| | |  | Video Game | Home » » Harvest Moon: Animal Parade | | | | | | | Product Promotions: | | | | | Description: | | In Harvest Moon: Animal Parade, the divine tree which once stood in the middle of the Harvest Goddess' pond is weakening, the creatures are beginning to leave the land, and the five bells have lost their power. The Harvest Goddess believes that only the strength of the Harvest King can help revive the earth and bring the tree back to life. It's up to the player to help the Harvest Sprites ring the five mystical bells, summon the Harvest King, and revive the Harvest Goddess' tree and the land. | | | Product Details: | | | Product Length:
| 7.6 inches | | Product Width:
| 5.36 inches | | Product Height:
| 0.58 inches | | Product Weight:
| 0.32 pounds | | Package Length:
| 7.5 inches | | Package Width:
| 5.4 inches | | Package Height:
| 0.6 inches | | Package Weight:
| 0.25 pounds | | Release Date:
| November 10, 2009 | | Average Customer Rating:
|  based on 115 reviews |
| | | Game Information: | | | Platform:
| Nintendo Wii | | Media:
| Video Game | | Item Quantity:
| 1 |
| | | | Customer Reviews: | |
Average Customer Review:
 ( 115 customer reviews )
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
203 of 206 found the following review helpful:
 Find the bells!Jan 12, 2010
By coolgamer
"coolgamer"
What a great addition to the Harvest Moon series! I think it is definitely HM at it's best, no doubt.
For those new to the series, the concept is that you are a farmer-rancher who just moved to town. You are given a house, introduced to the townspeople and started a new life. Once you get to your new abode and settle into the town, your mission is to find the Harvest Goddess. Once you talk to her, the problem becomes clear: there are five bells missing and you must find them all to restore the power of nature, reviving the Goddess Tree. Along the way, Finn, a harvest sprite, will guide you. You also have the option to seek the love of bachelors and bachelorettes, provided you know just what they like. A major feature in Animal Parade which differs greatly from other HM titles are the animals. Throughout the "world" you will find and be able to befriend wild animals, if you so choose.
So thats the basis of the game. I will now break up my review into parts:
STORY: I love the adventure in this game! Your quest to find the bells pretty much starts once you locate the Harvest Goddess, and at this point the adventure takes off. You have to complete one side-quest or two before you can actually speak with the Harvest Goddess and begin your quest, but these are simple and take three game days at most. She makes it clear on what your goal is and you can always go back if you have questions. But Finn is very helpful by always giving you hints and guiding you in your mission. Personally, I was able to deduce what I had to do before Finn told me, but if you get stuck then Finn will definitely help (sometimes I did need him to point me in the right direction). The first bell you get provides just the right amount of challenge. Once you get the red bell, this opens up the option to find all the other bells. This really gets the game going. I loved how the adventure was an integral part of the game, not just some optional thing. It is a blast trying to find all the bells because you have to interact with a lot of the townspeople to do so. You might have to complete some side-quests for them or have certain items in order to proceed, but it is always fun and rewarding once completed.
TOWN: The town is well made. I like how there are several places to explore. You can visit Harmonica Town, Garmon Mines, and Flute Fields. Toucan Island only becomes available later in the game (I haven't gotten it yet). Within each place are worlds within worlds, so there is more to explore once you get somewhere. The load screens aren't too bad, either. At first they become tedious, but then you just get used to it. They really aren't that bad, it just gets annoying to see the name of the place pop up every time you go somewhere.
TOWNSFOLK: What I love most about the people in this game is that they are very good hint-droppers. Sometimes they make it really obvious and other times I have to kind of deduce what they are saying, but its funny at how they give me little hints on what to do. There is a good variety on people and they each play a role in the game. It is fun that they give side-quests for you to do, especially since they usually lead to your progression in the game, not just something to do and you get no reward.
DATING: I'm not gonna lie, its hard to get hearts in this game. So far I am at the end of spring (not so far into the game yet but I've been playing it) and I have more hearts with the animals than I do with people. In fact, I have no people hearts. The eligible girls and boys are wide in variety so if you like a certain trade (mining, cooking, jewelry-making, fishing, etc) there is most likely a bachelor/ette perfect for you. Luckily the friends menu allows you to see what each person likes and dislikes, making it easier to give gifts that win points. However so far I've noticed those recommendations only show items that people "like." I have yet to figure out what they truly love and what will earn me hearts. You can also track people on the menu, making it easy to give gifts if you can't find someone.
