I really, really, really love the Harvest Moon series, and while I haven't finished it, I still periodically enjoy the Rune Factory spinoffs thereupon. I just admire the game design so much; recently at Gamasutra Ian Bogost explained why Harvest Moon is Zen gaming at its best, and still more recently, my excellent colleague Brandon Sheffield interviewed creator Yasuhiro Wada on his gentle ideals.
Thing I love most about the games is that you can essentially create your own story. For example, I spent more hours playing More Friends of Mineral Town on GBA than I've possibly ever spent on any other game -- except maybe Harvest Moon DS, despite its flaws. There's no reason why you have to hike to the peak of a snowy mountain in the winter to watch the sun rise. But I like that you can. I made a ritual of watching the stars every year on New Year's Eve, and always liked to see the flowers come out again in the Spring.
It's the simplest game mechanic, and yet the attention to all of these lifelike details that persist and evolve over time in the game world helps create a sense of place and story almost without needing to try, and it offers the player the opportunity to invest simple, repetitive behavior with meaning.
Anyway, Jeux France posted some scans from a Japanese magazine called Nintendo Dream from Rune Factory 2, apparently slated for a January launch in Japan. Come on, say it with me. "Awwwww!!!"
