Harvest Moon: Magical Melody

Intro

Moving out to the country means moving on to the simple life, right? Hardly. To be a successful farmer or rancher, it’s going to take hard work, good weather, a lot of love from your dog and a little luck!

Of course, you could build your farm or ranch at your own pace: plant a crop or tree here, chop some wood there. But there are some other folks counting on you – the Harvest Sprites. Their Harvest Goddess turned to stone, and the Sprites need you to earn and find 100 Harvest Notes as you settle into your new life in Flower Bud Village. Once the notes are collected the Magical Melody will be completed and the Goddess will return.

On top of all this, the village is full of farmer’s wives-in-waiting. Farm life, ranch life, social life: It’s a wonderful life in Harvest Moon: Magical Melody!

Characters

You!

You play as a farmer, rancher and all-around outdoorsman who took advantage of a great land buy in the village. Although you moved to the village by yourself, you found the townspeople to be nothing but friendly, helpful and hospitable – mostly. No matter what your goals are, this place offers plenty of opportunities for a good life for hard-workers like yourself.

Jamie

Not everyone opens their arms widely to embrace your arrival. Your main rival, Jamie, has established quite a farm. Jamie also competes against you at all the town events and is determined to be the big shot of the village. Watch your back!

The Women of the Village

Have you moved into some dreamland or is it simply a farmer’s paradise? You’ll find a disproportionately high number of hard-working, eligible bachelorettes waiting for you to woo them. They aren’t push-overs by any means, but you never know what kind of affection they might show you if you do something as simple as giving them a flower.

Mayor Theodore

His Ranch Plan brought you to the village in the first place. The mayor is the master of ceremonies at the town’s many festivals and can give you a word of advice or two when you need it.

Harvest Sprites

These little guys are invisible to most people, but not to you or Jamie. They live on the outskirts of town, and once you collect enough Musical Notes, you can enter the Sprites’ world.

Controls

Farming

You can plant all kinds of different crops and trees on your property, but you’ll have to prepare the land first. With your scythe, you can slash away weeds with a simple swipe of the Wii Remote. To till that cleared spot, grab the hoe out of your rucksack and move the Wii Remote downward as if you’re digging into the ground. When it’s not raining, you’ll also have to water your crops. With your watering can in hand, you’ll move the Wii Remote forward like you were watering a houseplant.

Mining

While your crops are growing, grab your sledgehammer and head to the mine. In the mine, you can smash a rock and, hopefully, it will yield a precious metal. When standing next to a rock and with the hammer in your hand, you’ll lift the Wii Remote up and then bring it down to smash a rock.

Fishing

Farming and mining are hard work. You’ll need to eat something of substance to keep your energy up. The river that runs through the village is full of fish, waiting to take your bait. With your fishing rod in hand, you’ll flick the Wii Remote forward to cast your line. When the fish is on the hook, snap the Wii Remote upward to try to snag the fish.

Foraging

As you walk around the village, you’ll discover plenty of items to eat, sell, give away or just take for your own. If you come across branches, grab your axe to turn them into useable lumber. Take the Wii Remote and move it up and then down when facing the branch to chop it. With other items, you can simply press the A Button to pick them up and the B Button to store them in your rucksack.

Mini-games

Life can’t be ALL work, can it? Luckily, the people of the village know how to cut loose and have fun. At the various festivals that they hold, the townspeople compete in some “friendly” events to crown a winner. Once you play one of these mini-games during a festival, you’re free to play the mini-game at any time from the main menu. You’ll unlock seven in all.

Count Coliseum

In this contest, the one with the sharpest eye prevails. There are a bunch of animals in a pen, and you have to be the one to count them the fastest. A correct, quick answer will give you the win.

Turf Battles

Can you till the most ground the fastest? Every time you till a plot of land, the outline of that square changes to your colour, but watch out for obstacles like monkeys. They’re up to no good.

Horse Race

Hop on your stallion and scamper for the finish line! On the track, you can pick up speed boosts or whip your horse to ask him for extra effort. Don’t whip him too much, though. You’ll wear him out.

Hammer Mine

Will you end up with the gold or the junk ore? You never know until you smash the rock. Take your hammer down to the mine and start swinging. If you’re not finding gems, smack your opponent and make him drop his.