Harvest Moon: Friends of Mineral Town
A Game Boy Advance remake of Harvest Moon: Back to Nature.
Harvest Moon: Friends of Mineral Town, a Game Boy Advance title from Marvelous Interactive, marked the series’ first handheld entry and reworked the earlier console game Harvest Moon: Back to Nature. It launched in Japan during April 2003, reached North America that November, and arrived in Europe by March 2004. Reviewers often called it the series’ finest installment, blending features from the top-selling console versions and establishing several lasting series conventions.
The player takes on the role of a farmer, aiming to turn a profit through crop cultivation and animal care. The story begins with a city boy who gets lost during a countryside trip and ends up at an elderly farmer’s place in Mineral Town. The old man helps him contact his parents, and the family stays for a while. The boy befriends a local girl, then leaves but keeps writing letters. Years later, the letters stop, and the now-grown protagonist returns to find the farm neglected and the farmer dead. The mayor explains that the farm was left to him in the will, so he decides to restore it.
Starting with basic tools, the player earns money by clearing fields, planting crops, mining, or foraging. That cash buys livestock, expands the farm, and supports social interactions. Befriending villagers unlocks recipes and personal histories, while marriage to one of six bachelorettes leads to having a son. The game also connects to the GameCube title Harvest Moon: A Wonderful Life via a link cable. A dog, named by the player, is obtained from the mayor after the first year's Spring Festival and grows from puppy to adult in about one month. Shortly after meeting Barley, he offers a young horse; if the player accepts and shows enough care, it stays after a year. Livestock includes cows (milk), chickens (eggs), and sheep (wool), all collected with specific tools and shipped for sale—a series staple.
A female version, Harvest Moon: More Friends of Mineral Town, came out in Japan in December 2003 and in North America in July 2005. Here, the protagonist is a girl who, after reading a newspaper ad for a beautiful farm, quits her job and sells her apartment, only to find the farm run-down. She resolves to make it prosper. The gameplay is largely the same, but she can marry one of eight bachelors, and several tweaks and fixes were added.
Critics responded well.
- Developer
- Marvelous Interactive
- Publisher
- Marvelous Interactive
- Platform
- Game Boy Advance
- Release date (japan)
- April 2003
- Release date (north america)
- November 2003
- Release date (europe)
- March 2004
- Genre
- Farming simulation
Lore & Background
The player character has no default name. In the opening sequences, the player is shown as a young boy living in the city, whose parents take him to see the country. During their trip, the player becomes lost and finds himself on the farm of an old man in Mineral Town. The old man helps the player contact his parents and offers to let him and his family stay for a few days. The player's parents agree, and the player stays on the farm for a while. On the farm, the player plays with a girl who becomes friends with him. After the player leaves Mineral Town, he continues to write letters to the old man. One day, when he has grown up, the letters from the old man suddenly stop. The player travels to Mineral Town, finding the farm neglected, and discovers the old man had died around half a year ago. The mayor informs the player that in the farmer's will, he left the player the farm. The player decides to restore the farm, beginning the game.
Reader's Guide
Harvest Moon: Friends of Mineral Town is significant as the first Game Boy Advance entry in the Story of Seasons series and a remake of Harvest Moon: Back to Nature. It was praised by many critics as the best entry of the series, combining elements from best-selling console entries and introducing notable series staples. The game features a farming simulation where the player must earn money by clearing fields, planting crops, mining, or foraging, and can also raise livestock including cows, chickens, and sheep. Social aspects include befriending villagers, learning recipes, and marrying one of six bachelorettes. The game offers connectivity with the Nintendo GameCube game Harvest Moon: A Wonderful Life using a link cable. A female version, Harvest Moon: More Friends of Mineral Town, was released in Japan in December 2003 and in North America in July 2005. A 3D remake, Story of Seasons: Friends of Mineral Town, was released for the Nintendo Switch in 2019 and later for other platforms.
Did You Know?
- The game was first released in Japan in April 2003, in North America in November 2003, and in Europe in March 2004.
- The player begins with a dog that may be named, and it will be fully grown after two months.
More in Story of Seasons games 1-24
Spotted an error? Know more?
Reader corrections go straight into our review queue. Suggest an edit · How this site is sourced