ANIMALS: I really like the addition of animals to the town. Not only can you have livestock, but there are several animals roaming in the wild. Each location has its own animals. So far I've met such a variety as dogs, cats, boar, squirrel, snake, raccoon, rabbit, frog, turtle, bear, and many more! Its really fun to discover new ones. You can make friends with any animal you meet by visiting it frequently and feeding it something it likes. Like for friends, the wild animal menu shows what they like and dislike. The location stays the same but some only stick around in a particular season or climate, so you'll always know where to find your favorites. If you get enough heart points with an animal, they can become your pet and help you around the game. With the starting house you receive, you can only have pet but once you expand, you get to have more and more. I thought this was a great addition to the game concept.
DIFFICULTY: This game is in the middle. It is not painstakingly hard (obviously its HM) nor is it ridiculously easy (again its HM). It has the right amount of challenge for the seasoned HM fan/gamer but enough hints for newcomers. I would recommend it to any wii fan and especially to fans of the HM series.
CONTROLS: The controls are straightforward and easy. One thing that bothered me for a little was some lack of explanation in the manual. They don't tell you that when you buy new furniture you have to open up the furniture menu to place it. This frustrated me for a while but then I got it. Its not a big deal but they could have explained that in the manual. Another thing is the camera. No complaints there except that sometimes you can't see a path, which means you're missing an entire entrance to a new location. Luckily I was exploring and happened to find this new stretch of beach that was barely visible unless I had been really looking (it was on the edge of the screen thats why, most locations are clearly visible). If I hadn't stumbled across this one path, I don't know how long it would have taken me to find the yellow bell. Guess I was lucky! But other than that, the controls are super.
DS vs WII: I've gotta say I prefer HM on the wii any day. I have island of happiness for ds, and while its a fun game, HM is the type of game that I feel plays better on the Wii. The big screen allows you to experience the world better. You can explore more thoroughly and the graphics are so much better. Overall its just a better gaming experience on the Wii when it comes to HM.
I know this is a long review but I wanted to be thorough. Thanks for reading it all! This is a great addition to any Wii game collection and while it is somewhat addicting, I think its a lot of fun and has good replay value and longevity for a game. Definitely worth the price. A whole lotta fun! I would recommend playing the whole game and taking advantage of everything; don't skip the adventure, thats the best part! Oh and the animals, too!
Have fun!
53 of 55 found the following review helpful:
Fans will not be disappointed!Nov 18, 2009
By Zan's Mama
After several days playing the new harvest moon wii title, I'm not disappointed. The graphics & overall visual experience is very similar to ToT. The story is also similar in set up, with bell quests instead of rainbow recipes. There is a harvest sprite that follows you around as a little ball of light that trails after you everywhere you go. I personally found this annoying, but got used to it eventually. The sprite can be asked questions and it's easier to keep track of quests and requests from characters in this new version that in ToT. The farming is also a bit different, buying seeds in increments of one instead of nine. Energy levels are good, lasting long enough to do some planting, etc. before wearing out. There is also a hot spring right on your land, although it's the red bell quest that must be completed before it's operational. This should prove to be another wonderful game that will offer endless play time. My preschooler loves to watch & play a little, too ... it's nice to have such a family friendly game. Just in time for the long, dark, cold and rainy winter months ahead here in Seattle. :-)
49 of 53 found the following review helpful:
The laundry is piling up.Nov 25, 2009
By Emily
This is my first HM game, and I am totally loving it. I have been playing every second I can for the past week. It's not unusual to sit there and find four hours have passed by. My game preferences are usually the easier games. I love this one because it's easy but at the same time challenging because of the tasks involved. There is always something to do and someone to go talk to. There are no hard battles or killings, so the game is just extremely relaxing but intensely addictive. There are so many animals roaming around, crops to harvest, people to romance etc. It's just great. I seriously don't recommend starting it if you have a project due or major chores to get done. Once you start it is very hard to stop. I'm a 40+ female and think anyone will enjoy this. I'd love to know from others how this compares to the other Harvest Moons and Rune Factory. I now want to go and try those after I've exhausted this one.
