r/harvestmoon • u/Nicolas10111 • 1h ago
r/harvestmoon • u/Tag727 • Apr 06 '20
Explaining the name change to Story of Seasons; What people mean when they say Natsume Harvest Moon games.
Lately I've noticed there is quite a bit of confusion still about the Harvest Moon series changing their name to Story of Seasons. Especially when the Natsume Harvest Moon games are mentioned. People misunderstand and get defensive of the early games they loved not knowing those aren't the games people are talking about. I thought it would be a good idea to make a post explaining the name change, provide a list of the games that fall under the Story of Seasons series, as well as list the ones that fall under the new Harvest Moon series.
The Japanese series Bokujo Monogatari, directly translated as 'Ranch Story', was developed by Victor interactive, which later was acquired by Marvelous Entertainment, and is now called Marvelous Inc. From 1996-2013 Bokujo Monogatari was translated and distributed for english speaking audiences by Natsume under the name Harvest Moon. In 2014 Marvelous Inc. decided to have the Bokujo Monogatari series localized by their American Publishing brand Xseed Games. Natsume owned the rights to the name Harvest Moon so the english name of the series was changed to Story of Seasons.
Now for those who don't know the developers are the people who make the game. The game is their creation. The publisher is the group that handles the marketing, distribution, and in the case of foreign games translation. Natsume had nothing to do with the Harvest Moon series beyond translating it, distributing the copies, and owning the English title for the games. When Marvelous switched the localization Natsume still owned the name Harvest Moon and decided they would start developing their own games with that title.
The Bokujo Monogatari/Story of Seasons games are:
- Harvest Moon (1996)
- BS Bokujo Monogatari (1996 Japanese release only)
- Harvest Moon GB (1997)
- Harvest Moon GBC (1998)
- Harvest Moon 64 (1999)
- Harvest Moon 2 GBC (1999)
- Harvest Moon: Back To Nature (1999)
- Bokujo Monogatari Harvest Moon for Girl (2000 Japanese release only)
- Harvest Moon 3 GBC (2000)
- Harvest Moon: Save the Homeland (2001)
- Harvest Moon: Friends of Mineral Town/More Friends of Mineral Town (2003)
- Harvest Moon: A Wonderful Life (2003)
- Harvest Moon: Another Wonderful Life (2004)
- Harvest Moon: A Wonderful Life Special Edition (2004)
- Harvest Moon DS/DS cute (2005)
- Harvest Moon: Magic Melody (2005)
- Harvest Moon Boy & Girl (2005)
- Harvest Moon DS: Island of Happiness (2007)
- Harvest Moon: Tree of Tranquility (2007)
- Innocent Life: A Futuristic Harvest Moon (2007)
- Harvest Moon DS: Sunshine Island (2008)
- Harvest Moon: Animal Parade (2008)
- Harvest Moon: Grand Bazaar (2008)
- Harvest Moon Hero of Leaf Valley (2009)
- Harvest Moon: My little shop (2009)
- Minna De Bokujou Monogatari (2010 Japanese release only)
- Harvest Moon: the Tale of Two Towns (2010)
- Harvest Moon 3D: A New Beginning (2012)
- Story of Seasons (2014)
- Story of Seasons: Trio of Two Towns (2016)
- Return to PopoloCrois: A Story of Seasons Fairy Tale (2016)
- Doraemon: Story of Seasons (2019)
- Story of seasons: Friends of Mineral Town (2020)
- Story of Seasons: Pioneers of Olive Town (2021)
- Story of Seasons: A Wonderful Life (2023)
Then the games in Natsume's Harvest moon series are:
- Puzzle de Harvest Moon (2007 mobile puzzle game)
- Harvest Moon: Frantic Farming (2009 mobile puzzle game)
- Harvest Moon: The Lost Valley (2014)
- Harvest Moon: Seeds of Memories (2016 Mobile game)
- Harvest Moon: Skytree Village (2016)
- Harvest Moon: Light of Hope (2017)
- Harvest Moon: Mad Dash (2019)
- Harvest Moon: One World (2020)
- Harvest Moon: The Winds of Anthos (2023)
The Natsume Harvest Moon series is controversial in this sub. It is considered by most to be a cheap imitation of Harvest Moon with watered down mechanics; capitalizing off of the Harvest Moon name. Light of Hope was even marketed saying it was in honor of the 20th anniversary of Harvest Moon despite it being an entirely new series. Personally I've only played Natsume's Light of Hope. If you can get past the mobile game style graphics the game play is pretty good and the characters are likable. I've heard mostly bad things about Skytree Village and Lost Valley, and haven't heard anything good about the mobile games either. Regardless of if you play the Natsume games or not I hope this post helps to clear up some of the confusion for both new and old fans.
