Harvest Moon

[Ivo]

I was trying to get into Harvest Moon, as it is a popular series on the Nintendo machines. I tried it a couple of times and the game doesn't really pull me back in though. Am I missing something? Is this game just one of those types that you either really like it or just don't care about it?

Ivo.

[Ivo]

I was trying to get into Harvest Moon, as it is a popular series on the Nintendo machines. I tried it a couple of times and the game doesn't really pull me back in though. Am I missing something? Is this game just one of those types that you either really like it or just don't care about it?

Ivo.

I'm going to bump this because I'm considering if I should try Harvest Moon on the GBA...

Ivo.

[MrPopo]

It really is a game you either get or you don't. About the only thing I'd recommend is maybe trying Rune Factory and focusing on the dungeon crawling, as you can get the farm tasks to be pretty automated.

[Opa Opa]

Okay I'm pretty sure I'm in the minority when I say I'm a big Harvest Moon fan.

What games have you tried out? And what did you like/didn't like/etc?
That first post is fairly old so surely you've at least tried more than one over the years.

[Ivo]

I think I tried the SNES one and... Maybe a DS one? Or was that just Animal Crossing.

I read the GBA is sort of remake of the SNES.

The game idea appeals to me (I used to play SimFarm, afterall) but it does seem too repetitive for me. SimFarm was a bit more macro about running the farm.
Strangely there are RPGs that are probably more repetitive that I enjoy, I would guess. I don't know, I simultaneously get the feeling that I'm missing out but that these games are not quite for me. Weird, I guess?

I'm pretty certain there is a relatively large community of fans of Harvest Moon and the games seem to be high-quality games, but not all genres are good for every player of course.

That goes also for Animal Crossing, although that one appeals much less to me than Harvest Moon does.

Ivo.

[ZeroAX]

Friends of Mineral Town (the GBA one) isn't a remake of the SNES original, but instead a remake of the best Harvest Moon game ever, Back to Nature (on the PSone), so that is definitely worth buying.

Also if you own a PSone, or a PSP (it was ported as "Harvest Moon Boy and Girl"), get Back to Nature instead. I like it a bit more than the GBA port.

Also I just read online that it was released on the American PSN store, so if you own a PS3, you can wait and see if it gets released on our PSN store.

[Opa Opa]

I think I tried the SNES one and... Maybe a DS one? Or was that just Animal Crossing.

There have been a few on DS but chances are good that you've just played Animal Crossing. To be honest I've never even seen a copy of HM DS. Harvest Moon games generally become more obscure and kinda hard to find in the wild compared to most other game series.

I read the GBA is sort of remake of the SNES.

And ZeroAX is right. Back to Nature was ported to GBA as Friends of Mineral Town with only graphical differences as far as I can tell. Story and characters seem to remain intact for the most part.

The game idea appeals to me (I used to play SimFarm, afterall) but it does seem too repetitive for me. SimFarm was a bit more macro about running the farm.
Strangely there are RPGs that are probably more repetitive that I enjoy, I would guess. I don't know, I simultaneously get the feeling that I'm missing out but that these games are not quite for me. Weird, I guess?

These games definitely not for everyone. The only advice I can give is keep trying different games in the series and find one that you like. How do you feel about the whole "dating-sim" aspect? (Almost) Every game has it and at least one game requires you to get married. If you don't like the dating crap in a video game just stick with the earlier titles; and by earlier titles I mean the SNES and Game Boy versions. There is dating in the snes game but it can be completely ignored. However, to get the best ending requires "getting married".

It's such a strange concept of getting married in a game... I still don't have a clue on how I feel about that. (Disturbed, probably)

[...]but instead a remake of the best Harvest Moon game ever, Back to Nature (on the PSone), so that is definitely worth buying.

LIES!!! The Snes version is the best!

[ZeroAX]

[...]but instead a remake of the best Harvest Moon game ever, Back to Nature (on the PSone), so that is definitely worth buying.

LIES!!! The Snes version is the best!

I really enjoyed the SNES version, but, for me at least, the game ended up being more about farming and less about socializing. On the other hand on Back to Nature, the much bigger plot and dialogue made me enjoy the "social" aspect of the gameplay.

...I just wanted everyone in that town to like me

[dsheinem]

The only Harvest Moon worth a damn, in my book.

[Opa Opa]

...I just wanted everyone in that town to like me

Screw the townsfolk. Give 'em all poisonous mushrooms.