Harvest Moon: Magical Melody

Release Dates

Harvest Moon: Magical Melody released in North America after receiving several enhancements from its Japan release. Though the GameCube release was canceled for PAL markets, it eventually came to Europe and beyond on the Nintendo Wii, two years later. However, the Wii version of the game didn’t allow for the selection of a female character.

Unlike most prior games in the series, the player’s primary goal in Harvest Moon: Magical Melody was to resurrect the Harvest Goddess by collecting at least fifty of the 100 Musical Notes scattered throughout the land. The Harvest Goddess had grown disappointed in the villagers’ disregard for her and had turned herself to stone. Now it was up to you—as requested by the Harvest Sprites—to awaken her.

Harvest Moon: Magical Melody was bursting with content. Not only could players choose their gender at the onset of the game, but both male and female characters had eleven marriage candidates. The game also featured more than twenty-five different crops and allowed players to choose where they would like to place their home. The abundance of upgradable tools, barns, and wealth of furniture and decorating options helped to create what was, at the time, the grandest Harvest Moon experience of them all. It was also the very first game in the series to include a multiplayer option—several mini-games could be enjoyed alongside friends!

Fun Facts

• Earning the Musical Notes required a variety of tasks, including standing perfectly still for several minutes, not talking to any characters for an entire day, and building a second house.
• A secret character named Jamie served as a farming rival but could also be married by both male and female characters. Marrying Jamie required reviving the Harvest Goddess, owning every animal, and shipping every crop!
• Those who enjoyed fishing were well-served in Harvest Moon: Magical Melody. The game contained eleven fishing locations and over thirty fish.
• Players could tailor their house location based on their style of play. It was possible to choose a small plot near the village, a lot near the river, or a larger space near the ocean that didn’t have much room for crops.
• Up to four players could experience the mini-games together. These included a swimming game, horse racing, and fishing, among others.