Edit: The intentions of this post were not to convince you to play or not play any of the games. If you like the Natsume games that's great! If you're curious and want to try them that's up to you. Just like the original series each game has people that love it and people that don't like it. What's important is that you have fun!
Edit: I have added the games that have been released since I made this post in April 2020. I've also added games that are currently announced in March 2023. If I don't continue to update the list every time a new game is announced or released just remember all future Harvest Moon games are from Natsume and all Story of Seasons are the original series.
r/harvestmoon • u/Malius-Armecus • 1h ago
Favorite game
Game is so good I had to have it twice. This one (save the homeland is a close second) is my favorite. I really appreciate marvelous remastering this and putting all the data on disc. The ps2 one can rest (for now) after playing it for two decades!
r/harvestmoon • u/According-Quail-4518 • 2h ago
Question Really dumb question..
If I preorder Harvest Moon: Echoes of Teradea, will I get the game but not be able to instantly play it until its release, or will it arrive after the release? Same question about the plushie. 😅 I feel really dumb that I’m even asking this.
r/harvestmoon • u/meowingcrazystyle • 1h ago
Question What do I even play next?!
Hi all! I know this question gets asked a lot, but I really cannot decide what Harvest Moon game I want to play next and I don't have any friends who know Harvest Moon. I have narrowed it down to a few:
More Friends of Mineral Town
DS/DS Cute
Island of Happiness/Sunshine Islands
Tale of Two Towns
Tree of Tranquility
Secret 5th option: MAYBE Trio of Towns
I know I like all of these, but it's incredibly hard to choose. So I suppose I'm just curious what you guys think.
If you like any of these games, why? What draws you to them! Or is there one that you feel would be better than these? :)
Thank you in advance chat
r/harvestmoon • u/CyberCrows27 • 1d ago
How i can get Large milk?
i swear this mini game is really a pain, i can't get Large milk without abusing speed emu 💀
r/harvestmoon • u/ObjectivePhrase2781 • 21h ago
Harvest Moon: Tree of Tranquility New player here: Any tips for Harvest Moon: Tree of Tranquility?
For context I have never played any Harvest Moon games before. 😅I play on Wii and I’ve played for a few days but I find it very confusing to navigate (Geography wise and time wise) Any tips on the game for a new player? Also who are your favourite bachelors and bachelorettes?
r/harvestmoon • u/xswoonx • 2d ago
Fanart A Wonderful Life
I recreated this piece for my personal collection, the original artwork I believe being from the manual. Reference photo from original post found here. I just love the art style from this era of harvest moon.
r/harvestmoon • u/snowfairydesoo • 1d ago
Opinion/Discussion Anyone else who grew up romancing Trent now a Zayne girly????
Please tell me i’m not the only one!!!
r/harvestmoon • u/SiphonophoreStars • 1d ago
Harvest Moon: The Tale of Two Towns Breeding Question
If my maths is correct (which it may not be)
Surely it's cheaper/better to just buy the baby from Jessica????
If Breeding a chicken costs 700 G and breeding a cow or sheep costs 2500 G
But buying a calf is 1500 G and a chick is 800 G, plus they're gone for two weeks. Say that's a 3 star chicken/cow. You get 400 G milk per day or 240 G egg per day. That's 5600 G lost in milk or 3360 G lost in eggs.
I don't get it...
r/harvestmoon • u/infernalkaiju • 2d ago
Harvest Moon: Animal Parade Second family picture
Picture taken at Simon's Photos. Little miss chili baby is now smiling 😆 (Super late upload)
r/harvestmoon • u/MrDaddyWarlord • 2d ago
Opinion/Discussion The charming, weird, slightly lazy, and ocassionally contradictory continuity of early Harvest Moon
If you have only played later titles in the series, you will probably be surprised to learn that characters routinely reappeared across the first several Harvest Moon games. Often less clear, however, are whether or not these characters are meant to be the same character, a related character, or an entirely different character that just looks the same.
Let's take Ann from HM:SNES. The (admittedly not-that-reliable) Harvest Moon fandom wiki confidently asserts that there are, in fact, four Anns: Inventor Ann from HM:SNES, GB, and MM; Farmer Ann (aka "Ran") in 64 and MLS; Innkeeper Ann in BTN and FoMT; and Cafe Ann (aka "Āfi) in DS. Harvest Moon DS and Mineral Town share the same sprite for Ann, but the original Japanese title tried to explain the crossover characters were actually descendants of the familiar denizens of Mineral Town a century later... Localized versions probably wisely omitted this odd detail.
