Summary
- Harvest Moon: Friends of Mineral Town is considered one of the best entries in the series, offering a quaint and colorful pixelated world and a plethora of things to accomplish. (100 characters)
- The original Harvest Moon game was an innovative and unique title that stood out in an era of action-packed games, focusing on tranquil farming and fostering friendships. (100 characters)
- The Story of Seasons series, born from a split with the Harvest Moon franchise, has produced some of the best games in the series, introducing new elements and enjoyable gameplay. (100 characters)
Before Stardew Valley, there was Harvest Moon. The original console farming simulator was packed with weird charm, adorable graphics, and inexplicably addictive gameplay. These are the kind of games that no fan could possibly describe to a newcomer without making them sound mind-numbingly boring, yet they were shockingly far from it.
There have been dozens of entries in the Harvest Moon (now known as Story of Seasons) series at this point, some of which are sterling classics, others that never quite achieved the magical bucolic zen state that the best of the best did. Stardew Valley may possibly have one-upped this series at its own game in many ways, but the best of the best is absolutely worth checking out.
10 Harvest Moon: The Tale of Two Towns
Metacritic Score: 68
- Released
- July 8, 2010
- ESRB
- e
- Developer(s)
- Marvelous
- Publisher(s)
- Marvelous
- Engine
- game engine
- Multiplayer
- Local Multiplayer
- Franchise
- Harvest Moon
WHERE TO PLAY
Trouble Boils Over in a Rural Rivalry!
Years ago, a tunnel connected livestock-loving Bluebell village with the crop-growing town of Konohana, but boisterous bickering between the burgs created a cave-in and collapsed the tunnel! Build a bustling farm, befriend the villagers, and maybe you can find a way to bring these towns together once again!
Features
• Choose from two different villages, each with their own shops, villagers, and festivals!
• Take on quests in each town and establish your reputation as the best farmer on both sides of the mountain!
• Grow crops, raise livestock, woo a spouse, and start a family!
- Platform(s)
- Nintendo 3DS, Nintendo DS
- Genre(s)
- Adventure
The Tale of Two Towns moves away from the standard storyline of the Harvest Moon franchise and goes pretty big trying something new. Rather than inheriting the family farm and being tasked with returning it to prominence among the local townsfolk, players assume the role of a farmer who has lost his memory and is now torn between two opposing towns, both of which offer their own perks.
This DS/3DS dual entry deserves a lot of credit for not only breaking from tradition but doing an admirable job at it. It also deserves a lot of credit for being the first to allow players to raise both brown and white alpacas.
9 Harvest Moon: Save The Homeland
Metacritic Score: 76
- Released
- November 22, 2001
- ESRB
- e
- Developer(s)
- Victor Interactive Software
- Publisher(s)
- Natsume
- Franchise
- Harvest Moon
WHERE TO PLAY
Welcome to the Heartwarming World of Harvest Moon!
Your goal is to successfully save your family’s farm and the surrounding village from being turned into a resort. Constructions begins in a year, so you have your work cut out for you! But don’t worry, if you earn the friendship and trust of the villagers they will be sure to lend a helping hand. Remember…It’s up to you to SAVE THE HOMELAND!
Nine endings and plenty of events make every day on the farm anything but routine! Cook up new meals using recipes or invent tasty homegrown concoctions in your kitchen!
Explore an innovative non-linear game system with a bushel of subplots and entertaining storylines!
- Platform(s)
- PlayStation 2
- Developer
- Victor Interactive Software
- Genre(s)
- RPG, Simulation
This PlayStation 2 entry came with some nice cel-shaded graphics that really complimented the gentle tone of the Harvest Moon franchise. It offered many of the same features as previous entries, but it had just two big twists: players are given only one year to save the family farm and they don’t get married.
These admittedly controversial tweaks to the original formula were no doubt divisive among fans, and it’s easy to understand why, but the game itself was one of the best Harvest Moon experiences regardless.
8 Story Of Seasons
Metacritic Score: 76
-
OpenCritic Reviews
- Top Critic Avg: 76 /100 Critics Rec: 52%
- Released
- February 27, 2014
- ESRB
- e
- Developer(s)
- Marvelous
- Publisher(s)
- XSEED
- Franchise
- Story of Seasons
WHERE TO PLAY
Enjoy a wealth of homegrown food, friendship and romance in the return of gaming's most beloved farming series!
Best-selling farming/life simulation game of all time returns
Longtime series producer Yoshifumi Hashimoto returns to lead a veteran ‘Bokujo Monogatari’ development team as the series is reborn in the West with its new name, STORY OF SEASONS.
Extensive character and farm customization
After creating unique farmers based on each player’s preference of gender, hair style and facial features, the real work begins as players tend to crops, animals and anything else required to earn a living in order to gather the resources to start customizing and expanding their farms.
