The towny grandson of a farmer takes a look at Farming Simulator 16-bit Edition and wonders where the race mode is.
My grandad fought in WW2. He was also a farmer. Few trades get into the blood. You never hear of anyone saying “my dad was a uPVC salesman, so I followed him into the business” — at least not without a snigger.
I’ve quite fancied been a farmer, although that has recently been scared out of me. Watching TV over the past few years, the phenomenon of Clarkson’s Farm on Prime Video has left an indelible mark. Both mine and my wife’s families have roots in Yorkshire farming, and we’re amazed and shocked in equal measure at the stunning realities of the life of a modern farmer in the UK.
Farming Simulator 16-bit Edition is not that.
It’s Farming Simulator for Mega Drive
Released essentially as a piece of marketing, much like its predecessor Farming Simulator C64 Edition (which admittedly started out as a joke), Farming Simulator 16-Bit Edition is available as both a cartridge for Mega Drive/Genesis and as a digital download for emulators. It also runs on Windows should you need it to.
But what is it actually like?
Well, once the game loads up, and you click through the title screen, it presents you with a quick guide on switching vehicles and filling up/unloading. Once that’s done, you get a quick précis on what the fields should look like at different stages of the plough/drill/harvest process, and then you’re off. Controlling the tractor is straightforward enough with a SEGA controller, until you’re actually ploughing/drilling/harvesting. Then, everything gets ultra-sensitive, as one wrong move, and you’re askew, and risking losing money for fuel.
Like the main game, there is a balance to maintain. You spend money on fuel and make money on harvest. So, in effect, it is a basic management sim. That said, I have a confession to make. The first thing I did once in control of a tractor was check how fast I could go. No, I realize this isn’t Jeremy Clarkson’s Off-road Racer, but, you know, it could be.
Managing the budget, fuel, and grain/harvest means profit, and that means expanding the farm, buying bigger tractors and harvesters, and staying ahead of the game. I mean, it’s got everything I enjoy in a sim, and I think it’s just a little bit more playable than the C64 version.
Graphically, everything is clear and as 16-bit as you would expect. The slightly isometric view works, and the laidback feel of the game is enhanced with Chris Huelsbeck’s soundtrack work.
Playing Farming Simulator 16-bit Edition on console
I was fortunate enough to get a review copy on cartridge. The packaging is as traditional as you would expect, the cartridge tough, and the box includes a sticker for the digital version.
Playing on console, you get four save slots, which can be accessed at any time. So, if you make a mistake, or accidentally switch off or reset the console, you can easily load up your last save.
One thing to note; I found the in-game menu to be incorrectly wrapped around the display, but no other oddities occurred. I suspect this was due to the AV cables and the input on the TV not being completely compatible. Other than this, the cart version is perfect.
A look at Farming Simulator 16-bit Edition on Windows
All the screenshots in this review come from the digital version, which I ran on Windows. This comes with a command prompt window to explain the keyboard controls, and a few extras like the manual and soundtrack. You will also find far more save game slots when playing the game on Windows.
The digital version is delivered as a ZIP file, within which you find the Windows EXE file and the BIN file for running on a Mega Drive/Genesis emulator.
Farming Simulator 16-bit Edition: Unsurprisingly, the game misses the advanced features of the current gen version. But like the earlier C64 Edition, the core gameplay is here. As such, it makes for a gentle, mindful gaming experience. While Chris Huelsbeck's soundtrack is good, you might prefer to turn it down, stick a countryside sounds Spotify playlist on to accompany play, and get back to nature. – Christian Cawley
Farming Simulator 16-Bit is available from Strictly Limited Games. Still in stock is the Retail Edition (£43.18), reviewed here, and the Deluxe Edition (£60.45), which includes a green cart and a CD of Chris Huelsbeck’s soundtrack.
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Christian Cawley is a writer and editor who covers consumer electronics, IT, and entertainment media. He has written for publications such as Computer Weekly, Linux Format, MakeUseOf.com, and Tech Radar.
He also produces podcasts, has a cigar box guitar, and of course, loves retro gaming.