This snuck up on me, but it looks like Natsume is getting ready to celebrate ten years of Harvest Moon. The farming sim series has picked up an impressive fanbase over the years despite its quiet 1998 debut on the near-dead Super Nintendo.
Harvest Moon's success in Japan was guaranteed from the start; many children in the crowded country grow up in cramped cities and never so much as see a cow. Its cult status in America was a bit of a surprise, at least for me. North America is not lacking for big open spaces, farms and fields. Some kids still grow up on farms and greet each day with the rooster crowing at the sun and possibly the sight of a deranged uncle throwing it to said rooster at the same time.
When you give it some thought, there are a few reasons for Harvest Moon's American success. Farms are admittedly becoming more scarce as the country is urbanised. As we increasingly work at jobs that yield no immediate reward, it becomes apparent that there's a calming simplicity about waking up every morning and harvesting your own cabbages, even if they're digital. Moreover, Harvest Moon is super-cute and a lot of fun. You can pet horses, dogs and cows and name them "Artax," "Rush" and "Moo" respectively. It's been enough to sell me title after title.
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