Harvest Moon: Tree of Tranquility

HOW I DISCOVERED IT I am a BIG fan of the Harvest Moon series. One day, my family and I drove by a game store advertising Harvest Moon Tree of Tranquility. We went inside and bought the game. I was skeptical about it at first, and the graphics were different (but WAY better than Magical Melody). Because it was new and confusing I soon stopped playing Tree of Tranquility and went back to Magical Melody. Since I was playing Magical Melody so often my Mom decided to try Tree of Tranquility. After watching her play for a little, I decided I wanted to play ToT instead. My Mom had so much fun playing after reading the FAQs that she purchased another ToT on Amazon so we could play at the same time. We had to limit our time so that we wouldn't be stuck on the TV all day! The great guide helped us know what the rainbow quest was and how to build rainbows. It told us everything about crops and relationships and all sorts of things! It improved the fun of the game a whole lot. STORYLINE You move to Waffle Island because of an interesting brochure advertising a beautiful town with a wonderful ranch. After you get there, you realize that it wasn't everything in the brochure, but it's still beautiful. After you move into your farm and live there for a while, the mayor shows you half of a quilt about harvest sprites on the island. After you get farther in the game, you get the other half of the quilt and start collecting recipes for rainbows. After you build all of them, you have to re-plant the dead Mother Tree before it's too late and the Harvest Goddess is impossible to save. Can you do it? DETAILS Along the way of your adventure, you can get make friends and eventually get married. You can play as a boy or a girl. When there's a festival, you can attend. You can befriend wild animals, and different from Magical Melody, the animals can move in with you and become your pets! You can have a baby, that, when he/she grows up a little, can help on the farm. You can fish, mine, smash stones, chop trees, plant crops, weed your garden, and explore the island. Certain places you have to unlock because there's a root blocking the path, or a stone, and it's always fun to do your rainbow quest and see where the rainbows lead... I'm not spoiling anything though!!! PROS I like the entire storyline! I especially love that this game is the only adventure game I have without mild violence. There are no battles or killings, and if you don't like calm (yet so involved!) games, then this might not be for you. Personally, this game is perfect for me. You can befriend animals to make them your pets, your child can help on the farm, and your spouse gives you a box lunch everyday to boost your stamina. Unlike Magical Melody, in ToT getting married isn't mandatory. You can win the game without being married. I also like that you can attend any festival you want, with or without a date. In some Harvest Moon games, if you didn't have a date, you don't go to the festival. So the fact that you can go with or without someone is nice. Also you can choose the gender of your baby. Odd but fun. CONS You can't pick up and hold your baby, and you can't feed it. That's a little strange. And I feel so guilty when I just leave her at home so that I can go out and do chores! At the beginning of the game, your stamina bar is small, but the more power berries you eat, the more you can endure hard work. The small stamina bar is a con for a little bit, but, as you get used to it and treat your character nicely, it's not such a big deal. You can still catch a few fish and plant a few crops. Also, once you win the game, it's not very fun to start over, unless you messed up on a lot of things and want to re-do your game and do it better. It's also fun to start over if you haven't played it in a while and sort of forgot it. OVERALL Overall, I don't have problems with this game, like some people do. I personally think it's awesome and fun, and would highly recommend this game to all ages. It is rated E for everyone, and no, it's not E10+ it is just E. It's not super lovey-dovey, like some people might make it sound. Overall, I would say- BUY IT!

