It is no secret that the farming simulation genre of video games has come a long way since Harvest Moon's debut. While the popularity of farming RPGs continues to fluctuate, games such as Stardew Valley have since revitalized player interest. Although the Harvest Moon franchise, now known as Story of Seasons, is still alive and thriving, some would argue that its peak lies with games found in previous generation consoles.
Luckily for Harvest Moon fans, the video game industry, in general, is seeing an upward trend towards the revival of retro games, either through remasters on current generation consoles or full-fledged remakes. One recent platform that makes access to older games possible is Sony's PlayStation Plus Premium. While its library of classic games is still limited, it holds so much potential for fans of old Harvest Moon games.
How PS Plus Premium Could Be A Haven for Harvest Moon Fans
After years of pressure from PlayStation fans, Sony finally added a new tier in the PS Plus service that would grant players access to games from previous generations of PlayStation consoles. The specific level that offers access to classic games from the PS1 and PS2 is PS Plus Premium, which is, of course, the most expensive. At the moment, while the library of games is still limited, Sony promised that it would continue to release even more games allowing players to revisit their favorite retro games.
Unfortunately, none of the old Harvest Moon games are available on PS Plus Premium at the time of writing. The only Harvest Moon games players can access via PS Plus are the recent entries made by Natsume and not the original developer. It is worth noting the Harvest Moon games under the Natsume brand are not as beloved as those under the original franchise. However, since the original series still has a solid fan base, it wouldn't be surprising if Sony does decide to include several entries in the original Harvest Moon franchise. Of course, it would be nice to see all Harvest Moon games on PS Plus Premium, but there are two specific entries that Sony should prioritize first, given that they were the ones that propelled the franchise into popularity.
Harvest Moon Games That Should Be Added to PS Plus Premium
First up is Harvest Moon: Back To Nature, which was initially released for the PS1 in 1999. For the uninitiated, Back To Nature was the first Harvest Moon game outside Nintendo consoles. While its story and characters remain mostly the same as its predecessors, Back To Nature introduced several quality-of-life features still used in farming simulators today. Given its charming story and improved gameplay mechanics, Harvest Moon: Back To Nature was remade for the Game Boy Advance and was called Harvest Moon: Friends of Mineral Town, which is widely considered the best entry in the franchise.
Unsurprisingly, Friends of Mineral Town became an iconic entry that the game was remade again decades later for the Nintendo Switch and was titled Story of Seasons: Friends of Mineral Town. While Friends of Mineral Town made Harvest Moon king of farming simulators, none of that would have happened without Harvest Moon: Back To Nature.
Another Harvest Moon game that should be added to PS Plus Premium is Harvest Moon: A Wonderful Life. While A Wonderful Life was initially released for the GameCube, it was later ported to the PS2, taking advantage of the console's powerful performance. It is no secret that Harvest Moon: A Wonderful Life remains a beloved game to most Harvest Moon fans, thanks to the introduction of some realistic elements that are considered ahead of their time. Of course, no game is perfect, and A Wonderful Life does have its flaws, such as the unremarkable cast of characters and its simplified marriage mechanic. Nonetheless, Harvest Moon: A Wonderful Life and Back To Nature would be great additions to the growing library of Sony's PS Plus Premium. Not only would their inclusion make PS Plus a haven for farming simulator enthusiasts, but they could also introduce the wonderful world of Harvest Moon to a new generation of players.