Highlights
- The remake of Story of Seasons: A Wonderful Life allows for same-sex marriage and increases the number of marriage candidates from three to eight, all of whom are returning characters.
- Some characters have undergone slight changes in their appearance, while others are almost unrecognizable to returning players.
- The characters are judged based on their appearance, outfit, and whether the new design stays true to their personality. The winner is determined based on these factors.
Story of Seasons: A Wonderful Life, the remake of the Harvest Moon title by the same name, updates its character designs. In the original, you had to choose to marry one of three girls to advance the story. By comparison, the remake allows for same-sex marriage and expands the protagonist’s selection to eight marriage candidates - all of whom are returning characters.
Some of the candidates have been tweaked slightly for a modern platform, whereas others look so different that they are almost unrecognizable to returning players. In the interests of self-development, you should only compete with yourself, so each character is fairly pitted against their former self. The characters are judged based on their appearance, outfit, and whether the new design stays true to their personality.
Gustafa
Gustafa is one of the most unique characters in Forget-Me-Not Valley. He marches to the beat of his own lute, and most of the time, he can be found lounging under a tree.
While still a hipster wearing round sunglasses and a flower on his head, Gustafa tones down his look in Story of Seasons. His pointed green hat has gone flat, and he has trimmed his facial hair. His nose is also less pointy.
Winner: Harvest Moon. Back then, he looked more eccentric, which was part of his charm. The old Gustafa was one of a kind.
Lumina
Lumina has grown up since Harvest Moon. The Special Edition of A Wonderful Life added Lumina as a bachelorette in 2003. In that game, she was a child in Chapter 1, and she aged up to a young adult by the time you reached Chapter 2. However, in Story of Seasons, she is a grown-up from the first day you meet her. She still wears her trademark yellow headband, and her short hairstyle later in the game looks flattering on her.
Winner: Story of Seasons. The remake prevents you from romancing Lumina while she is underage, so her adult self wins by default.
Cody/Gordy
Cody from Harvest Moon is now an eligible bachelor. In the localized version of Story of Seasons, he goes by the name of Gordy.
Gordy has slapped on a headband and wears a red shirt that covers his biceps. Most notably, he has slimmed down significantly. His expression has also lightened up.
Winner: Story of Seasons. As Gordy, he looks less like a caricature of himself. His character design is by no means perfect, but it is an improvement on his first appearance in the game.
Muffy/Molly
While Harvest Moon’s Muffy is better known as Molly in Story of Seasons, she is as charming as ever. Her green eyes are more earnest in the new art style, and her curls hold greater volume.
The Story of Seasons series has tried to make its remakes more family-friendly. Molly's classic red dress reflects this change by being more conservative with its higher neckline, and her sweater's sleeves are longer.
Winner: Story of Seasons. Both versions of Molly are lovely, but in the remake, she feels more animated…and less depressed about being single.
Marlin/Matthew
Marlin, renamed Matthew in Story of Seasons, has received a total makeover since Harvest Moon. Before, he sported a quiff hairstyle with dark curly hair and thick raised eyebrows. His jaw is less pronounced now, and his textured hair no longer defies gravity but rather falls in downward waves. His expression is still brooding, but the new Matthew looks more approachable and conventionally attractive.
Winner: Story of Seasons. Judging between Marlin and Matthew is akin to comparing apples and oranges. Nonetheless, the redesign brings his shy, sensitive side to the surface.
Nami
Nami is one of the original bachelorettes from Harvest Moon. The redheaded traveler is fiercely independent and artistic and seems standoffish based on her body language and sense of style.
In Story of Seasons, Nami still wears plaid and blue sneakers. Her updated redesign matches the tone of the contemporary, laidback Forgotten Valley while staying true to her personality.
Winner: Harvest Moon. While the flannel tied around her waist is a nice touch, Nami’s plain white tee and cargo pants in Story of Seasons are a slight downgrade from her original outfit.
Rock
Rock has only received a couple of minor changes since his first appearance. In both versions of the game, his style draws on Eastern influence, while most of the other people in town appear more traditionally Western.
He looks a bit older in Story of Seasons, but his cheery, somewhat showy demeanor carries over from the original. His new hairstyle looks less dated, too.
Winner: Story of Seasons. Rock is still the same old Rock. His redesign wins by a small margin because his clothes, especially his pants, are nicely textured.
Celia/Cecilia
Fan favorite Cecilia, or Celia in the original, lives on Vesta’s Farm and lovingly tends to the fields there. As a local, she looks like she fits right into the slow, rural life of Forgotten Valley.
Her taste in fashion has hardly changed since Harvest Moon: she still wears a plaid apron over a homely green-and-blue dress with brown shoes. Her orange hair scarf ties the look together.
Winner: Harvest Moon. She looks similar in both games, but the retro art style of Harvest Moon better suits the classic farmgirl.