I love Harvest Moon, ever since I played the original version as a kid on the SNES, I was hooked. I likewise fell in love with Harvest Moon 64, and Harvest Moon: Back to Nature. I also played Save the Homeland, which I enjoyed but didn't become addicted to like the earlier Harvest Moons (though I love the style of that game - having the characters look more mature was a good step, IMO). After that, I went to college and had no time for games. :( I played bits of future Harvest Moons owned by friends - notably the Gamecube version, A Wonderful Life - but I was really turned off by the style change the series took. It seemed Natsume/Marvelous was making it as cutesy and super-deformed as possible. What drew me to the original games was their feeling that they were grounded in reality, with slight hints of fantasy hinted at. In the SNES version, it was based on reality, there was no "magic" - you never even saw the Harvest Goddess - so when you did encounter a Harvest Sprite, or a Kappa, it had a really magical feeling to it. In the 64 and Back to Nature versions, they were also mostly grounded in reality. I think it was in Back to Nature that Natsume began taking the HM series down the fantasy-laden path - to my knowledge this was the first game where you could visit the sprites freely right from the start, like any other villager. I remember that kind of dulled the magic for me, as previously sprites were only encountered at special moments in the game. Anyway, so after I finished college I had more time and wanted to get back into gaming. :) But, which Harvest Moon game should I play? So many had been made since I stopped player. After reading lots of reviews, I was between this game (Tree of Tranquility) and Animal Parade. People are really divisive over which game is better, but the general consensus seems to be Animal Parade, and I bought that version first. I was really disappointed with it. It felt like there was no "heart" to it, the villagers all seemed bland and empty. I didn't connect with any of them, which is pretty important in a Harvest Moon game. I was bummed out, but after a while I decided what the hell, let's try Tree of Tranquility. I felt foolish buying it after just buying Animal Parade, but had a feeling. I'm really glad I bought it. It's everything I wanted Animal Parade to be! The villagers have so much more personality than Animal Parade, and are full of cute quirks that remind me of the old Harvest Moon. It took a while to get used to not having the old bachelors around - Cliff, Rick, Grey (though Grey is in this game ... but you can't marry him, sigh), but the new ones have really endearing qualities to them, especially once you get to know them more. I think I like Toby just as much as I like Grey. :) And, it's SO AWESOME to be able to marry bachelors now!!! I know this is typical of Harvest Moon games now, but last time I played the games it wasn't. It's awesome being able to court guys for once, and they're really sweet in ToT xD This is getting long, so I'll just close it by saying I was also really happy with the farming, it's relaxing and being able to control the soil quality adds some strategy. I really loved how villagers would move into the game and new houses be built as they moved it, this kept the game fresh. In summary, I feel like Natsume/Marvelous did a great job with this Harvest Moon. It retains a lot of heart that I remember from the series, and is a wonderful way to totally de-stress and relax.

The feel and look of this version is like no other of Harvest Moon. I feel I'm playing a whole new type of game. The franchise has taken a HUGE step. I think the people who make this game took the good of the old games, and fixed the very annoying parts of the game. Graphics: It is the most beautiful Harvest Moon yet. Leaves fall from trees, there is shading on everything. The ripples in the water look so real. Music:This could be good or bad depending upon you. The music is average, but it can get rather annoying at times. pros: 1.In every district of the island there is a shipment box that you can use to place the items you want to sell. So you don't have to keep running back home. There is also one close to the mine! There are multiples in the hill top plot (if you choose this place as your home) 2. In every store you can get money by getting a part-time job. 3. You can still go out and do what you need to do even if there's a typhoon or snowstorm! 4. During a festival, you can go in and out the festival as you please,you are not stuck in it. People walk around the island as normal. Stores are closed. 5. You're child attitude is determined by who you marry. When he/she grows up, you can play as the child! And you can pick it is a girl or boy. 6.You can ride a horse or ostrich around the island. 7. The animals come in different colors. 8. You can make a wild animal your pet. 9. If you are looking for someone, you can click on there name on the menu and a track will pop up. So you can find them in no time! 10. Just by ringing a big bell all the animals go outside and inside. No more wasting time putting the chickens outside! 11. Wild and farm products will not desepear. They will stay were they are until you pick it up. 12.For girls: the bachelors this around actually look nice. I've played many HM versions and always thought the designers always put in more effort on the bachelorets then the games. There is variety in characters of both genders. cons: 1. The par-time job takes the whole day. So you should plan before you go to do a job. 2. You have to pull out weeds because they effect your crops. You can't ship them, and they take up a lot of energy. 3. The mines have gases just like in Magical Melody. 4. The camera takes time to get used to. It moves to different angles when you go to different areas, and sometimes you feel as if you are not seeing something important. The control does not give a very good camera option. 5. There is a bit of loading time whenever you go into a new section. It's not long enough for you to loose focus. I use it to go over my strategy quickly in my head. The game continues before you can even finish your thinking process. fun: You can change outfits in the game. (not a necessity, but it's fun!) different:Each type of animal has a life span and will die at the end of there life span. same: I know many reviewers are complain about the stamina. I think they forget that in all HM games in the beginning it's like that. All you need is to upgrade your tools and eat power berries. Problem solved. This is what I think of it so far. I'm only in the beginning of the game. I would recommend buying the guide though. There is so much to do and many secrets!

