Introduction:

This was my 1st Harvest Moon Game and I have to say it was pretty good. It lead me to buy A Wonderful Life and pay $18 for a used Harvest Moon for GBC.

Story:

In Friends of Mineral Town you find out that you inherited a farm from an old man you used to visit when you were little. It is up to you to get the farm back in working order. From here the game pretty much plays out how you want it to. You can get married and have a son if you want, but it's not required.

Gameplay:

HM:FoMT is a lot like Harvest Moon for the PS or N64. You want to make money buy raising animals and crops. You can raise chickens, sheep and cows and also plant a wide variety of crops. Each year is split into four seasons and each season has about 2-3 holidays. Some holidays are animal contests and some are just town gatherings. If you have a girlfriend you can invite her to the Starry night Festival with you. Mineral Town is also pretty expansive for a GBA game. (Read on for more on Mineral Town) An average day in harvest moon consists of feeding animals, watering/harvesting crops, gathering random plants from around town, socializing, and shopping.

I give the gameplay: 10/10

Graphics:

This game has remarkable graphics. The environments are detailed and colorful. From time to time (if you're in the right place) you'll be treated to some nice cut scenes. Some of these are a little overly dramatic, but still nice a treat.

I give the graphics: 9.5/10

Sound:

Harvest Moon features good but very limited sound. While you do get 4-5 different songs, they are very similar. I'd say HM:FoMT is a good example of most GBA sound. ***you can buy a record player and records for different music if you link up to Harvest Moon: A Wonderful Life****

I give the sound: 7/10

Replayability:

Because Harvest Moon is half simulation its replay value is about as high as it gets. You can have up to 2 farms saved at a time, and I'm pretty positive you can play a farm for as many years as you want. There isn't really an end to the game so you can just keep playing. It can get boring if you play it for over an hour in one sitting.

I give the replayability: 10/10

Challenge:

Harvest Moon isn't really hard at all. It just can take a while to get used to. I'd say the learning curve is around 3 hours. This is about how long it takes to learn how to manage your farm and where everything is.

I give the challenge: 6/10

Value:

I bought this brand new for $30 and it was well worth it. The price now is about $20, which is a great bargain. It is a cheap must have for any harvest moon fan or GBA owner.

I give the value: 10/10

Overall:

This game is great whether you want to play for a couple hours or a couple minutes. It has great gameplay and graphics. The sound is only a little above average but doesn't hinder gameplay. Great characters and environments along with visually beautiful cut scenes make this game top of the line.

I give Harvest Moon: Friends of Mineral Town: 9.75/10

Conclusion:

If you like games that don't have much of a structure or if the idea of a farming game is appealing to you, this game is for you. It's also a good place for people wanting to try and jump into the Harvest Moon series. There are some minor spelling and grammatical mistakes in the game but I don't think the major gaming demographic is Language Arts teachers.

Written By: Amatatomba

Date Submitted: April 13th, 2005

Click Here to see other things Amatatomba has sent in.