Harvest Moon: Magical Melody

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Harvest Moon: Magical Melody
Developer(s)	Marvelous Interactive
Publisher(s)	JPN Marvelous Interactive USA Natsume EU Rising Star Games / Ubisoft AUS Nintendo
Designer(s)	Yasuhiro Wada
Platform(s)	GameCube, Wii[1]
Release date	Original edition JP 2005-03-03[2] Magic Melody (GCN)[3] JP 2005-11-10 NA 2006-03-28 Wii EU 2008-03-14[1] AUS 2008-04-03[4]
Genre(s)	Role-playing game Life simulation game
Mode(s)	Single player, multiplayer
Rating(s)	GameCube ESRB: E (Everyone) Wii PEGI: 3+[5] OFLC: G[4]
Media	1 × GameCube Optical Disc 1 x Wii Optical Disc
System requirements	57 blocks of memory

Harvest Moon: Magical Melody (牧場物語 しあわせの詩 for ワールド, Bokujō Monogatari: Shiawase no Uta for Wārudo^?, literally "Farm Story: Song/Poem of Happiness for World") is a construction and management simulation video game for the Nintendo GameCube developed by Marvelous Interactive. It is an updated version of Bokujō Monogatari: Shiawase no Uta (牧場物語 しあわせの詩, Bokujō Monogatari: Shiawase no Uta^?), which was only released in Japan. The updated GameCube version was released in the United States by Natsume, long-time publisher of the Harvest Moon series, on 28 March 2006. For its European release by Rising Star Games it was ported to the Wii console and eventually released on 14 March 2008.^[1] The Wii version adds motion-sensitive controls for actions such as fishing, mining and foraging^[5] but removes the option to play as a female character.[1][2]

Contents 1 Gameplay 1.1 Marriage 1.2 Pregnancy and Baby 1.3 Land 1.4 House 1.5 Town 1.6 Tools 1.7 Mining 1.8 Crops and trees 1.9 Musical Notes 1.10 Extensions 1.11 Animals 1.12 Seasons 1.13 Rare Items 2 Courtable Characters 2.1 Bachelors 2.2 Bachelorettes 2.3 Other Characters 3 References 4 External links

[edit] Gameplay

Among a vast variety of possible personal goals to be accomplished in Magical Melody, there are two primary objectives.

Firstly, players are enlisted by the Harvest Sprites to awaken the Harvest Goddess, who has turned herself to stone out of melancholy at the townspeople's disregard. To do this, players must gather musical notes by achieving various chores and milestones. Collecting at least fifty out of a total of one hundred notes allows the player to create the titular magical melody that will revive the village's protectress.

Secondly, the player is able to woo and eventually marry one of the townspeople. Players have the option of either a male or female character in the GameCube version.^[6] Each gender has a choice of ten potential spouses of the opposite sex, along with the androgynous rival Jamie who is eligible for either player gender.

The game also includes several minigames in which up to four players can test their skills.

[edit] Marriage

One of the main purposes of the game is to develop a successful farm and marry a suitable character. After fulfilling certain housing and heart requirements (at least 8 hearts with an eligible spouse, the main house upgraded to the third level, and the large bed that is available after the house expansion) in preparation for marriage, the player can obtain the traditional proposal item of the Harvest Moon series, the Blue Feather, acquired in a series of cutscenes after scaling the rocky cliff of Mount Moon.

Other characters may fall in love with pre-assigned partners if the main character does not woo them.^[7] Though the characters and partners will never get married, it will be implied that they are in love. (However, marrying Jamie will trigger several conclusive cutscenes wherein one "rival couple" may be heard discussing an upcoming wedding, although the ceremony can never be seen.)

[edit] Pregnancy and Baby

Less than a season after marriage, the player and his or her new spouse are revealed to be expecting a child. The player and the player's spouse will end up in Alex's clinic, where he will inform them that the female is pregnant. Approximately two seasons later, the player and spouse will again be taken to the clinic, where the female gives birth to the baby, which the player will be prompted to name. Woody supplies the player with a crib for the newborn.

At first, the baby is very small and stationary. As it becomes older, it begins to crawl. A year after its birth, the player will awaken to find his or her spouse in a panic about a missed checkup for the child. The family will visit the Clinic, where the baby takes its first steps. After this milestone, the child does not, visually or behaviorally, grow any older. Its appearance therefore remains gender-neutral, and its sex is never directly specified.

