Story of Seasons (video game)
First Story of Seasons title, breaking from Harvest Moon naming.
Story of Seasons, released in Japan as *Bokujō Monogatari: Tsunagaru Shin Tenchi* (which translates to "Farm Story: Linking the New World"), is a farming simulation game from Marvelous Entertainment for the Nintendo 3DS. It launched in Japan on February 27, 2014, and arrived in North America on March 31, 2015. This title marked the first in the series to appear in North America without the *Harvest Moon* branding, because Natsume Inc. holds the rights to that name.
The game follows the series' familiar formula, putting players in the role of a farmer. At the start, they can choose to play as either a male or female character and pick between two difficulty levels, though this choice cannot be changed later. Activities include growing crops and raising livestock. New characters appear, such as a tiny goddess and a tiny witch.
In the story, the player character—named Johnny if male or Annie if female—grows tired of their routine life and responds to a flyer seeking farmers in Oak Tree Town. They move there and meet the mayor, Veronica. Four other farmers already live in the town: Eda, Fritz, Giorgio, and Elise, who help the player learn the ropes. The goal is to unlock all seven vendors by meeting specific conditions, turning Oak Tree Town into a famous international trade hub. Unlocking vendors provides access to a wide range of seeds, items, buildings, and animals. The player and the non-player farmers work together toward success. The player also encounters five Nature Sprites named Flick, Mora, Gusto, Torque, and Pepita, a young witch called Witchie, and a young Harvest Goddess named Dessie. At one point, Eda moves away to live with her son, and her farm is given to the player. Once all traders have arrived, a meeting is held to thank the player for making the town a popular trade city.
The gameplay's main focus is connectivity, according to series producer Yoshifumi Hashimoto. Players sell crops and dairy products to other countries through a Trade Station. Some countries prefer certain items, and deliveries may require travel to those nations. Personal farm data can be exchanged with other players via StreetPass. Players can also set up a wildlife Safari that houses exotic animals like monkeys and parrots. Villagers tour the Safari, similar to the Garden Tour in *A New Beginning*.
- Developer
- Marvelous Entertainment
- Platform
- Nintendo 3DS
- Japan release
- February 27, 2014
- North america release
- March 31, 2015
- Genre
- Farming simulation
- Producer
- Yoshifumi Hashimoto
Lore & Background
The game follows the series tradition where the player takes on the role of a farmer. The player can choose to play as a male or female farmer and between two difficulties at the beginning of the game; the difficulty level cannot be changed once chosen. The player character, Johnny (male) or Annie (female), is bored with their regular life and receives a flyer announcing the recruitment of farmers in Oak Tree Town. They move to the small village to meet Veronica, the village's mayor. There are four other farmers living in Oak Tree Town: Eda, Fritz, Giorgio, and Elise, who teach the player how to run their new farm. The player must unlock all seven vendors by fulfilling certain requirements and make Oak Tree Town a renowned international trade city.
Reader's Guide
The main feature of the game is connectivity, according to producer Yoshifumi Hashimoto. Players sell their crop and dairy products to other countries via a Trade Station. Some countries prefer one type of item over another, and players may have to travel to other countries to make deliveries. Personal farm data can be swapped with other players using StreetPass. The player can set up a wildlife Safari, housing exotic animals such as monkeys and parrots. The Safari is toured by villagers, and exotic animals are unlocked through vendors by having good relations with them. Farm animals in the Safari become happier and less stressed. The Safari contains a mine where rare gems and minerals can be found using the hammer tool. The game received 'generally favorable reviews' according to Metacritic. IGN noted its integration of supply-and-demand economics and personality. Famitsu gave it a score of 32 out of 40. Story of Seasons was the top selling game in Japan in March 2014, at 131,000 units sold. In July 2015, Xseed announced it became their fastest-selling game ever, with over 100,000 units sold in North America.
Did You Know?
- This was the first game not under the Harvest Moon franchise title in North America due to Natsume Inc.'s ownership of the name.
- The game introduces a tiny goddess and a tiny witch as new characters.
- Eda, one of the NPC farmers, dies from an illness and her farm is passed to the player.
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