A heart-throbbing romance heats up the peaceful farm life
A variety of eligible bachelors and bachelorettes live in the town for players to woo, with the hope of growing close and possibly even getting married and raising a family together.
Use the game's StreetPass functionality to fill your town with visiting farmers or connect locally to Nintendo Wi-Fi to visit your friends and farm together!
- Platform(s)
- Nintendo 3DS
- Genre(s)
- Adventure
In 2014, the developers of the Harvest Moon games, Marvelous Inc., split with the franchise’s longtime American publisher, Natsume. Since Natsume owned the rights to the name Harvest Moon, they needed to change the name of any further cozy farmlife simulator titles they produced, and so Story of Seasons was born.
The first entry under the new name ranks among the series' best. It offers all kinds of new elements, including the opportunity for players to own their own shop and a number of interesting animals to raise, including angora rabbits and camels.
7 Story Of Seasons: Friends Of Mineral Town
Metacritic Score: 77
Story of Seasons: Friends of Mineral Town
- Released
- July 14, 2020
- Developer(s)
- Marvelous
- Publisher(s)
- Marvelous, XSEED Games
The remake of Friends Of Mineral Town offers an updated 3D look and a whole bunch of tweaks and added elements to spice up an already stellar game. Not only are there added characters, events, and animals, but there’s a ton of new character customization, as well as the addition of same-sex marriages for some much-needed inclusivity.
It may not have quite reached the heights of the original, but the Story of Seasons version of Friends of Mineral Town no doubt offers an amazing farmlife experience. It’s fair to say that many fans may even prefer this to its Game Boy Advance predecessor.
6 Harvest Moon 64
Metacritic Score: 78
Harvest Moon 64
Retire to the country for a new challenge in Harvest Moon 64. Hard work is rewarded as you struggle to bring prosperity back to a neglected farm. Work the land, pick up odd-jobs, and get to know the neighbors. Harvest Moon 61 has all the charm of the original Super Nintendo@ classic, plus many new
surprises.
• Tons of new seasonal vegetables and fruits
• Raise cows, chickens and sheep
• New items and gifts, including tools that increase in power as you master them
• One of the town's five eligible women may prove to be the love of your life
Celebrate seasonal festivals with the
nearby townsfolk
• Enjoy local horse and dog racing.
- Released
- February 5, 1999
- Developer(s)
- Marvelous
- Publisher(s)
- Natsume
- Platform(s)
- Nintendo 64, Nintendo Switch, Nintendo Wii U
Some fans find the original 3D Harvest Moon to be a bit dated at this point, but there are certain instances when a game’s impact on its franchise is just too large for its aging to affect the way it’s ranked, and Harvest Moon 64 is one of those instances.
This game was the one that began to shine some light on this unusually charming farm simulator and spearhead what would become a 20+ game franchise. It took everything from the original and added a ton to it, offering more upgrades, more animals, more plants, more buildings...more everything!
5 A Wonderful Life (GCN)
Metacritic Score: 79
Harvest Moon: A Wonderful Life
A lifetime of farming takes on new meaning in Harvest Moon: A Wonderful LifeSpecial Edition. Besides planting crops, raising animals and rebuilding your father's farm, you'll make friends in Forget-Me-Not Valley, find your future bride and hopefully cultivate a happy family!
More Farming Features
- Look after cows, sheep and chickens!
- Carefully nurture better grades of produce or create your own hybrids!
- Raise a son or a daughter and help him or her learn to farm or choose a new career path!
- Uncover other Special Edition surprises!
- Released
- September 12, 2003
- Developer(s)
- Marvelous
- Publisher(s)
- Marvelous
- Platform(s)
- GameCube, PlayStation 2, PlayStation 4
The leap to GameCube was an exciting prospect for fans of Harvest Moon. Juiced-up graphics, a bigger world, tons of items and upgrades, a chance to…grow old and die? Yes, this is the first title in the franchise that hasn’t locked the main character into their biological prime. Players get to continue on with their lives until they and everyone they know become old and gray and their children are adults.
There’s a lot to like in this game, and a lot to do. By the time one's character is ready to move on to the great cropland in the sky, it genuinely does feel like an entire lifetime has passed. Just a fair warning: the age progression thing is great, but it’s also incredibly sad.
4 Harvest Moon: Back to Nature
Metacritic Score: 82
Harvest Moon: Back to Nature
Experience Harvest Moon: Back to Nature originally released on the PlayStation® console, enhanced with up-rendering, rewind, quick save, and custom video filters.
It’s a Different Kind of RPG for the Entire Family!
