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Harvest Moon: Animal Parade | 
| From: Natsume, Inc.
Category: Video Games
List Price: $49.99
Buy New: $41.95
as of 9/5/2010 12:08 CDT details
You Save: $8.04 (16%)
New (6) Used (3) from $41.95
Seller: Best Game Deals
Rating:  31 reviews
Platform: Nintendo Wii
Genre: simulation_games
ESRB: Everyone
Media: Video Game
Edition: Standard
Number Of Items: 1
Age: 5 - 20 years
Operating System: Nintendo Wii
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.4
Dimensions (in): 7.6 x 5.4 x 0.6
MPN: 12009
Model: 12009
UPC: 719593120094
EAN: 0719593120094
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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Product Description
In Harvest Moon: Animal Parade, the divine tree, which once stood in the middle of the Harvest Goddess' pond, is weakening, the creatures are beginning to leave the land, and the five bells have lost their power. The Harvest Goddess believes that only the strength of the Harvest King can help revive the earth and bring the tree back to life. It's up to you to help the Harvest Sprites ring the five mystical bells, summon the Harvest King, and revive the Harvest Goddess' tree and the land.
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| Customer Reviews:
Showing reviews 1-5 of 31
 Find the bells! January 12, 2010
coolgamer
46 out of 46 found this review helpful
What a great addition to the Harvest Moon series! I think it is definitely HM at it's best, no doubt.
For those new to the series, the concept is that you are a farmer-rancher who just moved to town. You are given a house, introduced to the townspeople and started a new life. Once you get to your new abode and settle into the town, your mission is to find the Harvest Goddess. Once you talk to her, the problem becomes clear: there are five bells missing and you must find them all to restore the power of nature, reviving the Goddess Tree. Along the way, Finn, a harvest sprite, will guide you. You also have the option to seek the love of bachelors and bachelorettes, provided you know just what they like. A major feature in Animal Parade which differs greatly from other HM titles are the animals. Throughout the "world" you will find and be able to befriend wild animals, if you so choose.
So thats the basis of the game. I will now break up my review into parts:
STORY: I love the adventure in this game! Your quest to find the bells pretty much starts once you locate the Harvest Goddess, and at this point the adventure takes off. You have to complete one side-quest or two before you can actually speak with the Harvest Goddess and begin your quest, but these are simple and take three game days at most. She makes it clear on what your goal is and you can always go back if you have questions. But Finn is very helpful by always giving you hints and guiding you in your mission. Personally, I was able to deduce what I had to do before Finn told me, but if you get stuck then Finn will definitely help (sometimes I did need him to point me in the right direction). The first bell you get provides just the right amount of challenge. Once you get the red bell, this opens up the option to find all the other bells. This really gets the game going. I loved how the adventure was an integral part of the game, not just some optional thing. It is a blast trying to find all the bells because you have to interact with a lot of the townspeople to do so. You might have to complete some side-quests for them or have certain items in order to proceed, but it is always fun and rewarding once completed.
TOWN: The town is well made. I like how there are several places to explore. You can visit Harmonica Town, Garmon Mines, and Flute Fields. Toucan Island only becomes available later in the game (I haven't gotten it yet). Within each place are worlds within worlds, so there is more to explore once you get somewhere. The load screens aren't too bad, either. At first they become tedious, but then you just get used to it. They really aren't that bad, it just gets annoying to see the name of the place pop up every time you go somewhere.
TOWNSFOLK: What I love most about the people in this game is that they are very good hint-droppers. Sometimes they make it really obvious and other times I have to kind of deduce what they are saying, but its funny at how they give me little hints on what to do. There is a good variety on people and they each play a role in the game. It is fun that they give side-quests for you to do, especially since they usually lead to your progression in the game, not just something to do and you get no reward.
DATING: I'm not gonna lie, its hard to get hearts in this game. So far I am at the end of spring (not so far into the game yet but I've been playing it) and I have more hearts with the animals than I do with people. In fact, I have no people hearts. The eligible girls and boys are wide in variety so if you like a certain trade (mining, cooking, jewelry-making, fishing, etc) there is most likely a bachelor/ette perfect for you. Luckily the friends menu allows you to see what each person likes and dislikes, making it easier to give gifts that win points. However so far I've noticed those recommendations only show items that people "like." I have yet to figure out what they truly love and what will earn me hearts. You can also track people on the menu, making it easy to give gifts if you can't find someone.
ANIMALS: I really like the addition of animals to the town. Not only can you have livestock, but there are several animals roaming in the wild. Each location has its own animals. So far I've met such a variety as dogs, cats, boar, squirrel, snake, raccoon, rabbit, frog, turtle, bear, and many more! Its really fun to discover new ones. You can make friends with any animal you meet by visiting it frequently and feeding it something it likes. Like for friends, the wild animal menu shows what they like and dislike. The location stays the same but some only stick around in a particular season or climate, so you'll always know where to find your favorites. If you get enough heart points with an animal, they can become your pet and help you around the game. With the starting house you receive, you can only have pet but once you expand, you get to have more and more. I thought this was a great addition to the game concept.
DIFFICULTY: This game is in the middle. It is not painstakingly hard (obviously its HM) nor is it ridiculously easy (again its HM). It has the right amount of challenge for the seasoned HM fan/gamer but enough hints for newcomers. I would recommend it to any wii fan and especially to fans of the HM series.