Harvest Moon: Tree of Tranquility (HM- harvest moon) Pros: + Can play as a girl or guy + 3 different plots to build your house on (makes for 3 different replayable game styles) + 4 total purchasable plots of land + Not a requirement to get married (other HMs your game would end if you didn't marry before the 2nd year) + Freedom! (unlike other HMs where you needed to adhere to a strict schedule, this one allows you to do whatever you want, whenever you want. There's no rush to get married, buy animals or even plant crops. You can spend all your time fishing, collecting or mining if you wanted. The game is finally a 'complete at your own pace' game and it's awesome!) + Better usage of stamina (now you only get tired if you perform an action, cutting grass, fishing, etc, but you can run around all day) + Set wake up times (other HMs would force your character to get 8 hours of sleep causing you to wake up late if you weren't able to get to bed on time, this one, you always wake up at 6, even if you got to sleep at 5:50, it's wonderful! You will need to go to sleep before 6 though otherwise your character gets tired, but they have wake up herbs and other means of getting around it if you wanted) + More realistic crops (you can harvest some crops repeatedly and they will continue to bear fruit through their season) + Upgradable tools (use less stamina the more you upgrade) + Proficiencies (affect a wider range. Being lvl 2 with the water can lets you water 3 squares in front of you. Lvl 3 waters a 3x3 grid) + New farm animals (ostrich, silk worms, ducks) + Mini-games + Up to 5 pets (12 different types, including a panda, penguin, and bear cub) + Huge map (plenty of places to explore, that change with the seasons) + Larger variety of crops + Larger variety of fish + Customizable house (upgrade your house up to 5 times, buy goodies for your house: tvs, refrigerators, ovens, etc) + Clothing (equip your character with the right clothes and accessories for the season) Cons: - Glitch for girl characters being unable to marry Calvin (game will freeze if you try) - Minor text errors (that are misinforming but not game ruining: Green Bell is a Spring flower, when it's actually a Winter Flower, etc) - Loading times (each transition from place to place takes you to a loading screen, annoying but easily overlooked) Overall: An awesome game farm sim game, that's highly addicting! I recommend highly! You will keep saying to yourself "I'll just play one more day.. just this last day" and before you know it you played a whole (game) week and have played the game late into the night. Sooo fun and great for all ages. Animals do have a lifespan and will die, but it's nothing that will scar younger children. *** Don't like my review? Tell me why not by leaving a comment. That way I know what can be improved upon when writing reviews for you. Like my review? Sweet! I'll keep on writing this way.