14 of 14 found the following review helpful:
SO MUCH BETTER THAN TREE OF TRANQUILITY!Apr 02, 2010
By Make A Good Day
I am basically a fanatic of the Harvest Moon series. I like all of the ones I have, except Another Wonderful Life. I would actually title it "Another Not So Wonderful Life". Anyways, this review is not to demean that game, so on with Animal Parade. THE BEST HARVEST MOON GAME YET!!! In Tree of Tranquility, the closest you get to adventure is when the mayor finds out that you've stolen his seedling of hope. In Animal Parade, you venture through the dangerous Fugue Forest to find the Witch that supposedly lives in the swamp somewhere deep in the forest! It's also adventurous when you talk to Perry, the minister-in-training, and he tells you that there are strange noises in the church around 2 in the morning. You check it out at that time, and you hear sniffles... And you see Perry running out of the church, screaming, "IT'S THE GHOST!" And there's so much more adventure than just that!! But I can't spoil this great game.
Anyway on with this review...
PROS
+Raise crops and livestock
+Get married and raise a family
+But the best yet... THE STORYLINE! Find and ring the five bells to save the island.
+Gorgeous graphics
+Beautiful music, unlike ToT, which sounds cheesy, like it was recorded on a bad camera.
+Days are longer. In ToT, it took me about until 7:30 in the morning to take care of five animals. In this game, however, it takes about until 6:10 in the morning. SO much nicer and SO much more time before stores close and your day is over.
+Ride almost anything! Instead of having to buy an Ostrich to get everywhere faster, once you get hearts on your cow and your sheep, you can ride them!!!
+The world is SO much better and so much more... Mystical. Niiice.
+The gameplay is relaxing. It's not overly easy to collect bells and hang them on their frame, either.
+Instead of buying a separate game to play as a different gender, you can CHOOSE your gender! Even better, you can choose to play with the Tree of Tranquility character or the Animal Parade character (It doesn't make a difference in the storyline, but I like to play as the Animal Parade girl. She's cute.)
+SO MANY MORE CROPS! In ToT, breadfruit is your flour and sugar and everything else. But in AP, grow coffee beans, sugarcane, tea leaves, and much much more! Plus you can mill them in the watermill or windmill!
+Your stamina bar is SO much better!!!! In ToT, it's three or four whacks with the hammer and you're at the doctor's. But in this game, you can grow a whole field, water it, and still have a little stamina left!
CONS
=The camera. It's actually pretty good, but there are some places you can't see to go. I would have never found the yellow bell if I hadn't ventured out of the camera's reach.
=It seems... Harder in this game to get hearts up on people. It's not impossible, but every season you get a heart or two, depending on how good your gift is. But the animals get their hearts up so much faster!!!!! I've only been feeding this one dog for 17 or 18 days and it has 2 hearts already! That should be a pro... Ah well.
=The mayor gives you a run-down house to live in when you first move in, and unlike ToT, you HAVE to pay for it. And the materials and money needed for an upgrade are really bad. You need, like, one hundred each of material stone and lumber and 25 thousand to upgrade to a level 2. Then you have to upgrade to level 3 to have kids once you're married. Sad.
STORYLINE
Let's make this brief. The Harvest Goddess has five bells and the Goddess tree that help control the elements of the land, but the people neglect nature a little and the elements weaken. You move in as a farmer, and the new addition to this game, the orange harvest sprite named Finn, constantly bugs you to see the Harvest Goddess. When you finally get to the Goddess Spring (Which takes some... Well, work), she gives you the HUGE responsibility of finding and ringing the five bells and restoring the elements to the island. Once you're done, the Goddess Tree is still dead! So you must summon the Harvest King so that he can revive it with his magical powers.
OVERALL
BUY THIS GAME! I can't think of any more cons because this game is so great! Hmm, let me think... No, that's a pro... That's a pro too... Yeah, I can't think of anything. Only three cons, heh heh! I'd recommend this game to all ages! This game is one of the only ones I have that's adventure without violence. (Want to know my other adventure games without violence? They're all Harvest Moon!) Overall this game is wonderful! Basically Natsume took all the mess-ups in ToT, erased them, and re-painted them until Animal Parade was born. I'd highly recommend to buy this game!!!
32 of 37 found the following review helpful:
This farming game is very addictiveDec 20, 2009
By Wiiviewer
Watch Video Here: http://www.amazon.com/review/R1C632LX6JA0NN I review mainly 3rd party Wii games on YouTube. To see more of my reviews go to youtube.com/wiiviewr.
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