one way the player cannot save the town is by making lots of money. Additionally, the longest any one game can last is one year, a sharp contrast to the multi-year gameplays of other HM games.
However, the game can get repetitive and confusing - even the most minor steps (such as befriending a certain character) will trigger a cut scene on a particular plotline. This can become a hassle if a person is trying to gain a different ending.
Despite being a PS2 game, the cut scenes are the most elaborate innovation within the game. The characters have no vocals, nor is there much variation in the game's dialogue. This, combined with the significant departures STH makes from other HM games, has turned away some fans of the series.
[edit] Characters
- Player character. A 21-year-old man with a boyish appearance and demeanor (he wears a baseball cap with the word "Toy" written on it). He is the game's silent protagonist and owner of the farm.
- The Harvest Sprites. Named "Nic," "Nak," and "Flak," they live behind the barn and work with the Harvest Goddess.they like mushrooms!
- The Harvest Goddess. Lives at the lake bearing her name. She responds to player requests if an "offering" is thrown into the lake, and is instrumental in winning the game. She likes veggies like corn or a tomato then a flower.
- Ronald. Owner of a supermarket near the farm.
- Wallace and Katie. The residents of the local cafe/bar. Wallace owns it; Katie is his unusually talkative and headstrong granddaughter.
- Louis. Owner of the tool shop and an eccentric inventor.
- Lyla. Owner of the local flower shop. She is considered one of the area's best cooks, and is always smiling.
- Parsley. A botanist who lives with Wallace.
- Bob and Tim. Bob is the muscular, intimidating owner of the local ranch, while Tim, still a young boy, is his adventurous and curious little brother.
- Woody. The local carpenter. An older man, he has Joe and Kurt as his apprentices.
- Joe and Kurt. Two orphaned brothers who work for Woody. Joe, the older brother, is happy-go-lucky and aspires to be a fisherman. Kurt, the younger of the two, is quiet and sometimes rude; he enjoys woodcarving. Kurt often appears to be the older of the two because of his serious demeanor
- Gwen. A environmentalist and promoter of animal rights. She is the granddaughter of Woody.
- Dia. The slightly-spoiled girl. She lives alone in "Clove's Villa" with her two servants, Martha and Gina. She could possibly be based on Maria, a bachelorette in Harvest Moon 64 .
- Martha and Gina. Dia's servants. Martha is Gina's grandmother. Gina is an extremely shy but kind maid.
[edit] Plotlines
The plot of the game depends on which ending the player pursues. Overall, there are eight different ways to win the game, with nine different endings (the "treasure hunt" plotline has two variations). They are:
- Endangered butterfly. If the player can attract this butterfly (which requires a rare flower), the area won't be developed because of its endangered status.
- Endangered weasel. As with the previous ending, proving the presence of this animal will stop development.
- Endangered bluebird. Same as above; the area may host a species of bird long thought extinct.
- Fishing. The lake is home to a legendary and rare fish; this will save the area like the previous three.
- Horse racing. If the player trains his or her horse well enough, it can be entered in a horse race. If the horse wins, next year's race must be held in the hometown of the winning horse; this will stop the area from being destroyed.
- Baking contest. The player's grandmother has a secret recipe for cake that is capable of winning a national contest, but which requires extremely rare ingredients. If the cake wins the contest, the area will be saved because of the publicity it receives.
- The dress contest. For an upcoming festival, there is a contest based on who appears in the best "Harvest Goddess" dress. Since the player has seen the Harvest Goddess in person (and can gain access to the rare fabrics used in that real dress), it is possible to reconstruct this dress and win the contest, which will also save the area based on publicity.
- The "treasure hunt." By following clues and solving puzzles, the player may be able to find a long-hidden treasure. The treasure turns out to be the "golden potato," a genetic strain of potato native to the area that is able to thrive even in the most inhospitable climates. Because of the potential for this plant to grow in otherwise-unfarmable areas, the town and its environment will be preserved for future study.
