As a Bokumono fan, I like to follow the personal works of those involved in the series. So, when Yasuhiro Wada stepped away from Marvelous and left Yoshifumi Hashimoto to take over the series, I wanted to see where Wada would take his endeavors next. He reopened Toybox inc., his old game studio, and it was not long after that a little something called Project Happiness was born.
The original teaser trailer (shown below) did not offer much beyond an initial concept. At the time it was announced, Wada kept the details of the game surrounded in a shroud of mystery. The only thing known about it was that it had a release year set for 2013.
Project Happiness seemed to be nothing more than a shop-running simulator, which hinted at elements of townsfolk interaction, rooted in a land deep in the rural countryside. This kind of setting – a life where you live and work hard in a rural area – was not a foreign concept to the games already made by Wada.
So, how did the project develop? Why was this IP created in the first place?
“I wanted to create something very different from Harvest Moon,” —However, as he worked through the development of the new title, he realized that much of Harvest Moon comes from who he is. “I like nature, animals, and caring for other people, so the atmosphere of this new game is similar to Harvest Moon, but gameplay will be very different,” he said through a translator. – VentureBeat
*Harvest Moon was the localized name of Bokujou Monogatari (牧場物語) before being called Story of Seasons.
Project Happiness became known as Hometown Story, and sought to capture the very feeling of one’s hometown. From the interview with VentureBeat (GamesBeat), it is noted that Wada also places Hometown Story within the same universe as the Bokujou Monogatari series, but identifies them as two very separate entities. They are not related although they share common elements.
The official trailer below shows some of the game’s final mechanics in action.
Unfortunately, the game had a very poor initial reception due to its close relation to Bokujou Monogatari. It was released at an unfavorable time in the west (alongside Harvest Moon: A New Beginning‘s NA debut and Rune Factory 4‘s EU release), and had been publicly advertised as “from the creator of Harvest Moon“. Combining these elements, people ventured into the gameplay with a similar mindset as they would playing a typical Bokujou Monogatari game. This led to confusion for those expecting a game which would play in similar fashion, as the game is closer to a title like Recettear.
The ratings only dipped further as the gameplay itself does have its flaws. To see the game’s events, you must utilize your shop’s stock. Sometimes this means selling a certain number of an item will trigger an event. It can also mean selling a particular “special” item that someone is looking for. These events do not happen right away, as the process is to occur “organically”, and it can take quite a few days or weeks in game for them to trigger. All the while, the items must be displayed in the store, or the process resets itself. There is no way to track the events and quests you’ve fulfilled easily, either.
Despite Hometown Story‘s downsides, as a shop-slash-life sim the game plays quite well.
When everything comes together and you’re all set up to progress properly, Hometown Story proves to be a unique and memorable experience.
Circling back to what was mentioned earlier in this article; what does Hometown Story have in common with that of the series it shares a universe with?
For one, there’s nature sprites!…but they’re not at all like the sprites one would be used to coming from Bokumono. From the start, the MC meets the upbeat and somewhat pushy sprite Pochica:
There’s also another sprite called Magi, who teases Pochica in their dialogue interactions.
Other notable characters include: a Harvest God, a Harvest Goddess, a Forest Spirit, a Wind Spirit, a tiny dragon, and a Scarecrow (who has amnesia and no memory about his past).
Fret not, for the blue feather is also a mechanic that returns in the game. Hometown Story DOES include relationships and marriage with a choice of three love interests for each MC! The bachelors are Steve, Shinji, and Dexter, whereas the bachelorettes are Anna, Mika, and Haruka. The game’s credits will roll after marriage, but it doesn’t end there, either! You will be able to continue playing while living with your spouse.
On top of this, what ELSE is there about this game that you’re missing?
The artwork is by character designer and graphic artist Atsuko Nishida, the artist who created Pikachu (and many others!) for the Pokemon series. She has worked for Toybox and Gamefreak many years, and also created the designs for Little Town Hero!
The music composition and scores are by Nobuo Uematsu, and each track provides the world of Hometown Story with that warm, cozy feeling.
And that about wraps this up!
Please feel free to share your thoughts! Did the article tell you anything interesting, or make you interested in picking it up yourself? Did you have the game already and want to share your own thoughts or memories about it? Let us know!
Thanks for reading!
Catte
(This was originally a post on our re-launched forum boards! Check out the site for more Ranch Story community interaction!)
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