Harvest Moon Boy and Girl

Yesterday I got the very much anticipated Harvest Moon Boy and Girl just like Lauren did. DBF got me Harvest Moon innocent Life on PSP for my birthday, and I spent 2 weeks playing that game any moment I could.

When I read that the PSP would have a new Harvest Moon game at the E3 convention, I got very excited. So imagine my deception when I started the game and saw the blurry pictures, and that it was mostly Harvest Moon DS, minus the handy rucksac view.

Reading further this morning, it looks like this is actually PS1 games ported to PSP !!!!

I'm used to Nintendo recycling their games from one console to the next (see Mario 64 on DS), but Sony, and especially the PSP usually have original games. Even God of War isn't the original Ps2 game but a new game specific to PSP. So was Harvest Moon Innocent Life.

If in Innocent Life you have an added dimension of saving the island, and a good tutorial, if you are new to Harvest moon and try Boy and Girl, how are you supposed to know what to do? They leave you wandering in the village with no useful indication... Plus the "equip" and "bag" are very small...

I will play it a little more and see if it gets interesting, but I don't have much hope...

The good side to it is that I won't be addicted to the point that I won't stitch anymore ;)

Harvest Moon Innocent life on PSP

Of course, farm simulation isn't my idea if a fun game. And it's hard to get into this game. You can't save until you've gone through all the text and tutorial, but soon you will realise you're addicted to it. You play late into the night. You have to resist playing at breakfast time, and you feel like playing all day at work.

And while you are obsessed with the game, of course, your mind is set on something, other stuff don't really matter, and depression flies away...
So what is it about that game that is so addictive? Not only do you have to grow crops, manage the buying, planting, but you also have to explore the island, and save it from a volcano eruption. So there's a big puzzle/treasure hunt element to the game, talking to the right people at the right time, finding elements in treasure chests, etc...

Being a boy robot, ou also have the challenge to become more and more human by interacting with people, animals, acomplishing quests and learn how to cook.
This game also shows the superiority of the PSP on the DS. I recently bought Harvest Moon DS. Besides the fact that it feels like playing an old SNES game graphically, a newbie can't start to guess what you should do in this game. No tutorial. And no greater purpose than becoming a farmer, getting a wife and such.

Harvest Moon Innocent Life is now a hard to find game in shops, and I'm glad DBF had the idea of giving it to me for my birthday !!! This is an exemple of a PSP game not perceived as a typical PSP game (war, fighting, cars, etc...). If you want good games, you have to look for them...
for thwe moment, i feel I need a break from the game, but it will be interesting to see when I will come back to it.