- 'Fishy Story' where the player helps Joe find a rare mythical fish that nobody believes is true.
All the plotlines require the work and assistance of NPCs.
[edit] Trivia
- The game is extremely intent on the humane treatment of animals, even when compared to other HM titles. If a chicken or cow dies, a tombstone is erected, Bob will deliver an angry lecture, and the player will lose a day of work. If the player lets his or her dog or horse die, Gwen may even slap the player's character.
- The player is the only person who can see the Harvest Sprites or the Goddess. During some cut scenes, other residents start thinking the player has problems since the player's character appears to be talking to himself.
- The elderly Wallace apparently had some sort of relationship with the player's deceased grandmother. For some reason, this doesn't bother any of the chararacters (including the player character).
- The only item that can't be carried over from earlier games is the upgrade for the sickle, which must be purchased anew every year.
- Kurt's favorite hobby is flower gardening, but he is so embarrassed of this that he keeps it secret - the only way for the player to 'catch him in the act' is to get up early in the morning and run to the flower shop. It also makes Kurt defensive - if the (male) player character gives him flowers as a gift, he'll sharply respond that he doesn't like getting flowers "from other guys."
- Even in the American version of the game, Katie is only sixteen years old, yet dates (and, in the case of the player, kisses) both the player character and Joe (who are, respectively, twenty-one and twenty-two years old).
- The Harvest Goddess, if contacted repeatedly, administers crude personality tests to the player. The game even starts with such a test.
- Although the player can't get married, the "blue feather," which is used as a proposal tool in other HM games, makes a cameo appearance in one of the endings.
[edit] External link
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HORSE
To get a horse, you must befriend Bob. (the owner of Brownie Farm) You must do good work for him and usually by the summer you'll have your self a horse! The color of your horse is the horse you go to first. All of the horses are boys. You cannot pick your gender, But you get to name him! I have heard that before you name your horse theres a thing at the bottom that says "pick what color" but I havn't seen it. Your horse lives in your barn with your cows. You feed him fodder. On sunny days, you should let him in your pasture by either pushing him in the door, or riding him out the door. If you do not feed your horse he will get sick. If you leave him out in the rain, he will get sick, too. If your horse gets sick he will probably die with in 3 to 4 days, so if you do not have medicine, go to Bob and he will heal him! (It dosn't always work!) You cannot ride your horse as soon as you get him, you have to get to no him first by talking to him and brushing him. After a while youll be able to ride him!! The more and more you ride your horse, the faster he gets!! To bring your horse inside, you have to do the same as you do to get him out! So tafe good care of your horse!
DOG
To get a dog, you will have to keep putting food in his dish. There is 2 kids of dogs, an orange and white looking beagle, and a brown and white husky. Your dog will eat eneything you eat + plants and flowers!! It will take some time to get a dog, you have to keep putting food in the dish for him, and after a while, you go up to him, and he might not run! you pick him up and get to name him! pick up: X button. The places to find a dog are : your farm, the goddes lake, and the forest. Your dog can not be a girl. To care for him you feed him once a day. By getting food out, you go up to the dish, and press X to put food in his dish, then he will run up to it and eat! You have to let him in when it is raining, or he will get sick!! If you don't feed him he will get sick!! He will die with in 3 to 4 days if you don't bring him to Bob, or cure him! If it is rining one mornig and your dog is inside, you have to take him out side in the raind, feed him, and put him in side. Your dog will growl at you, but hey, He's gatta eat! When you get the dod house, you don't need to worry about bringing him in side. Your dog will herd your cows, not your chikens. To herd, call him by pressing R1, and use your flute by pressing square, holing down X, and do the toon: LEFT, RIGHT, LEFT, RIGHT. Take good care of your doggy!
I WILL RITE ABOUT CHIKENS AND COWS LATER!
This was made by LadyKaytie
