Software:Harvest Moon: Save the Homeland

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Short description: 2001 video game
Harvest Moon: Save the Homeland
North American box art
Developer(s)Victor Interactive Software
Publisher(s)
Director(s)Tomomi Yamatate
Setsuko Miyakoshi
Producer(s)Yasuhiro Wada
Designer(s)Miki Miyagi
Taichi Hyoudou
Artist(s)Igusa Matsuyama
Composer(s)Kimitaka Matsumae
Hitomi Shimizu
Gary Ashiya
Suguru Yamaguchi
SeriesStory of Seasons
Platform(s)PlayStation 2
Release
Genre(s)Life simulation, role-playing
Mode(s)Single-player

Script error: The function "nihongo_foot" does not exist. is a 2001 farm life simulation game part of the popular Story of Seasons series of video games. An enhanced remake known as Software:Harvest Moon: Hero of Leaf Valley was released in 2009 for PlayStation Portable.

Overview

The player takes on the role of a 21-year-old man (named Toy by default) whose grandfather, Tony, recently died and left him his farm. Upon arriving at the farm, nominally to pick up his grandfather's belongings, the player's character encounters three "Harvest Sprites" named Nic, Nak, and Flak and the Harvest Goddess, who ask him to stay on the farm and help them.

The area is slated to be demolished within a year to make way for a resort and amusement park. The goal of the game is to find a way to save the town before the year's end. To do this, the protagonist must befriend some of the characters and help them with their respective goals. The outcome depends on whom he befriends. If he is successful, the town will be saved.

Gameplay

The goal of Harvest Moon: Save the Homeland is to find a way to save the village from turning into a resort by the end of the year. There are 9 possible ways to save the village depending on the choices the player makes, such as which villagers the player befriends. For most of the endings, the character is involved in a quest (digging out a treasure, looking for magical ingredients, etc.).

After reaching an ending, the player has the option of restarting the game to try to "save the homeland" again, possibly achieving a different ending. Upon restarting the year the player may keep the money and animals earned. Each time the player finds a new ending, it gets saved in the Endings List, and the player receives the profiles of the villagers involved in that ending.

Like other Harvest Moon games, the player must tend to their farm by growing and selling crops and gathering produce from his or her animals. Unlike the other Harvest Moon games, marriage and parenthood are not included as options.

As in other Harvest Moon games, the player can adopt a dog and a horse. The horse can be used to get around the village faster, while the dog can be trained for useful tasks, such as herding cows into the barn.

The player can also own cows and chickens. Happy chickens and cows have the potential of giving golden eggs and golden milk. Eggs and milk are ingredients in recipes and can be used for cooking as well as for gifts or for profit.

Reception

Reception
Aggregate score
AggregatorScore
Metacritic76/100[2]
Review scores
PublicationScore
AllGameStarStarStar[3]
EGM8/10[4]
Famitsu31/40[5]
Game Informer7.5/10[6]
GameSpot8.1/10[7]
GameSpy75%[8]
IGN8.8/10[9]
Next GenerationStarStarStar[10]
OPM (US)StarStarStarStar[11]

The game received "generally favorable reviews" according to the review aggregation website Metacritic.[2] Eric Bratcher of NextGen called it "A wonderfully charismatic, unique title that every gamer should play, though your mileage will vary with your patience."[10] In Japan, Famitsu gave it a score of 31 out of 40.[5] Bro Buzz of GamePro said, "What's not to like about a solidly constructed RPG that encourages you to make friends, be kind to animals, and save a village? If you've got an agricultural attitude and a hankering for safe gameplay, you just might be a Harvest Moonie."[13][lower-alpha 1]

Enhanced remake

An enhanced remake titled Software:Harvest Moon: Hero of Leaf Valley was released on March 19, 2009 for PlayStation Portable, with many major changes.

Notes

  1. ↑ GamePro gave the game two 3/5 scores for graphics and control, 2.5/5 for sound, and 3.5/5 for fun factor.