Just so that you are aware of my experience with Harvest Moon before I begin, I have been playing since the PS2 releases (AWL and StH), and since, I have played MM on Gamecube, Harvest Moon DS (and Cute), and this title. I've been familiar with the series and enjoying it immensely for about 5 years. When this title came out, I was honestly expecting the monotony that seemed to accompany a lot of the non-Nintendo system releases of HM. I was disappointed with game releases on Wii as a whole, but decided to pick this up when it was on sale anyway. How wrong I was! This game has so much depth and activity that I can get lost in the days for hours and hours! The progression through your life has so much variety - in the beginning, it's difficult to make money (as it should be!) and you have to primarily forage and work part-time jobs to get going. Once you have a decent stock of money, you can really start with your crops and animals. There is always something more to achieve! Building onto your house, clearing the rainbow events which can require rare items that take planning to obtain, finding your power berries, and growing your relationships! From the beginning of my play time, I've developed interesting stories through the events with others that I can relay to those who don't find me to be too incredibly geeky. For example, during the Harvest Festival, I had been planning the dish I would make for an entire season (I don't like using guides when I'm playing through HMs the first couple of times) and decided to go with the 'Shark Fin Soup'! I just knew that it would be a great hit since it was rather difficult to fish sharks evidently, but I only got a bronze medal! I was trying to court the gourmet bachelor, Chase, at the time, and was disappointed that I couldn't impress him with my culinary skill. :( So, now that I've expressed how much fun I have with this game, on to the technical stuff: the graphics are, obviously, quite lackluster, but it's Wii (and it's also Harvest Moon... what kind of graphics do you expect?) HM:ToT is a prime example of how looks matter way less than the gameplay. Some of the sound effects are quite annoying (during storms, it sounds like someone is flushing a particularly large toilet repeatedly) and a few of the controls are shaky; it's VERY easy to mess up your throws if you aren't careful, so be prepared to waste a bag or two of seeds and some stamina in the beginning. Due to the complexity of some of the controls and the story, I wouldn't recommend this title for most kids under 10 years of age. Load times between small areas are a bit disconcerting since the world isn't really that big, but it's not a huge turnoff for me. I could rave a lot more about how fun this game is, but I think everyone should at least rent and play it for a bit themselves - you won't be able to resist!

I haven't played many Harvest Moon games, and thus I can't compare this with the popular Magical Melody. I can tell you though, that I simply love this game. I've already played through almost 2 years of game-time, so I've experienced most of what the game has to offer (minus the raising of children). Pros: -The game works well with the Wii remote, but doesn't force you to use it to it's full capabilities if you don't want to (yay button mashing!). -The music doesn't drive me insane from repetitiveness, a fault of past HM games (though reading other reviews, I may be one of the few who feel this way). -You can actually collect enough money and materials for building/expanding your farm in a decent amount of time, unlike Harvest Moon DS, which took seasons of waiting for materials to appear. -The characters who are eligible for marriage don't look like a train wreck for the most part (I'm looking at you Harvest Moon DS: Cute). -No more 100+ sprites/notes to find. I can actually focus on my farm somewhat. -The graphics are very pretty and you can tell a lot of work was put into them and the cutscenes. -Part-times jobs mean easy money, which is helpful early in the game and during a slow winter. -Stalking is available on the guy/girl you're aiming for. Kind of creepy, but helpful anyway. -One bell to rule them all! It's now easy to get all animals in and out of their buildings since the game gives you a giant bell in front of your animal buildings, which calls all animals out and calls them back in. No pushing, shoving, or beating dumb animals over the head with a handheld bell anymore! -You can play as a male or female (no need to wait for a Harvest Moon: Tree of Tranquility ~Cute~ to tempt some men). -After your child grows enough, you can start a new game with him/her. Cons: -There is a glitch in the game with Calvin as an eligible bachelor that basically knocks him out of the marriage picture. -Time passes indoors for the most part. I only have 1 barn and 1 coop and I end up wasting a bit of time taking care of animal needs and products, especially on rainy days. If you plan on growing crops at all, don't plan on building more than 1 coop and 1 barn (even though you can have up to 4 of each). This is a major pet peeve of mine with this game. -Load screens for the lose! You get a load screen when you leave your house/enter the coop/leave the coop/enter the barn/leave the barn/go to another district/etc etc. Through a regular day, I probably see that load screen an average of 10+ times. I said in the 'pros' section that I liked the graphics, but they aren't exactly cutting edge enough to really warrant so many load screens. This is my second major pet peeve of the game. -Even though you can ride a horse/ostrich around, there are places it can't go, which can equal a long run (hint hint Mt. Gelato). -Once you upgrade your rucksack to max capacity, the shortcut way of changing tools/items becomes a pain and takes a bit of time, so it's not much of a shortcut anymore. -Even though you can stack 99 of the same item in the shipping bin, I have run out of shipping bin room because I did some cooking for recipes. I had to hold onto them until the next day. -Still no same-gender marriages available. Not that this surprises me and thus isn't technically a con given who this is aimed at, but it would be nice to see. Despite all the cons, I still enjoy this game immensely. Most people who have played Harvest Moon games in the past will enjoy this one, and those looking to try the series out for the first time will get a good appreciation of it with this game.

