Bokujou Monogatari 2 (Harvest Moon 64 for us Westerners) is one of those games that just sticks with you. You start with this tiny, overgrown plot of land, and within minutes you're sweating over which crops to plant before the season changes—because yeah, time actually matters here. Forget to harvest those turnips before summer? Tough luck.

What really makes it special is how alive the town feels. The villagers have their own schedules, favorite gifts, and even little storylines that unfold if you bother to talk to them every day. I wasted way too much time chasing after Popuri with flowers instead of, you know, actually expanding my farm.

The N64 graphics are charmingly blocky by today's standards, but there's something cozy about the way the seasons change—watching your fields go from green to snow-covered while the music shifts to match. Just don't expect Stardew Valley levels of polish; this is the granddaddy of farming sims, rough edges and all.

If you've ever lost an afternoon to arranging virtual barns or panicking over a sick cow, this is where that addiction started.