Harvest Moon: Magical Melody

Harvest Moon: Magical Melody is a social simulation game for the GameCube, developed by Marvelous Interactive. It is an enhanced version of *Bokujō Monogatari: Shiawase no Uta*, which first came out in Japan on March 3, 2005. Natsume Inc. released the GameCube version in the United States on March 28, 2006. A European launch was planned by Rising Star Games with Nintendo of Europe as distributor, but it never happened. Instead, Rising Star Games commissioned a Wii version, which arrived in Europe on March 14, 2008, then in Australia on April 3, 2008, and in North America on August 25, 2009. Japan did not get a Wii release. The Wii version added motion-sensitive controls for fishing, mining, and foraging, but removed the option to play as a female character. While series creator Yasuhiro Wada was involved, this was not the first *Harvest Moon* game to be developed without the original Victor Interactive Software team—earlier titles like *Save the Homeland* and *Friends of Mineral Town* had already moved on after the acquisition.

Players have two main goals: revive the Harvest Goddess and marry a townsperson. They collect musical notes by completing chores and milestones, with hints provided only through the Notes screen. Some tasks are obvious, like the Second House note; others, like the Treasure Hoard note, are more obscure. Collecting at least 50 of the 100 notes lets the player create the magical melody that wakes the Goddess, but the game continues afterward, allowing further note collection and relationship building. In the GameCube version, players can choose a male or female character, each with ten potential spouses of the opposite sex, plus the androgynous rival Jamie, who is available to either gender. Players can have children, own a house and land, and mine, fish, and farm across four seasons. The game also includes minigames for up to four players, unlocked through gameplay—for example, the swimming minigame appears after attending the Beach Festival, and the horse race minigame after participating in a horse race in the main game.

The story begins with the Harvest Goddess turning herself to stone, saddened by the townspeople’s neglect. A farmer named Jamie (whose gender matches the protagonist’s) is determined to save her.