The last time I had a game console Harvest Moon game was N64, and I -loved- that game. It was a sad day when we got rid of our N64. Years later, I still missed the Harvest Moon game, but I knew Wii versions had been released. I saw on Amazon that I could buy mine from another seller for $24. What an awesome deal! This Harvest Moon game has been completely amazing. Other reviews can tell you the premise of Harvest Moon. In this game, you're goal is to find ingredients to make the rainbows that will give you access to other places on the island and save the Harvest Goddess. I have been using game guides online to guide my own game, but the game is completely playable without the extra hints! The villagers in the game often give good clues to help you figure out your next task. I think this is brilliant. Another benefit of Harvest Moon games is that they are simulations, but not action-based. They are definitely strategy games, and nothing horrific can ever happen to your character. The worst "scary" thing that happens in Harvest Moon is that your player becomes sick for a day and takes medicine. This game has been pure joy to play. Someone as young as maybe 10-12 could figure the game out and start making the rainbows, but even adults enjoy it. I am 22. My 25 year old sister also enjoys the game. The nunchuck is required to play this game. I found it a strange feeling at first, missing the feeling of the N64 controller. I even got a Wii classic controller to use so I can get that "vintage" feel every once in a while. But once I got used to using the nunchuck, I feel like the remotes are very ergonomically friendly, and I understand the controls better. The joystick on the nunchuck is used to move your character. Using tools such as the axe/hammer/watering can/sickle can either be done by swinging the Wii remote, OR by pressing A, so you can choose which one you want to do, just based on how you're feeling at that time. As I said, a really enjoyable game. I highly recommend for any Harvest Moon fans, or for anyone who would like a farming/strategy/simulation game that is just a great way to relax and have some fun.

