Harvest Moon: Grand Bazaar (Nintendo DS, Nintendo DSi)
common sense media says
In-depth farm sim is great entry in popular series.
parents & educators say
What parents need to know
Parents need to know that the visually adorable Harvest Moon: Grand Bazaar is a detail-oriented farm simulation that may be too complicated for younger players. It is also a slowly-paced game, so kids without the patience to see through a long and intertwined story might want to stay away. The content is generally child-friendly, with very sweet, earnest characters. Alcoholic beverages can be consumed, though (without resulting in drunkenness), and it's worth noting that characters can get married and have babies (though nothing involving the latter is depicted visually).
Educational value:
You can learn a little bit about the basics of running a farm, but the game is not intended as an agricultural education.There's also a money-management aspect to the game.
Positive role models:
The characters are almost all very friendly, helpful, hard-working people. There are no "bad guys" and no one who is even all that unlikable. One character might be considered a Mexican stereotype in that he wears a serape and big sombrero (as he did "in his homeland").
Ease of play:
This incarnation of Harvest Moon requires players to do more than previous versions, and is thus a bit more complicated. But this should be seen as making the playing experience deeper and more fulfilling, rather than more difficult.
Violence:
If you accidentally hit an animal while using one of your farm implements, the animal will make a noise and look dismayed for a second.
Sex:
Characters can get married and have children. If the latter occurs, a baby will simply appear in the home after a time.
Language:
Not applicable.
Consumerism:
Not applicable.
Drinking, drugs, & smoking:
Beverages like strawberry wine and beer can be purchased and imbibed during play. Drinking these, like eating or drinking anything else in the game, will revive your stamina. There is no drunkenness.
More on Harvest Moon: Grand Bazaar
Screenshots
Review It
Most useful reviews by all members
qriel
teen, 15 years old
teen, 15 years old
possibly best DS HM to date
Like any other harvest moon game, it starts off as you. the player, going into a new town & owning a farm. You can buy crop seeds, tree seeds, and animals like cows and dogs too. Unlike other HM games where you had to release a goddess or raise islands, this one is pretty dull in your motivation to farm- you have to make money for your town's bazaar to be best in the world again. Besides that one down point, the rest of the game is fun and solid. They kept what made the old games great and threw out what made the newer DS games horrible (Only touch-screen use, boring activities, etc). You can "marry" characters and have children, but the latter doesn't have any actual depiction of the childbirth or anything (they're just like, ...You had a baby.) Most of the "bachelors" and "bachelorettes" (emphasis on bachelors) look like they're 14 or 15, with the exception of this one stoic dude wearing a frigg*n lobotomy turban, so it's not really realistic in that regard. But overall this is a really fun game for kids and adults of all ages.
..also, common sense media, is fr*ggin REALLY a curse word?
really?
Flag as inappropriate
was this review useful?
|
|
Auds6868
parent of 11 and 12 year old
parent of 11 and 12 year old
boring for boys being boys
My 10 year old daughter farms on her iTouch and occassionally Facebook applications. This held my son's interest (11 years) momentarily (as in one week) and while totally appropriate, not what his age wants to do.
Flag as inappropriate
was this review useful?
|
|
An independent voice for families
Advice on the big issues
Already played it? What do you think?
Great alternatives handpicked by our editors