[edit] Land

In this game, the "world" is the player's farmland. There are four different types of property that the is able to be viewed in color code: blue represents player-owned property, yellow shows a townsperson's lot, red is Jamie's land, and green is public land. There are three different plots of land that the player may choose to settle on at the beginning of the game, each with advantages and disadvantages: Village Center, Riverside, and Oceanside. The town-based ranch is rather small, but it is close to the main village buildings and is fertile enough to raise fine crops. The land near the river is of average size for raising animals and has fertile soil for crops. The seaside property is very large and suitable for raising animals, but is the farthest from the town and infertile.^[8]

It is possible to purchase additional land from Woody.^[9] When the game first starts, the only available plots are the two that weren't originally chosen by the player. More opportunities to buy land are unlocked as the player's relationship with Mayor Theodore increases, and once the mayor reaches three hearts, twenty individual lots of the town's public land will be purchasable at the Workshop.

[edit] House

The player's house interior is now customizable, meaning that furniture may be bought, arranged, and placed in and out of storage. Like the previous Harvest Moon titles, the player can upgrade his or her house and buy extensions that make the house larger. This requires lumber, which can be bought from the Workshop or chopped individually. Chopped wood is added to the player's stockpile when he or she chops branches, which may be found on the ground or cut from trees and stumps.^[10] The second and third house upgrades are only slightly larger than their previous states, but level 4 and 5 houses have two floors. A second or even a third house may be built once the player has obtained enough land and money. In addition, all house upgrades allow the player to purchase more types of furniture for his or her house.

[edit] Town

The town of Flower Bud Village, where the game is set, is found between the hills and the sea, bordered on the west by a lake. When the game begins, the town is fairly vacant, but new shops and characters will arrive in town after certain criteria are met, such as participating in a festival or shipping enough of a particular item. The hub of the town is centered around Flower Bud Square, where most festivals are held throughout the year. The shops in town sell everything the player will need to start a ranch, including animals, seeds, tools, and furniture. Houses, barns, and chicken coops can be built on the player's property with the hiring of the Workshop apprentices. ^[11]Not every piece of property can fit every type of building, so purchasing additional property may be necessary to have them constructed.

[edit] Tools

As in Harvest Moon: Friends of Mineral Town, tools can be upgraded if the player has enough experience using them. The player can either buy them new at the Junk Shop from Michael, which is rather pricey, or give the tool to Tai, the blacksmith, along with the appropriate ore. It costs a fee of 700G and a wait time of two days to upgrade a tool by one level, or 1500G and three days to upgrade a tool by two levels. An upgraded tool either affects a larger area (such as the watering can) or lowers the amount of swings required to complete a task (for example, the axe). All tools are kept in a toolbox at the player's house, but can be removed when needed and be kept in the character's rucksack along with other kinds of items. ^[12]The first rucksack holds 5 items, but it can be upgraded so that it can ultimately hold 15. The only tool in Magical Melody not found in any other Harvest Moon game is the bonfire set, which starts a fire that can be used to cook fish and some vegetables.

[edit] Mining

Mining is done either in Moonlight Cave behind Jamie's ranch, which is open all year, or in the Lake Cave, accessible only when Sunny Lake freezes in the winter. The hammer is used to smash rocks and crystals to collect ores and gems, and the hoe is used to dig for clay and medicinal pontana roots.^[13] The Sunny Lake Cave has generally more valuable gems than Moonlight Cave.

[edit] Crops and trees

Crops and trees can be grown anywhere on the soil. There are three types of soil: dry, moist, and wet (dry being the lightest and wet being the darkest in appearance). The dry soil is the least fertile, but the player can buy fertilizer to improve soil quality. The option to buy fertilizer is unlocked by shipping 10 limestones. In addition, crops can be grown on public land, but if a villager moves into that plot of land, the crops will be removed to make room. Each type of crop may be planted during only its one designated season and must be watered to grow. Trees can be planted in any season excluding winter, but all trees, except the bare-leaved Mora and Evergreen, will only bear fruit during their respective season.

[edit] Musical Notes

There are a total of 100 musical notes in the game. They are awarded for performing various tasks and for different criteria being met. These goals are as varied as befriending townsfolk and wild animals, shipping a substantial amount of a particular crop or product, locating hidden items, or even staying awake all night. Collecting 50 musical notes is required to awaken the Harvest Goddess from her stony slumber. After she is revived, the Harvest Goddess will restore the player's stamina each time the player visits her.^[14]

[edit] Extensions

Extensions can be bought at the Workshop from Woody, Kurt, and Joe. The player can buy up to three houses, and upgrade each house up to level 5. When the player upgrades his or her house, a new color and texture can be determined. Other available constructions at the Workshop include a barn, a chicken coop, a well or watering hole for filling watering cans, and a windmill for grinding corn into bird feed. In order to unlock the option for a level 3 house upgrade, which is a requirement for marriage, the player must acquire at least one heart of friendship with either Woody, Joe, or Kurt.

