Summer is here, and with it brings memories. As a child, summer vacation is a moment of freedom for many. No school or worries, as you only have one thing on your mind. How do I spend my summer? A feeling lost on many as we grow older and trade school for the workforce. It’s a feeling I can’t help but miss as I see the streets and parks fill up as the season starts. A feeling that developer Millennium Kitchen works to capture in their newest title.
Natsu-Mon! 20th Century Summer Kid is an open-world life simulation game. You must decide how you spend your summer vacation. You have the entire month of August and can spend it any way you want. It seems simple, but there is much here for everyone to enjoy. Millennium Kitchens’ talents are on full display here as they are no stranger to the genre. Enjoy the feeling of summer’s past as you live out your ideal summer vacation.
Summer is Here
In Natsu-Mon, you play a young boy who is the son of a circus ringmaster. The circus has stopped in Yomogi Town, a rural Japanese town where you will spend your summer. From here, you have all of August to spend as you please. Explore the town, go fishing, catch some bugs, help the townspeople, and make memories. The possibilities are endless, with the only limit being your imagination. Well, also being a child, but don’t worry, you still have summer to enjoy.
You can spend your summer vacation any way you want. The only predetermined parts of your day are breakfast and dinner. Besides that, you are free to spend your days as you please. You will be introduced to the game’s base mechanics in the first few days. You have a diary you will fill out when something happens to you. It can be anything from catching a bug to learning about someone in town. You also have adventure notes filled with activities you can do that range from helping someone to even solving a mystery. The more unlocks as you play, so be ready for a complete summer vacation.
Live Summer to the Fullest
Natsu-Mon is an open-world life simulation game. All of Yomogi Town is interconnected and explorable from the start. The only thing keeping you from running all over right away is your stamina. This game has a similar exploration and stamina system to Breath of the Wild. You can climb and run anywhere; it just costs stamina, and if you run out, you stop. You can increase stamina by completing your adventure notes. So that can be anything from helping townsfolks to collecting different items. You can run and climb short bursts initially, but by the end, you’ll be running marathons and climbing mountains.
One way to complete adventure notes is to fill out your encyclopedias. You can do this by bug-catching, fishing, or looking for treasure. Bugs are everywhere, and bugs you haven’t caught will have a circle around them, so be on the lookout. For fish, you have to keep an eye on the bodies of water. Keep an eye on the water for peculiar shapes, then go fishing. You can also find weird patches of dirt from which you can dig up items. Later, you unlock a museum, and you can give these items to them, and they will tell you what they are. The museum is also looking for rare bugs and fish, so catch them when you can.
Another way to complete adventure notes is to talk to the townspeople. When you open the map, you’ll see some people with events lined up. When you speak to them, you may learn more about them, or they may even ask for help. There is even a group of kids your age who solve mysteries. These are on schedules, so keep time in check when doing these. Not all of these will raise your stamina, but they’re fun to do and expand this little town. It feels like making memories, and that’s what summer is for.
Now, what would summer be without some hijinks? There’s one kid that gets into a lot of trouble, but they aren’t an average child. They are a spirit known as a zashiki-warashi, but don’t fear them. They aren’t vengeful spirits but playful ones. When you see one, try to approach it; if it disappears, try to interact with it still. It’ll ask to play a game, varying from playing tag to solving a puzzle. These can be tricky to find, so watch for them. You’ll hear them make noise in the distance, and when you spot them, they’ll ask you to play a game. I enjoyed these a lot, and I’m still looking for all of them.
Summer Memories
A core part of Natsu-Mon is getting to know the townspeople. You’re one of many on summer vacation, so find out what everyone else is doing. You can talk to everyone, but only some people will have something new to say. The map will show you who has something new to say, so always check it. Many stories are going on throughout the month. Everyone has something going on, and it’s nice to hear them all. You experience a lot, from chasing a train for one last goodbye to investigating the strange guy in town. I certainly have my favorites, but anyone can find at least one story they like.
Don’t forget you are only here because you are part of a circus troupe. Later in the month, the circus will open, and it’s up to you to make a profit. Please do not ask why a child is suddenly in charge of the finances or how he’s somehow doing a good job. The circus opens each night, and you can decide the performance lineup. Pick the best stunts, costumes, and music for the best reaction and profit. The better the circus does, it levels up, and the more it levels up, the more you unlock. Make the circus the best it can be and try to turn a complete profit by the end of summer. It felt great ending summer with a max-level circus and a complete turned profit.
Summer Forever
When it is August 31st, summer is over, and you have to say goodbye. You look over your diary at all you’ve done. The memories you’ve made, everything you caught or found, and all the friends you now have. Summer doesn’t have to end here, though you can start a new game and carry over all your progress. The game lets you choose what you carry over to decide what to skip or redo. Experience summer as many times as you want in any way as well. The settings also let you adjust the speed of the in-game day. Natsu-Mon is primed to be played again, and I already am.
Natsu-Mon is a delight that made me smile my entire playthrough. I was nostalgic for past summers, and playing now felt appropriate. It is a game that helps me appreciate the summer for what it is. Yomogi Town may be small, but it’s full of life. The townspeople have their own story to tell and add so much life. Exploring the town and filling out your encyclopedias feels fun and doesn’t stop there. Solve mysteries with your friends and even play with spirits. The older I get, the more I forget what summers used to feel like, and Natsu-Mon brings that back.
Disclaimer: Spike Chunsoft provided a Nintendo Switch copy of Natsu-Mon! 20th Century Summer Kid for review purposes.
