Harvest Moon: A Wonderful Life first released in Japan in 2003, hitting other countries in 2004. The Harvest Moon/Story of Seasons series has been incredibly influential for the now incredibly popular farming simulation genre, inspiring many modern titles like Stardew Valley. The game put players in the shoes of a new Forgotten Valley resident who's taken over their father's farm, and included several of the now well-known elements of the genre like farming, animal raising, and building relationships. The game also included some lesser-seen elements, like the fact town residents and the player's child will age and be influenced by their upbringing. While more recent titles like Pioneers of Olive Town were well received, many long-time fans of the series have wished for a return to the series' roots.

Related: Changes Story of Seasons: Pioneers of Olive Town Still Needs

The September Nintendo Direct event announced that a remake of A Wonderful Life will be coming to Nintendo Switch. A trailer for the new game, shared by publisher XSEEDgames, showcases farming, animal raising, and town residents all with updated graphics. The trailer also highlights the game's unique aging mechanics and family dynamics. Story of Seasons: A Wonderful Life has a release window of summer 2023.

Fans Have Been Waiting Nearly 20 Years For Story of Seasons: A Wonderful Life

Although it was released nearly two decades ago, many fans of A Wonderful Life have not forgotten about the title, and are undoubtedly delighted to see it return on the Nintendo Switch. Although games like Animal Crossing have influenced recent SoS games, it's unclear at this time what changes - if any - will be made to the title to update it for the current expectations of the genre. The only exception is the fact that players can choose between a male or female protagonist - originally, players had to purchase Harvest Moon: Another Wonderful Life if they wished to play as a female character.

Harvest Moon: A Wonderful Life was also a fairly difficult farming title by modern standards in some ways - animals could die or stop producing milk if conditions weren't met, players had to for different soil nutrients levels, and could even end the game early if they failed to get married by a certain time. It's unknown if any of these things will be adjusted to keep the game more in line with titles like Stardew Valley, but many players likely wouldn't be disappointed if the game ported without any major changes. In fact, many veterans of the game would likely be upset if the game did launch with major changes, as they want to relive the Story of Seasons: A Wonderful Life experience they know and love.

Source: XSEEDgames/Youtube