References

  1. ↑ Smith, David (November 20, 2001). "Harvest Moon: Save the Homeland". http://ps2.ign.com/reviews/16273.html. 
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 "Harvest Moon: Save the Homeland". Fandom. Archived from the original on December 13, 2023. https://web.archive.org/web/20231213014514/https://www.metacritic.com/game/harvest-moon-save-the-homeland/. Retrieved February 4, 2024. 
  3. ↑ Skyler Miller. "Harvest Moon: Save the Homeland - Review". All Media Network. Archived from the original on November 14, 2014. https://web.archive.org/web/20141114031210/http://www.allgame.com/game.php?id=35576&tab=review. Retrieved August 10, 2020. 
  4. ↑ Gary Steinman (January 2002). "Harvest Moon: Save the Homeland". Electronic Gaming Monthly (Ziff Davis) (150): 222. Archived from the original on April 10, 2023. https://web.archive.org/web/20230410231114/https://retrocdn.net/images/3/31/EGM_US_150.pdf. Retrieved May 30, 2023. 
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 "プレイステーション2 - 牧場物語3 ~ハートに火をつけて" (in ja). Famitsu (Enterbrain) 915: 88. June 30, 2006. Archived from the original on February 4, 2024. https://web.archive.org/web/20240204192008/https://www.famitsu.com/cominy/?m=pc&a=page_h_title&title_id=3284&redirect=no. Retrieved February 4, 2024. 
  6. ↑ "Harvest Moon: Save the Homeland". Game Informer (FuncoLand) (104): 93. December 2001. 
  7. ↑ Gerald Villoria (December 12, 2001). "Harvest Moon: Save the Homeland Review". Fandom. Archived from the original on August 30, 2016. https://web.archive.org/web/20160830203212/https://www.gamespot.com/reviews/harvest-moon-save-the-homeland-review/1900-2832148/. Retrieved November 2, 2014. 
  8. ↑ Barak Tutterrow (December 19, 2001). "Harvest Moon: Save the Homeland". IGN Entertainment. Archived from the original on December 29, 2001. https://web.archive.org/web/20011229230042/http://www.planetps2.com/features/reviews/2001/harvestmoon/. Retrieved November 2, 2014. 
  9. ↑ David Smith (November 20, 2001). "Harvest Moon: Save the Homeland". Ziff Davis. Archived from the original on October 11, 2014. https://web.archive.org/web/20141011003505/https://www.ign.com/articles/2001/11/20/harvest-moon-save-the-homeland. Retrieved November 2, 2014. 
  10. ↑ 10.0 10.1 Eric Bratcher (December 2001). "Harvest Moon: Save the Homeland". NextGen (Imagine Media) (84): 105. https://archive.org/details/NextGen84Dec2001/page/n105/mode/2up. 
  11. ↑ Gary Steinman (December 2001). "Harvest Moon: Save the Homeland". Official U.S. PlayStation Magazine (Ziff Davis) (51): 164. https://archive.org/details/official-us-playstation-magazine-issue-51-december-2001/page/164/mode/2up. Retrieved May 30, 2023. 
  12. ↑ Damian Thomas (December 15, 2001). "Harvest Moon: Save the Homeland". Emerald Shield Media LLC. Archived from the original on July 30, 2022. https://web.archive.org/web/20220730035046/https://www.rpgfan.com/review/harvest-moon-save-the-homeland/. Retrieved February 4, 2024. 
  13. ↑ Bro Buzz (December 2001). "Harvest Moon: Save the Homeland". GamePro (IDG) (159): 196. Archived from the original on March 26, 2005. https://web.archive.org/web/20050326213211/http://gamepro.com/sony/ps2/games/reviews/18484.shtml. Retrieved February 4, 2024. 
  • MobyGames is a commercial database website that catalogs information on video games and the people and companies behind them via crowdsourcing. This includes over 300,000 games for hundreds of platforms.[1] Founded in 1999, ownership of the site has changed hands several times. It has been owned by Atari SA since 2022.

Features

Edits and submissions to the site (including screenshots, box art, developer information, game summaries, and more) go through a verification process of fact-checking by volunteer "approvers".[2] This approval process after submission can range from minutes to days or months.[3] The most commonly used sources are the video game's website, packaging, and credit screens. There is a published standard for game information and copy-editing.[4] A ranking system allows users to earn points for contributing accurate information.[5]

Registered users can rate and review games. Users can create private or public "have" and "want" lists, which can generate a list of games available for trade with other registered users. The site contains an integrated forum. Each listed game can have its own sub-forum.

History

Logo used until March 2014

MobyGames was founded on March 1, 1999, by Jim Leonard and Brian Hirt, and joined by David Berk 18 months later, the three of which had been friends since high school.[6][7] Leonard had the idea of sharing information about computer games with a larger audience. The database began with information about games for IBM PC compatibles, relying on the founders' personal collections. Eventually, the site was opened up to allow general users to contribute information.[5] In a 2003 interview, Berk emphasized MobyGames' dedication to taking video games more seriously than broader society and to preserving games for their important cultural influence.[5]