[edit] Animals

Much like the townsfolk, all wild animals love getting food and attention. The animals that are able to be befriended are the cuckoo, the duck, the monkey, the rabbit, the raccoon, the sparrow, the squirrel, the weasel, and the cat. A mole also exists in this game, but it serves not as a friend but an obstacle to farmers, and will remove tilling from soil unless fended off with one of a wide variety of tools. On rainy days, a frog can be sighted throughout the town, but it lacks a gauge on the menu screen for its heart level.^[15]

None of the wild animals throughout town may be adopted into the player's household. The only two animals that can be kept as pets are the dog and the pig. The dog is given to the player by Ellen at the beginning of the game. The pig is a gift from Gourmet once a barn is purchased, although it cannot be kept in the barn.

Barn animals include cows, sheep, and horses. Chickens can also be raised, but they reside inside a separate chicken coop. Cows can be milked and entered in yearly Cow Festivals. Sheep can be shorn for wool once a week and can participate in Sheep Festivals once a year. Horses can be ridden (once befriended and full-grown) and used to compete in the semi-annual Horse Races. Chickens lay eggs that may be shipped for profit or supplied for a traditional springtime Egg Festival, and well-raised hens are eligible for annual Chicken Festivals. The chances of obtaining a more valuable product from an animal or of the animal being crowned at a festival are reliant upon the increment of their heart levels.

[edit] Seasons

As with most Harvest Moon games, Magical Melody has four seasons. Each season lasts thirty days and encompasses its own holidays and character birthdays. The crops that can be grown and the items that can be foraged seasonally change. Villager residency and appearance may also change with the seasons.

Whenever a season ends, all crops still growing will immediately die and new crops may be planted. The only exception is winter, in which nothing can be planted.

Special events also take place in different seasons. Most of the animals in the village hibernate for the winter and will not be seen again until the spring. One exception is the weasel, which is in fact seen in winter only. One villager, Basil, will leave for the winter and return in the new year. Cultivated land and the age of wooden stakes may also be affected by the passage of time during the winter season.

[edit] Rare Items

A few specific species of fish in the game, referred to as Kings, are rare and may be caught only under certain conditions. Another rarity of the game is a food item called the truffle, a type of rare mushroom that can be dug up with the hoe or unearthed by the pet pig around Mora trees during the fall season.

There are also five rare Power Berries hidden throughout the game. Although not tangible, transferrable items, they serve to raise the capacity of the player's overall stamina meter. These berries are won in contests or festivals or given to the player during special cutscene events.

[edit] Courtable Characters

Magical Melody has by far the largest number of potential spouses out of all of the preceding console Harvest Moon games. There are ten potential spouses for each gender, plus Jamie.^[16]

[edit] Bachelors

• Alex is the village doctor and owner of the Clinic. Players will see Alex if they overexert themselves and collapse, or during plot events such as pregnancy. He's a bit disorganized and a workaholic.

• Basil is a traveling botanist. During spring, summer, and fall he may be found around the village, but in winter the lack of greenery causes him to leave until the first day of spring. A character named Basil had previously appeared in Harvest Moon 64, but not as an eligible bachelor.

• Blue is a ranch hand in the employ of Hank, and Ellen's cousin. He is an expert on animals and gives the player much advice about raising them.

• Bob works in the shipping business though often can be found helping at Hank's ranch. He is Tim's brother and Tai's grandson. He is especially interested in raising and racing horses, although his grandfather, the blacksmith, would like him to take over the family business.

• Carl starts out as a waiter at the Moonlight Café, aspiring to own and manage his own café. Later on in the game, this dream becomes a reality.

• Dan is a gambler from the south who wanders into town trying to find a way to make easy money. He is ultimately hired as help at the Paradise Orchard.

• Joe is an extremely friendly apprentice at Woody's workshop and brother to Kurt. Aside from socializing and working, his hobby is fishing.

• Kurt is an antisocial worker at Woody's workshop and brother to Joe. When not at work, he tends to spend a great deal of time mining.

• Louis is a timid inventor who eventually moves into the Junk Shop.

• Ray is a traveling fisherman and can be found at the beach and several other fishing spots.

[edit] Bachelorettes

• Ann is somewhat of a tomboy and interested in inventions and machinery.

