Time to put on them overalls again, especially since Farmville is shutting down shortly. Stardew Valley, Harvest Moon, and Animal Crossing (in a way) move over; it’s time for some real farming in 8-Bit Farm, Kairosoft style! Oh, yes, I did another Kairosoft title.
When I booted up this particular Kairosoft title, it felt a little bit like Pocket Harvest, but instead of turning right at the exit, we took the left exit. If you’re looking for the hardcore Farm experience, go for Pocket Harvest. If you look more for a game in the style of Harvest Moon, 8-Bit Farm might be right up your alley.
8-Bit Farm Time!
This humble little farm desperately needs a new manager, such as you! Start by getting some livestock, grow flowers, fruit, and vegetables, gradually expanding your fields, and increasing the number of staff until you’re ready to open for agritourism. Since we all need a day at the farm.. right..? Well, no. I grew up in a rural part of the Netherlands, so I bought local groceries at the farm instead of the supermarket. There was a time (before the internet) in which kids in the urban areas actually thought that meat and milk ‘grew’ in the supermarket and never saw a cow in real life. Well, that’s where agrotourism comes in (and for those high executives who need a farm retreat).
As your farm’s Appeal grows, you will be able to enter a variety of contests. The key to winning is raising the levels of your produce and skillful placement of farm facilities so that they work together as combos. A prize-winning farm is certain to attract even more visitors! Luckily the game pushes you in the right direction by granting you an insight into combos and other useful placements of items. And don’t forget the help of our loyal cousins, which always brought me tips I already figured out (thanks for nothing).
Upgrades, upgrades, upgrades
Upgrades are done with a new item, this time, it’s photos. You receive photos as gifts from happy visitors or for completing achievements. These photos can be exchanged at the FarmMart to obtain a wide range of installations for your farm. Photos can also be traded at the Odds&Ends Shop for handy items such as gadgets that influence the weather. And to make it even more appealing, you can join festivals, where you can try your skill in minigames like Tug of War, Outdoor Sports or puzzles. Apart from getting monetary prizes for winning these, you can also get cool hats for your staff. Cowmasks anyone?
Conclusion
As usual, high learning curve, high reward – so I was happy I made it through the end of the first year without going bankrupt. And with each Kairosoft game, the end of each year is a thrilling time, as that’s when the National Farm Ranking is announced! 8-Bit Farm challenges you to top all rankings for sales, the number of visitors, visitors satisfaction, and staff! Well, I failed; I did a total of four runs, drew maps on paper for the perfect farm/selling combinations, but still had less fun with 8-Bit Farm then with Pocket Harvest.