As a child you visited your Grandfather’s ranch when vacation plans fell through. Return to the farm that holds fond childhood memories and rejuvenate its long neglected fields. Tend to your livestock and interact with over 50 characters. As you struggle to make the farm something your grandfather would be proud of, one nagging question remains: What ever happened to the little girl that you knew a decade ago?
Non-linear, real-time game play allows for a wide assortment of events! Compete with villagers in challenging festival mini contests! Add a kitchen and collect recipes. Women love a man who can cook!
The Harvest Moon/Story of Seasons art style has evolved significantly over the years, and while there are many who prefer the more detailed updated look, there’s just something about the adorable simplicity of the older style that really suited the simple life aesthetic that the entire franchise is centered around. PlayStation’s Back to Nature may have been the pinnacle of that original feel.
This entry was a clear bridge between Harvest Moon 64 and Friends of Mineral Town, but it also had its own unique edge. For instance, familiar characters are present, but with updated characteristics and roles, and there are some original characters added in as well. A port was made for the PSP (Harvest Moon: Boy and Girl) which, as the title suggests, included the option to play as a girl. Both versions are great, but the PlayStation original is simply one of the best in the series.
3 Harvest Moon: Magical Melody
Metacritic Score: 83
- Released
- March 26, 2006
- ESRB
- e
- Developer(s)
- Marvelous
- Publisher(s)
- Marvelous
- Engine
- game engine
- Multiplayer
- Local Multiplayer
- Franchise
- Harvest Moon
WHERE TO PLAY
Flower Bud Village was just a blossom of a burg when you bought a plot of land there. Now newcomers depend on the bounty from your farm for their livelihoods. It’s up to you to create a farm, raise a family, and build a village in the most challenging Harvest ever! Buy farmland next to a river, along the seashore, or in a village! Plant crops, raise livestock, dig for gems, or just fish! Beat your farming rival in the fields and at the festivals! Unlock hidden multiplayer mini-games!
- Platform(s)
- Nintendo GameCube, Nintendo Wii
- Genre(s)
- JRPG, Social Simulation
The name may have led some fans to think that this was some sort of rhythm game offshoot, but Magical Melody was really just a new entry in the main franchise, and a great one at that. It does involve some musical aspects, which is a pretty fun little addition, but it is ultimately based on the original premise: save the family farm, get married, and become the toast of the town.
Magical Melody offers an updated take on the original art design with some lively sprites that are almost caricatures of the simpler originals. One unique thing about this entry is that it gives players rivals to contend with in their pursuit of farming fame. It’s a simple tweak, but it adds a fair amount of spice to the familiar gameplay.
2 Harvest Moon
Metacritic Score: N/A
Harvest Moon
- Released
- June 17, 1997
- Developer(s)
- Marvelous
- Publisher(s)
- Natsume
- Platform(s)
- PlayStation (Original), Switch, SNES, PC
The original entry in this series is absolutely one of the finest, if only for its bold and unusual innovation. In an era where games like Contra III: The Alien Wars sent gamers on adrenaline-loaded death rides through screens full of evil screaming creatures and blinding explosions, Harvest Moon sent players into a serene world of tilling, watering, fostering friendships, and finding inner peace.
The original Harvest Moon can seem a bit simple to gamers today, and that’s because it kind of is, but simplicity is a feature of this unique series, not a bug.
1 Harvest Moon: Friends Of Mineral Town/More Friends Of Mineral Town
Metacritic Score: 81
- Released
- April 18, 2003
- ESRB
- e
- Developer(s)
- Marvelous
- Publisher(s)
- Marvelous
- Franchise
- Harvest Moon
WHERE TO PLAY
It's Time To Go Back To The Farm!
As a child you spent a memorable summer on a farm in the country...and experienced a whole new world of excitement. Years have passed and now the long neglected farm which holds fond memories is yours! It is up to you to successfully rejuvenate the farm and build a life for yourself with family and friends. The best part is...you can do it anyway you want!
Plant and harvest crops, raise farm animals, marry the woman of your dreams and start a family...create your own pastoral adventure!
- Platform(s)
- Nintendo Game Boy Advance, Nintendo Wii U
- Genre(s)
- Simulation, JRPG
It may have started out on console, but the best Harvest Moon of them all wound up being a humble little handheld game. It makes sense in a way: the style and appeal of this franchise never required anything more than some pleasant visuals and a few buttons to be successfully pulled off.
This entry brought players into a quaint and colorful pixelated world that just absolutely nails both the aesthetic and the mood that a slice-of-life farm simulator should be going for. It offered a dizzying number of things to accomplish and even a second version in which anyone interested in becoming a female protagonist could start their life as one right there in beautiful Mineral Town. There are great things to say about many of the titles in this lovable franchise, but this one simply has more of those than all of them.