• Dia is a recluse living at the Sanatorium to recover from surgery. After the player befriends her, it is revealed that she is fully recovered but wishes to remain to avoid her constantly quarreling parents.

• Ellen works at the Blue Sky Ranch, daughter of Hank and cousin of Blue. She is very interested in animals and cooking.

• Eve is Duke's niece and Terry's granddaughter. She works as a waitress at the Moonlight Café. If the player befriends her, she later reveals that her parents died in an accident, and that before growing to like Flower Bud Village her goal was to bring her hesitant grandfather back to the city.

• Gina is a nurse at the Clinic and the Sanatorium, and Dia's attendant. She has grown up with Dia and is like a sister to her.

• Gwen is Doug's niece and Woody's granddaughter and is also somewhat of a tomboy like Ann. She works as a cook at the Perch Inn.

• Katie is a 18-year-old waitress at Carl's Café Callaway. She is a fanatic about desserts, specifically cakes, but often tends to cause problems due to her excessive creativity with ingredients.

• Lyla is a cheerful socialite who owns the "Hearty♥Lyla," a gift shop.

• Maria is the village librarian and is extremely calm, courteous, and thoughtful. She is the daughter of Mayor Theodore.

• Nina is the daughter of Liz and works at the Spring Farm. True to her occupation, she loves flowers and other plants.

[edit] Other Characters

• Jamie, the main character's antisocial rival in all aspects of farming, is eligible for marriage whether playing as a male or a female, although it is not possible to continue the game with Jamie as a spouse.
• Doug is the owner of the Perch Inn and is Duke's friend.
• Duke is Eve's uncle and the owner of the Moonlight Café.
• Gourmet is a culinary judge found mainly at festivals revolving around the art of cooking. He gives the player the pet pig.
• Hank is Ellen's father and the boss of Blue and Bob. He sells all barn animals as well as barn animal-related products.
• Henry is a famous painter, and an old acquaintance of the mayor and his daughter.
• Liz is Nina's mother and the owner of the Spring Farm.
• Martha is the clinic's midwife and Alex's assistant. She can upgrade the player's rucksack to its largest, fifteen-item capacity.
• Meryl is the daughter of one of Ronald's distant relatives. She has a dark past that haunts her, which explains her shyness.
• Michael is Ann's father and the owner of the Junk Shop.
• Nami is the town weather girl who travels often and can only be seen around town during the summer season. She is a tomboy and an introspective loner. Unlike in A Wonderful Life, she is not eligible for marriage.
• Ronald is Meryl's guardian and Dan's boss. He owns the Paradise Orchard.
• Saibara is the town clay sculptor. He sells nothing at his atelier but can create and supply two different cooking pots for the player character if befriended.
• Tai is the town's blacksmith and grandfather of Tim and Bob.
• Terry is Eve's grandfather and a fierce wildlife protector.
• Theodore is the town's mayor and Maria's father.
• Tim is Tai's grandson and Bob's brother. He usually explores the town mines to find things to sell so he can go on adventures when he's older.
• Woody is Gwen's grandfather and the town carpenter, owner of the Workshop.

• Many characters in this game (including Joe, Kurt, Dia, Gina, Bob, and Gwen) are from Harvest Moon: Save the Homeland, a game that departed from some of the traditions of the series. The inclusion of these characters in a more traditional Harvest Moon game was a source of excitement for fans. Five Magical Melody bachelorettes - Ann, Ellen, Eve, Maria, and Nina - also originated from the original Super NES Harvest Moon game. Another character, Nami, comes from Harvest Moon: A Wonderful Life, but, unlike in her game of origin, is not an eligible bachelorette.

[edit] References

[edit] External links

• Official Site on Natsume
• Official Bokujō Monogatari website (Japanese)
• Harvest Moon: Magical Melody at the Open Directory Project

v • d • e Harvest Moon video games Main series Harvest Moon · Harvest Moon GB · Harvest Moon 64 · Harvest Moon 2 GBC · Back to Nature · Harvest Moon 3 GBC · Save the Homeland · Friends of Mineral Town · A Wonderful Life · More Friends of Mineral Town · Another Wonderful Life · Magical Melody · Harvest Moon DS · Harvest Moon DS Cute · Island of Happiness · Harvest Moon: Tree of Tranquility · Bokujou Monogatari: Kira Kira Taiyou to Nakama Tachi · Harvest Moon Online Spin-offs Innocent Life · Rune Factory · Puzzle de Harvest Moon · Rune Factory 2 · Rune Factory Frontier Related articles Characters  · List of Harvest Moon titles