About this game
Body Harvest is the game that laid the groundwork for the open-world action genre — developed by DMA Design, the studio that would go on to create Grand Theft Auto III three years later. Set across time periods from World War II Greece to a near-future alien invasion, players control Adam Drake — a genetically enhanced super-soldier — across expansive 3D environments, hijacking civilian vehicles, military hardware, and aircraft to fight an alien race harvesting Earth's population. Originally planned as a Nintendo 64 launch title with Nintendo as publisher, Nintendo withdrew over content concerns, leaving DMA to release it through Gremlin and Midway.
Key Features
Players move through large 3D open environments that are populated with civilian NPCs, vehicles, and enemy alien forces. Any vehicle in the world can be commandeered — from motorbikes to tanks to aeroplanes. Aliens harvest civilians, reducing the population in each area, and the mission is to save enough people to proceed. The dynamic soundtrack shifts between exploration and combat themes. The game's five time-period settings each have distinct environments, vehicle types, and visual aesthetics.
The Story Behind
DMA Design built Body Harvest as a proof of concept for a 3D open world populated with interactive vehicles, civilians, and a living simulation of destruction and survival — lessons the same team applied when making Grand Theft Auto III in 2001. Nintendo, which was originally publishing the game, withdrew due to content concerns and a desire for the game to include more puzzle elements to suit the Japanese market; DMA found alternative publishers and shipped the game anyway. Body Harvest remains an underappreciated landmark in open-world game design.
Tricks & Tales
Body Harvest was originally intended as a Nintendo 64 launch title with Nintendo as the publisher, but Nintendo withdrew citing content concerns and a desire to add puzzle elements for Japan compatibility. The game's developer, DMA Design, subsequently became Rockstar North and created Grand Theft Auto III (2001), which took the open-world vehicle-based sandbox concept from Body Harvest and refined it into the genre-defining form we know today. The game was never released in Japan.
Collector's Guide
Region & Compatibility
Released in Europe (published by Gremlin Interactive) in September 1998 and North America (published by Midway Games) in October 1998. Never released in Japan. Reasonably accessible on the secondary collector's market.
Available in our shop
Hand-cleaned and tested units shipped worldwide from Toyohashi, Japan. HP direct purchase exclusive: we include a printed shop owner's note card with every order.
Direct purchase supports this museum directly. eBay Top Rated Seller · 1,750+ reviews · 100% positive feedback.
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