As the upcoming release of Story of SeasonsA Wonderful Life draws near, the old series of Harvest Moon farming simulators is in the spotlight once again. This remake comes 20 years after the original Harvest Moon: A Wonderful Life came out in 2003, and it isn't the first Story of Seasons remake from the series. As the fifth remake in the Story of Seasons line of games approaches its release date, the question of what's next becomes more relevant. Harvest Moon: Animal Parade should be a candidate for the same treatment as A Wonderful Life.
The differences between Harvest Moon and Story of Seasons is somewhat convoluted and has to do with the legality of the original Harvest Moon franchise name, but the original developer behind the farming simulator games remains on the team for Story of Seasons, now publishing under XSEED Games rather than Natsume. Marvelous and XSEED Games have now created Story of Seasons remakes of two Harvest Moon titles: Friends of Mineral Town, and the upcoming A Wonderful Life. While not a direct sequel to A Wonderful Life, Harvest Moon: Animal Parade released just a few years after and follows many of the successful story and gameplay elements of A Wonderful Life, making it a perfect follow-up for the new remake.
What is Harvest Moon: Animal Parade?
Harvest Moon: Animal Parade released in the United States in November 2009 for the Wii at the height of the Nintendo Wii's massive popularity worldwide. Animal Parade was the third Harvest Moon game for the Wii, following Tree of Tranquility, and allowed players to use the character designs from Tree of Tranquility or choose a new character sprite unique to Animal Parade. Farmers found themselves moving to Castanet, a region split into musical instrument-themed districts. The player's farm is located in the Clarinet District and farmers could access Harmonica Town, the main commerce hub, Flute Fields, and the Garmon Mine District. Connected to the Garmon District was an area that held the Goddess' Pond, a staple of the Harvest Moon games.
To go along with its name, Animal Parade made changes to farming and ranching. The game focused on raising livestock rather than farming crops, though agriculture was still prevalent. The friendship mechanic for animals was altered, making it easier for farmers to befriend both farm and wild animals. Players could obtain traditional livestock animals, including the horse and ostrich, and Animal Parade made it possible to ride all livestock animals. Unlike in Harvest Moon: A Wonderful Life, players could obtain house pets by befriending wild animals. Players could have up to four pets once they had fully upgraded their in-game house.
Similar to previous entries in the Harvest Moon series, players could romance villagers living in Castanet. In any given playthrough, there would be 10 available candidates for marriage, including several supernatural ones. Players can choose to romance the Witch or Wizard, or the Harvest Goddess or the Harvest King. There were also eight male and eight female human marriage candidates, each with a romantic rival that will marry the villager if a player fails to do so, and soon after have a unique rival child. While Harvest Moon: Animal Parade had a large pool of marriage candidates, the choices were locked according to the player's gender; the game would benefit from a more open gender spectrum, allowing for LGBTQIA+ romances like other Story of Seasons games.
Harvest Moon: Animal Parade's large map, expanded story, and increased number of marriage candidates make it a great option for a Story of Seasons remake. Like other successful Story of Seasons games, players have the freedom to choose how to run their farms and live their lives, making it a wonderful addition to the increasingly popular cozy life simulator genre. Fans of A Wonderful Life that haven't explored Animal Parade would undoubtedly enjoy the same gameplay fundamentals alongside more to do and explore in a new, equally beautiful and rich Story of Seasons setting.
Story of Seasons: A Wonderful Life launches summer 2023 for Nintendo Switch.
