John Deere: Harvest in the Heartland NDS

John Deere: Harvest in the Heartland is another representative of a series of economic strategies that are well known to PC owners. This time, however, it was decided to prepare a version exclusively for the Nintendo DS console. This has translated into a simplification of some rules of the game, although the list of activities necessary to perform is still relatively large. Like other titles from this cycle, this game is signed with the name of John Deere, a well-known American manufacturer of agricultural equipment.

Our main task is to control the proper functioning of an agricultural holding, more specifically, a farm set more in the reality of the U.S. farm. We start the game on a small board, with a limited amount of land and only the most important tools of the farmer. It depends solely on our skills whether our farm will be able to transform into a huge and efficient business.

One of the most important prerequisites for success is to have the right equipment. We are talking about both the right buildings and the tools used for the work. These are not only shovels and hammers, but also tractors and harvesters. A separate category is the so-called livestock - cows, pigs or goats. Purchases are made by going to selected local shops. At the same time, it is necessary to take care of an adequate supply of funds, so that the farm is never on the verge of bankruptcy.

In this version, intended for the DS console, the manufacturer has put more emphasis on fun than on the overall management of the financial affairs of the farm. As a result, many activities are carried out in person using the DS touchscreen of course. In this way we can fertilize the soil or cut down trees that are not needed in a given place. Many of the actions of this type have been shown in the form of simple to understand mini-games. These include the collection of hen's eggs or the collection of cow's milk.

The action takes place on the bottom screen of the console. The events are observed here in isometric projection, with a full view of a given section of the farm. The top screen shows, above all, a full map of the farm we run. You can also see the calendar and the current time of day. It is worth mentioning that we can personally modify many elements of the farm's decor. This applies in particular to the design of your own farm logo or the colour of the farmer's clothes. We can play alone or in cooperation with another player.

Please let us know if you have any comments or suggestions regarding this description.

Last updated on 10 December 2007