The OG farm sim that inspired Stardew Valley is now on Nintendo Switch

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Harvest Moon gets a little revival

Stardew Valley
(Image credit: ConcernedApe)

The game that inspired Stardew Valley is now available on Nintendo Switch.

If you weren't aware, Harvest Moon was the precursor of the whole 'farming sim' genre in games, kicking things off back in the days of the Super Nintendo Entertainment System. Stardew Valley and other games like it might be carrying the farming sim torch nowadays, but it all began back with Harvest Moon many years ago.

Today, Harvest Moon is in for a bit of a revitalization. Nintendo just announced that Harvest Moon is among four new games now available for Nintendo Switch Online members to play, with the others being Mystery Tower (also known as the Tower of Babel in some regions), Kirby Tilt 'n' Tumble, and Blaster Master: Enemy Below.

We love a bit of Stardew Valley, and so does the entire gaming world in general. There's now more Stardew Valley-likes than you can shake a stick at, and ConcernedApe's farming sim arguably breathed fresh life into the entire farming sim genre as a whole, paving the way for countless absorbing new farming sims in the years following.

As for what remains of Harvest Moon nowadays, Story of Seasons is trying to up its game. The series, which was once known as Harvest Moon before spinning off under a different name, now has two games in active development, and its developers have actually spoken out about stepping up their game and delivering a title fans of the original Harvest Moon can love.

Stardew Valley is still getting updates over six years after launch, and its creator recently teased a new feature fans have wanted for years. 

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Hirun Cryer
Hirun Cryer

Hirun Cryer is a freelance reporter and writer with Gamesradar+ based out of U.K. After earning a degree in American History specializing in journalism, cinema, literature, and history, he stepped into the games writing world, with a focus on shooters, indie games, and RPGs, and has since been the recipient of the MCV 30 Under 30 award for 2021. In his spare time he freelances with other outlets around the industry, practices Japanese, and enjoys contemporary manga and anime.

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