All of the other reviews that I've read are from Harvest Moon veteran players. I'm a newbie so here's a review from someone who has never played any of the earlier versions. HM has been around for 10 years (on different consoles obviously) and this is their 10th anniversary version. This is the first version made exclusively for the Wii. HM is a farming sim game where you are a new arrival to a large enchanted island with hopes of becoming a rancher. You are given a small, simple house, a plot of land, and a little bit of gold to begin the game. You earn your livelihood by farming, ranching (making/selling yarn, mayo, butter, and cheese from the animal products), mining, fishing, cooking, and working part time jobs. With the money you make, you upgrade your house and tool quality, hire someone to build a barn, hire someone to build a chicken coop, buy animals to raise, buy seeds, buy new plots of land to farm, decorate your house, buy food and drink, and purchase clothes. There are four seasons in a year and 28 days in a season. Different plants and weather conditions exist in each season. In addition to the daily chores, there is also a mystery surrounding the island that you must solve. The island used to be more prosperous before the Goddess Tree died. Your mission is to bring another Goddess Tree to life. Another feature of HM is that you choose to begin the game as a young single woman or a young single man. There are 7 eligible bachelors whom you could marry if your character is a girl and you've raised their affection level high enough or 8 eligible bachelorettes for male characters to marry. If you choose to wed, you will eventually have one child and have the option of starting the game anew using the child. This is a game that you complete at your own pace. If you aren't quick about solving the Goddess Tree mystery, that's okay. The only thing that you need to hurry about is marrying the person you choose. If you don't marry the bachelor/bachelorette you desire quickly, he or she could marry one of the other eligible bachelors/bachelorettes. When you begin the game, your character doesn't have much stamina and regains stamina after going to sleep for the night. At first, my character was running out of energy before noon when doing my tasks. Over time, your character's ability to complete tasks without getting worn out improves with improvements in skill, tool quality, and "power berries" that restores your stamina for the day and permanently increases your stamina capacity. This game has no violence, sex, or anything that might be objectionable for young children to see. Animals may die of old age or if you don't take care of them (for example, they can catch a cold and die if they are left outside in the snow all night long), otherwise, there are no deaths in the game. It does have quite a bit of reading which makes it not appropriate for very young children to play because they wouldn't be able to read and follow the instructions. The game is rated E for Everyone. I'll say that I've enjoyed the game, though it is taking me unconscionably long to complete compared to HM veterans. It took me several seasons to get the hang of it and figure out what I should be doing and how to be more efficient. It is easy to get sucked into the game because there is always some little task that needs to be completed (giving gifts to other residents, completing the harvest sprite rainbow recipe, tending to the animals, etc.). I recommend this to people who like role playing games or want a non-violent, non-stressful game. If your favorite games are bloody shooting games, this is not for you.

Terrific game

I'm the daughter of the account-holder who this game was bought for. This has always been my favorite Harvest Moon game 100% but finding a copy wasn't easy! The game came FACTORY SEALED and works PERFECTLY! It was better than I remember and the nostalgia hit me like a semi-truck. 10/10 encourage anybody on the fence about buying to take the plunge and buy it already!

I borrowed this game from a friend, I liked it so much that I decided to buy it. I was disapoibted to find after I did though, there is a newer game with the same characters called Animal Parade. This is still a great game though.

The item's in good condition so I'd rank the disc itself a 5 but not the game it contains. I suppose this is a good game, when you get used to it, but not compared to the earlier games in the series, as it's hard to get used to and push through the first Spring because it's so weird, and it has slow pacing like the slow walking speed, and frequent load times, which makes me feel like I could never stand the game without being able to play it in fast forward. Is it really a good game if I don't want to play it on the Wii itself because it'd be too boring? I can't say that about the previous games and really they're boring too but I'm content with playing them normally if I'm listening to videos. It's lame that you can only plant 6 crops with seeds instead of 9, and you have to make sure you're to the side of the row you're planting but not too far away from it or too close to it or you'll waste seeds, which you should not be able to do. Harvest Moon 3 didn't let you waste seeds. When you first start playing, you'll waste seeds not knowing what you did wrong. And that's just the tip of the iceberg about what's wrong with the game. But it's normal for the series to have its sequels have downgrades instead of upgrades under the guise of more challenge. I never expected this to be even on the same quality as Magical Melody, FoMT, or even DS. I thought it'd be better than A Wonderful Life since you can plant more than one crop at once and the cows don't suck but at least in that game you aren't expected to look up a guide to do stuff like unlock the rainbows and get heart events, along with it being much faster to buy everything so that you're done the game faster. There's a lot more to say about this game but it's hard to remember since I played it so long ago. My detailed thoughts on it are elsewhere. But I will say I'm still grateful I got to play this game, and got to say that I paid for it.

This game has some different features that make the game interesting and if you've played most of the Harvest Moon titles it's something different from past games. Unfortunately it also lacks the classic feel of the Harvest moon titles from starting off with your classic pet dog, to the art change and camera angles (which can be confusing at times). Being able to play as a male or female is a nice twist as well as "working part-time" to pass the days by and collect extra money. If you're a harvest moon fan I would definitely recommend trying this title.