When Harvest Moon debuted on the Super NES video game system in 1997, some gamers figured the role-playing farming game would be about as much fun as watching corn grow. To the skeptics' surprise, the game's atypical premise and surprisingly compelling gameplay sparked an impressive fan following, turning the game into a bona fide sleeper hit. Now virtual farmers can relive the fun of the original in Nintendo 64's version, updated with beautiful 3-D graphics and a larger, more in-depth game world.

As in the original, Grandpa bailed on the old, neglected farm, leaving the player with the daunting task of making a living off the land, finding a wife and living happily ever after. (Did we mention that it's a challenging game?) Players first clear land for crops, venture to town for seed, tools, and farm animals, and cozy up to the town's five eligible women in hopes of making a love connection.

Much more than a plant-and-wait style game, various side quests keep players busy while the crops grow. The village is a socially active place, so mini-games pop up in the form of annual events, such as horse and dog races. In the winter, one can mine precious minerals or tackle an odd job here and there to keep food on the table and wood in the stove. With such a big, detailed game, you'll be playing until the cows... well, you get the idea. (Amazon)