In mid-2010, MobyGames was purchased by GameFly for an undisclosed amount.[8] This was announced to the community post factum , and the site's interface was given an unpopular redesign.[7] A few major contributors left, refusing to do volunteer work for a commercial website.{{Citation needed|date=June 2025} On December 18, 2013, MobyGames was acquired by Jeremiah Freyholtz, owner of Blue Flame Labs (a San Francisco-based game and web development company) and VGBoxArt (a site for fan-made video game box art).[9] Blue Flame Labs reverted MobyGames' interface to its pre-overhaul look and feel,[10] and for the next eight years, the site was run by Freyholtz and Independent Games Festival organizer Simon Carless.[7]

On November 24, 2021, Atari SA announced a potential deal with Blue Flame Labs to purchase MobyGames for $1.5 million.[11] The purchase was completed on 8 March 2022, with Freyholtz remaining as general manager.[12][13][14] Over the next year, the financial boost given by Atari led to a rework of the site being built from scratch with a new backend codebase, as well as updates improving the mobile and desktop user interface.[1] This was accomplished by investing in full-time development of the site instead of its previously part-time development.[15]

In 2024, MobyGames began offering a paid "Pro" membership option for the site to generate additional revenue.[16] Previously, the site had generated income exclusively through banner ads and (from March 2014 onward) a small number of patrons via the Patreon website.[17]

On February 13, 2025, Freyholtz stepped down as the site lead to move onto new projects, leaving operations to Tracy Poff, a veteran coder on the site, and Atari staff.[18]

See also

  • IGDB – game database used by Twitch for its search and discovery functions

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 Sheehan, Gavin (2023-02-22). "Atari Relaunches The Fully Rebuilt & Optimized MobyGames Website". https://bleedingcool.com/games/atari-relaunches-the-fully-rebuilt-optimized-mobygames-website/. 
  2. ↑ Litchfield, Ted (2021-11-26). "Zombie company Atari to devour MobyGames". https://www.pcgamer.com/zombie-company-atari-to-devour-mobygames/. 
  3. ↑ "MobyGames FAQ: Emails Answered § When will my submission be approved?". Blue Flame Labs. 30 March 2014. http://www.mobygames.com/info/faq7#g1. 
  4. ↑ "The MobyGames Standards and Practices". Blue Flame Labs. 6 January 2016. http://www.mobygames.com/info/standards. 
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 Miller, Stanley A. (2003-04-22). "People's choice awards honor favorite Web sites". Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. 
  6. ↑ "20 Years of MobyGames" (in en). 2019-02-28. https://trixter.oldskool.org/2019/02/28/20-years-of-mobygames/. 
  7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 Plunkett, Luke (2022-03-10). "Atari Buys MobyGames For $1.5 Million". https://kotaku.com/mobygames-retro-credits-database-imdb-atari-freyholtz-b-1848638521. 
  8. ↑ "Report: MobyGames Acquired By GameFly Media". Gamasutra. 2011-02-07. https://www.gamedeveloper.com/game-platforms/report-mobygames-acquired-by-gamefly-media. 
  9. ↑ Corriea, Alexa Ray (December 31, 2013). "MobyGames purchased from GameFly, improvements planned". http://www.polygon.com/2013/12/31/5261414/mobygames-purchased-from-gamefly-improvements-planned. 
  10. ↑ Wawro, Alex (31 December 2013). "Game dev database MobyGames getting some TLC under new owner". Gamasutra. https://www.gamedeveloper.com/business/game-dev-database-mobygames-getting-some-tlc-under-new-owner. 
  11. ↑ "Atari invests in Anstream, may buy MobyGames". November 24, 2021. https://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/2021-11-24-atari-invests-in-anstream-may-buy-mobygames. 
  12. ↑ Rousseau, Jeffrey (2022-03-09). "Atari purchases Moby Games". https://www.gamesindustry.biz/atari-purchases-moby-games. 
  13. ↑ "Atari Completes MobyGames Acquisition, Details Plans for the Site's Continued Support". March 8, 2022. https://www.atari.com/atari-completes-mobygames-acquisition-details-plans-for-the-sites-continued-support/. 
  14. ↑ "Atari has acquired game database MobyGames for $1.5 million" (in en-GB). 2022-03-09. https://www.videogameschronicle.com/news/atari-has-acquired-game-database-mobygames-for-1-5-million/. 
  15. ↑ Stanton, Rich (2022-03-10). "Atari buys videogame database MobyGames for $1.5 million". https://www.pcgamer.com/atari-buys-videogame-database-mobygames-for-dollar15-million/. 
  16. ↑ Harris, John (2024-03-09). "MobyGames Offering “Pro” Membership". https://setsideb.com/mobygames-offering-pro-membership/. 
  17. ↑ "MobyGames on Patreon". http://www.patreon.com/mobygames. 
  18. ↑ "An update on MobyGames leadership". 2025-02-13. https://www.mobygames.com/forum/3/thread/269628/an-update-on-mobygames-leadership/#post-269628. 
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