f the words "agriculture" and "John Deere" make you feel all funny inside, you may want to give Harvest Moon a shot. This game hones in on the farmer’s lifestyle to such a degree that it often feels like a full-time job. You’ll find yourself hoeing dirt, planting seeds, tending to livestock, raising cattle, chopping wood, breaking rocks, and – when you have some free time – courting women and building relations with villagers.
As you can probably imagine, gameplay can be tedious, but the title does a good job of changing things up and adding new elements to the mix. This incarnation of the cult classic series is actually set in the same world as the PSone game Back to Nature. It features the same characters and settings, plus all of the gameplay bells and whistles. It will also be compatible via connectivity with the upcoming GC game A Wonderful Life. It’s easily the best-playing handheld version to date, but again, the content will likely be too dull for most gamers. If it sounds enticing, there’s a good chance that you’ll fall in love with this title.