As of October 5th, Stardew Valley has finally been released on Nintendo Switch. If you’re not aware, it’s a 2D farming/life simulation game much like Harvest Moon. It’s available in the eShop for $14.99 (U.S. price). Even though it’s been on other platforms for quite a while, I’ve generally avoided videos and spoilers, so I’m really heading into this blind.
Anyway, I started up the game by customizing my character. I chose Ravine as the name of my farm, coffee as my favorite thing, and I decided to wear the shirt that has a “J” on it. The intro tells the story of how I became a farm owner, and then I arrived in town. Robin, the local carpenter, showed me where I’ll be living. The farm is quite run down, and this all sounds just like Harvest Moon so far.
I met the mayor of Pelican town…when he came out of my house. He was supposedly cleaning it up, but I think he was really just using my bathroom. After a little chat, the intro ended.
I then woke up and began my first official day on the farm. Since I’m new to the game, I was just checking everything out. I turned on the TV to see each channel, and I opened up a gift from the mayor that contained 15 parsnip seeds.
Then, I went outside and started chopping up sticks and weeds to make my field a bit less of a disaster zone. I examined the menu options a bit, and then set off to explore. One of the tasks mentioned in my journal was to greet all 28 people in town. This girl Haley seemed nice…until she called my clothes horrendous! How rude!
So I tried chopping her up, but it didn’t work. I continued exploring, and later bumped into her again. But she was “too involved with her camera” to notice me. LIES!
At the Stardrop Saloon, I played an arcade game called Journey of the Prairie King. It’s a dual-stick shooter like Robotron or Smash TV, but with a western theme.
I didn’t do very well, but I’ll give it another try in the future. It’s always nice to have a game within a game, though.
I met an old couple in a house, and the woman was quite nice. She even told me I could call her “Granny.” The man George, who I assume was her husband, was a bit rude though. So I stood in front of him to block his view of his TV. 😛
Night soon fell, and I returned home to sleep. In the morning, I set off exploring in a different direction. This must be the town park, with a fountain and a playground. Wow, public works projects I don’t have to pay for! 😉
Down on the dock, I met a guy named Willy who had a fishing rod to give me. The fishing process is a bit more complicated than what I’m used to in Animal Crossing games, but I’m sure I’ll get the hang of it before long. I caught my first fish, only to realize my pockets were full…so I had to let the fish go.
Once I made my way back home, I made sure to clear out some pocket space. And I finally planted my first seeds (and watered them) before turning in for the night. Although I haven’t played the game much yet, I imagine this could become addictive once I get into the flow of things.
Here is a video showing my first two days in town.
I realize the blog entry and the video are a bit redundant. I’m considering just making this a video series and not posting regular blog entries. Or maybe just occasional blog entries. I haven’t decided for sure yet. Any thoughts?