Harvest Moon 64 1999

Is it still worth playing?

Victor Interactive Software's 1999 farming simulation for the Nintendo 64, in which you inherit an abandoned farm from your grandfather and restore it. The work is bounded by time and stamina, both limited, and by an inventory of eight items. With five tools that upgrade automatically with use, you plant crops bought in town, and each of the four seasons has its own, from turnips and potatoes to corn and strawberries. The animals need daily care: cows are milked, sheep sheared and chickens kept, and any that go unfed or stand in the rain fall sick and can die without medicine. In the village, people keep daily schedules, and affection shows in the color of a heart. Five girls can be married, each with a suitor who marries her if you pursue someone else. Seasons and animals that ask for something every day still give each year a plan to follow today.