I have been a huge fan of the Harvest Moon series ever since I played the SNES version. When I found out the folks over at Natsume were making a Harvest Moon game for the GBA that would have the ability to link to the upcoming Harvest Moon game for GameCube, I was psyched. The release was delayed several times, but I was finally able to spend my Thanksgiving break playing Harvest Moon: Friends of Mineral Town.
Who would have thought that farming could be so much fun? In FoMT, the player assumes the role of a young man who has just inherited a rather dilapidated farm and has been charged with the responsibility of revitalizing it- just like every Harvest Moon game ever. In the beginning of the game, the player has a very limited supply of money, so money must be spent frugally. However, more money can be made by successfully growing and harvesting vegetables or foraging. But decisions must be made- should one opt for one-time crops or renewable crops? One must also take into consideration the market value of each crop (which never changes, by the way) and consider the best way to make money. As that turnip money comes rolling in, the player can opt to purchase livestock such as chickens, sheep or cows which produce eggs, wool and milk, respectively. A rather ingenious touch is that the animals will produce better quality products depending on how they are treated. If there is any spare time, the player can attempt to interact with the townspeople, including five eligible young ladies looking to earn their M.R.S. The gameplay is very open-ended, so the player can eventually get married or the player can become a reclusive millionaire who only cares about farming and the accumulation of wealth.
The gameplay is very hands-on and can be rather tedious at first. In order to actually grow crops, one must till the land and remove rocks and weeds. After planting the seeds, the plants have to be watered manually every day or they will not grow. At harvest time, the vegetables must be picked and placed in the shipping bin. The abilities of the farming implements are very limited; at first, the hoe can only till one square of land, the watering can only water one square, etc. However, tools can be upgraded at the blacksmith, and these improvements really take away the majority of the tediousness. The farm buildings can also be upgraded, provided that there is sufficient cash and wood in the woodpile. These improvements double the amount of chickens that can be kept in the coop and the number of livestock in the barn. Best of all, expanding the coop or barn gives the player the opportunity to purchase “makers”, which are pricey machines that transform your animal products into more valuable goods: eggs become mayonnaise, wool becomes yarn and milk becomes cheese.
Clearly, there is not enough time in the day to do everything that one needs to do. The day begins at 6:00 A.M. and passes in ten minute increments. However, time stops when the player is inside a building or mine. If the player needs some help around the farm, s/he can always befriend the Harvest Sprites, who, like the young ladies, must be plied with gifts. Once the Harvest Sprites feel comfortable, the player can ask them to help with watering, harvesting, and caring for the animals. By playing mini-games with them, one can actually boost (or hurt, if you do poorly) their farming abilities.
The game does not have an ending and there are plenty of side quests and possible upgrades to keep a player constantly working towards a new goal.
One of the best things about FoMT is the improved save system. In the other Harvest Moon games, the save system was activated when the player decided to turn in for the day which meant that one would have to play through at least a day at a time before stopping. In FoMT, the player can save whenever and wherever s/he wants. I can’t even begin to describe how convenient it is to be able to save in the middle of the day and then pick up right where I left off.
This game is very appropriate for children and proves to be a very educational experience and a wonderful introduction to the world of economics. The only thing that I can think of that might be objectionable is that there is a vineyard in the village and the main character can purchase wine. Also, one of the girls likes receiving wine as a gift. Aside from the wine, this a great game for any children who are old enough to read and do three digit addition and subtraction.
Graphically, this game looks very nice on the GBA. The Harvest Moon games have always been cartoony and FoMT is no exception. The game is very colorful and the foliage and surroundings change with the season. This ties in with the background music which also changes with the seasons and ranges from funky and upbeat for the summer to slow and almost mournful during the winter. I had quite a Robert Frost moment when I found myself stopping by the woods on a snowy evening and admiring my surroundings. The ground was covered in a thin blanket of snow and my footprints left tracks as I hurried back to my warm cozy farmhouse. I thought about many things that night: swinging birches, mending walls….and then I remembered that I don’t really live on a farm. Seriously though, the folks over at Natsume really did a good job with having the graphics and sound contribute to the overall gaming experience. I could probably do without the annoying dog whine every time I saved, but the other sound effects were spot-on: cows mooed, sheep bleated and the hoe made a satisfying thock as it hit the packed earth.
I’ve learned in my personal and professional life that if one has something not so nice to say, it’s best to start with a compliment. That said, Natsume might have done a great job with the graphics and sound, but their localization was plagued by errors. Don’t get me wrong, there are no game-stopping glitches, but the small errors form a fairly noticeable pile. For example, when I received my fishing rod, this is what the entry looked like in my rucksack: “g Rod "hing RodCopper Fishin”. These errors did not affect my enjoyment of the game and it was not very hard to figure out what they are trying to say, but I shouldn’t have to figure it out in the first place. I feel bad mentioning the errors and I wouldn’t want anyone not to buy the game because of these relatively minor errors but at the same time, there is no excuse.
That said, Harvest Moon is a guilty little pleasure. It is easy to pick up and hard to put down. The open-ended gameplay makes for a unique experience for every player. Whether you’re a long time fan of the series or you’re first hearing about FoMT today, this is truly a game that is not to be missed.
