Another victory for Natsume.
Critics of Harvest Moon: A Wonderful Life will gleefully find that this iteration of the Harvest Moon series is different in many ways: no sprites, plenty of women or men to marry (depending on which sex you choose), multiple housing plots and a wider array of crops than ever before. Hybridizing plants increases this output even more. This town is alive and growing every day depending on the choices you make and items you ship. Everything has an effect.
Just as villagers are brought to the town by your shipping history, your neglect will make them move away. Just like reality, if a townsperson feels that he or she is not important in the community, they will pack up and leave, costing you valuable items and melody tunes - 100 musical notes gathered by completing objectives such as befriending villagers or shipping crops - that will awake the slumbering Harvest Goddess.
In the beginning of your time on the farm, using your heavy, un-upgraded tools will leave you with barely enough energy to get through a few hours. Do not lose hope - while aggravating, this situation improves markedly as the seasons go on and your character gains stamina and better tools. While it is tempting to throw down the controller in the first month, perseverance pays off.
The ambient music leaves something to be desired, and graphics are childish and anime-esque at best, definitely not up to par with the Gamecube's graphic capabilities but cute in their own way. Harvest Moon has never been known for its graphics - it is the solid gameplay underneath that make Magical Melody another gem in the Harvest Moon series.