The newest installment of Harvest Moon and Wild Guns were on display at E3
Day 2 of the Eletronics and Entertainment Expo was in full swing and the first stop on the tour was Natsume. Natsume usually has a promo item that everyone wants to get their hands on and this year was no different. Instead of a plush animal from the Harvest Moon franchise, Natsume decided to bring two items to give out to the masses. One of the promo items was a Harvest Moon: Skytree Village drawsting backpack. The other promo item was a figure from Gabrielle”s Ghostly Groove 3D. Now that we got that out of the way, let’s get right into the bread and butter, the games!
It wouldn’t be an Electronics and Entertainment Expo without stopping by Natsume and getting to see a new Harvest Moon game. Harvest Moon: Skytree Village is the newest Harvest Moon game. Skytree Village plays like the other games in the franchise but it does have some modifications to the gameplay, which are welcome to the series.
Your character, either male or female, needs to discover why the water of Skytree Village has dried up. You have to make an appearance with the Harvest Goddess to see just how bad the village is. The Harvest Goddess is the litmus test for the town and she will be able to steer you in the right direction.
The main gameplay mechanic is figuring out how to fix the village but there’s more to the game than just that. You’ll be able to get married and have children. You’ll also be able to choose from one of three eligible women/men depending on your gender. Trying to impress them works just like in real life, you might hit a home run with the girl of your dreams or strike out!
One of the main additions to the game is there are items that won’t go to waste. What I mean by that is in the past there were items, like seeds, that would go to waste if you needed to plant them and too many were used. Now, the overflow items go back into your inventory, ready for fresh use! Gameplay like this makes it more fun and less frustrating. Other key addition is upgradable tools/items that will make survival easier.
You also have the ability to dig/till the land, being able to make the landscape anyway I want. If I want the terrain taller, I have that option. You can take care of animals like the Poitou Donkey! Sheer the donkey and sheep to gain more resources and you can ride the horse to make traveling a breeze. Be a kind farmer and don’t neglect your animals! Harvest Moon: Skytree Village will have a collector’s edition which will come with a Harvest Moon plush toy for preorders. It wouldn’t be Harvest Moon without stuffed animals.
Next up at Natsume’s booth was Wild Guns Reloaded. Wild Guns Reloaded is the modern version of the Super Nintendo classic, Wild Guns. I can remember playing the classic version in arcades and on the Super Nintendo. Reloaded isn’t the classic game some of us grew up on but it is a viable replacement to create new memories!
One of the main features is that the game will allow four-player co-op so it’s going to feel that you’re still in the arcade with your friends. There are new characters you can select to be your cowpoke! There are eight levels in the game and will totally bring you back to the Wild West.
There were things in the demo that I didn’t care for such as the controls being a little tough to get used to. The controls are supposed to be simple in principal but I found that it was tough being able to tell where your character was on screen and aiming. The character identification issues arouse when there were 3-4 people playing. You have special attacks that can destroy everything on screen, which can get you out of a jam pretty quickly.
There are times that you will have to fight hand-to-hand with enemies that get in your face! However, these minor things don’t hinder the gameplay too much and when you get the hang of the controls, the game will feel like it did all those years ago. Why you have to aim with the control stick is beyond me but it feels like there could have been a better way to aim and move your character. Wild Guns Reloaded will get you hanging out with your friends on a Friday night reliving your classic Wild Guns memories!