CONTROLS: The controls are straightforward and easy. One thing that bothered me for a little was some lack of explanation in the manual. They don't tell you that when you buy new furniture you have to open up the furniture menu to place it. This frustrated me for a while but then I got it. Its not a big deal but they could have explained that in the manual. Another thing is the camera. No complaints there except that sometimes you can't see a path, which means you're missing an entire entrance to a new location. Luckily I was exploring and happened to find this new stretch of beach that was barely visible unless I had been really looking (it was on the edge of the screen thats why, most locations are clearly visible). If I hadn't stumbled across this one path, I don't know how long it would have taken me to find the yellow bell. Guess I was lucky! But other than that, the controls are super.
DS vs WII: I've gotta say I prefer HM on the wii any day. I have island of happiness for ds, and while its a fun game, HM is the type of game that I feel plays better on the Wii. The big screen allows you to experience the world better. You can explore more thoroughly and the graphics are so much better. Overall its just a better gaming experience on the Wii when it comes to HM.
I know this is a long review but I wanted to be thorough. Thanks for reading it all! This is a great addition to any Wii game collection and while it is somewhat addicting, I think its a lot of fun and has good replay value and longevity for a game. Definitely worth the price. A whole lotta fun! I would recommend playing the whole game and taking advantage of everything; don't skip the adventure, thats the best part! Oh and the animals, too!
Have fun!
Fans will not be disappointed! November 18, 2009
Zan's Mama (Seattle, WA USA)
37 out of 40 found this review helpful
After several days playing the new harvest moon wii title, I'm not disappointed. The graphics & overall visual experience is very similar to ToT. The story is also similar in set up, with bell quests instead of rainbow recipes. There is a harvest sprite that follows you around as a little ball of light that trails after you everywhere you go. I personally found this annoying, but got used to it eventually. The sprite can be asked questions and it's easier to keep track of quests and requests from characters in this new version that in ToT. The farming is also a bit different, buying seeds in increments of one instead of nine. Energy levels are good, lasting long enough to do some planting, etc. before wearing out. There is also a hot spring right on your land, although it's the red bell quest that must be completed before it's operational. This should prove to be another wonderful game that will offer endless play time. My preschooler loves to watch & play a little, too ... it's nice to have such a family friendly game. Just in time for the long, dark, cold and rainy winter months ahead here in Seattle. :-)
The laundry is piling up. November 25, 2009
Emily
32 out of 35 found this review helpful
This is my first HM game, and I am totally loving it. I have been playing every second I can for the past week. It's not unusual to sit there and find four hours have passed by. My game preferences are usually the easier games. I love this one because it's easy but at the same time challenging because of the tasks involved. There is always something to do and someone to go talk to. There are no hard battles or killings, so the game is just extremely relaxing but intensely addictive. There are so many animals roaming around, crops to harvest, people to romance etc. It's just great. I seriously don't recommend starting it if you have a project due or major chores to get done. Once you start it is very hard to stop. I'm a 40+ female and think anyone will enjoy this. I'd love to know from others how this compares to the other Harvest Moons and Rune Factory. I now want to go and try those after I've exhausted this one.
This farming game is very addictive December 20, 2009
Wiiviewer (San Diego, CA)
19 out of 22 found this review helpful
Watch Video Here: http://www.amazon.com/review/R1C632LX6JA0NN I review mainly 3rd party Wii games on YouTube. To see more of my reviews go to youtube.com/wiiviewr.
Best game I've played for the Wii. December 27, 2009
ichor (PacNW, USA)
7 out of 7 found this review helpful
Hands down, this is the best game I've played for the Wii. Being a fan of adventure games, and an even bigger fan of "open-ended" games, this really caught my eye. (OK, the art on the case didn't, because...well, it looks a bit childish.)
At first, I bought Animal Crossing: City Folk, thinking that, "Two similar games - one made by Nintendo, and the other by...Natsume?" Of course, I ignorantly jumped at Animal Crossing. Just for sake of comparison for the myriad of players that, unfortunately, already own Animal Crossing: Animal Crossing in an incredibly boring game. The whole point of the game is to basically shake trees and fish for money, sell your stuff at a little store, and buy stuff out of a little store. Over and over, ad nauseum. There aren't really any goals; there certainly isn't farming, the "city" is stupid...
I could go on, but this is a review of the GOOD game... Harvest Moon (this is the first I've played of the series) is absolutely beautiful. There are numerous goals, missions, and challenges. You decide what you want to do, and when. You actually farm - grow crops, orchards, raise cattle and fowl, grow crops to FEED your cattle and fowl, you can fish, talk to the townsfolk, talk to the array of people in the impressive city (an actual city with stuff to do/buy in it.) My wordsmithing abilities may not suggest it, but all of that is incredibly fun, relaxing...and time consuming. And it doesn't even include all the other things you can do... BUT! That's only a part of the game.
In addition to being a farmer/rancher/city person, you're trying to revive the city by helping the Harvest Goddess. And you're also looking after yourself - fixing up your house, your barn, your chicken coop...getting a girl/boy friend (depending on if you chose the guy/girl to start with), getting married, having kids, etc.
The world is fairly immense with a large variety of things to do. There are lots of characters...and always at least a couple things you want to "get done." Going back to the Animal Crossing comparison - AC has a tiny world that you fish and shake trees. It feels like Harvest Moon is the Ultra Golden Deluxe version of Animal Crossing...and Animal Crossing is mostly a game for 3-8 year olds (my 3 year old likes it, actually) that's in the bargain bin of games.
I don't really mean for this review to basically bash AC:City Folk, but it's the closest analogy to a game I've played on the Wii. (On a sidenote: If you're a fan of the older KOEI "Strategic Series" games, you'll probably like this game as well. It's open ended, and, while you have goals, you can choose when, and if, you want to do them.)
Would highly recommend to anyone. Even as a huge fan of New Super Mario Bros, I can easy say that this is the best game I've ever played on the Wii.
Showing reviews 1-5 of 31
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