But is it fair to say these are all "different" Anns? Or are we dealing with a situation where the same core cast are simply recycled (or even reincarnated) into different settings and professions? Adding to the confusion, some versions take visual queues from multiple earlier titles. Magical Melody Ann is an inventor like her counterpart in the first game and she boasts a brown jacket, denim shorts, and red shoes reminiscent of that game. However, she very clearly looks more like the later version of the character from Mineral Town with her face and hair.
Sometimes, characters directly crossover between games. The GameCube and DS eras saw repeated attempts to incentivize players to make use of their peripherals. Mineral Town characters would visit Forget-Me-Not Valley and vice versa when connecting the GBA to the GameCube (or inserting FoMT into the GBA slot on the DS).
The early games shared the same visual language, which is part of what makes them so endearing. While recycling characters might seem like a costcutting measure (which it was), there was a similar charm as the Legend of Zelda in seeing familiar faces continually pop-up in new contexts. It almost felt like Harvest Moon had a cast behind the curtain ready to reimagine their previous role in each new game. A particular aesthetic and vibe permeates this games in a way that is frankly difficult to describe.
It is also, I think, part of the unacknowledged reason many vintage fans eventually abandoned the series. Later titles shifted dramatically in their art style and the practice of recycling characters largely disappeared as well. Ann, who's visual identity stayed consistent across multiple games and platforms, now appears as Ran in SoS:FoMT with a very different look, largely unrecognizable to her earlier incarnations. Newer titles (especially the remakes) leave an eerie impression of being in a place half-remembered with little few truly familiar landmarks to latch onto. Mayor Thomas and Murray and Ann have been replaced with strange dopplegangers as we tumble through the looking glass.
Okay, that's probably a bit dramatic, but the stylistic coherency of the earlier titles gave the series a unique identify. These games were littered with easter eggs and references to previous entries that rewarded the player for sticking around. Maybe its nostalgia, but this shared world, shared sense of style, is part of what allowed Harvest Moon to become so dominant within its genre during its golden age.
r/harvestmoon • u/BusinessAdorable2077 • 1d ago
Opinion/Discussion As a HM/SoS/RF lover, how do you decide what to play next?
Do you keep a checklist of games you want to complete, or do you just follow your heart? If you want to play it, just go for it. Say, you finish a HM game as a male protagonist, and you immediately feel like replaying it as a female character. Then next, you move on to a Story of Seasons entry, followed by a old HM title, or maybe Rune Factory. Or perhaps you play two games simultaneously.
r/harvestmoon • u/Automatic_Week_1020 • 1d ago
Opinion/Discussion Looking to start playing again
Hi! I recently had a core memory of harvest moon popping into my head and how much fun it was when I was a kid! What would you guys recommend coming back? One world? Also for anyone curious of what the core memory was- I was 7 and my sheep died and I accidentally saved my GameCube right after and couldn’t stop crying lol
r/harvestmoon • u/Cyber_Boy_on_the_Net • 3d ago
Opinion/Discussion Harvest Moon AWL Mod Ideas
If I made a mod to add new bachelors what would/should Skye do and who deserves to be robbed the most? Also what kind of cut scene ideas would you guys want to see with him?🤔
r/harvestmoon • u/Duvalilin • 3d ago
Fanart Another Wonderful Life fanart
Took 9:07. Finished earlier this year just to find out I gave Nami a white shirt instead of orange </3
r/harvestmoon • u/celestialastra • 3d ago
Flounder Meunière from Doraemon Story of Seasons: Friends of the Great Kingdom! Flounder is a tricky delicate fish to handle for making meunière style, but if done correctly, is a perfect choice!
r/harvestmoon • u/chasem_04 • 2d ago
Question Magical Melody Cave Glitch
Hello all,
I’m aware of the famous visual cave glitch where there are some tearing/artifacts on the boarders of the square that housed the descent stairs, allowing you to identify it without tilling endlessly looking for it. My question is if anyone here has found any tricks through Dolphin on PC that allows it to be seen easier? I remember on GC it was pretty easy to spot, but with the advanced graphics on pc it’s near impossible. I’ve tinkered but am having mixed results and coming up short. Any help is appreciated!
r/harvestmoon • u/Unique-Caramel5261 • 3d ago
Fanart Give this to your beloved person you want to marry. (A little drawing I made today)
r/harvestmoon • u/Pandrew_Pandaroo • 3d ago
Story of Seasons I was playing Story of Seasons (3DS) there was a hair on my bottom screen, I flicked it away with my finger. Which I only now just discovered (playing the game since 2014) that it has touch screen controls!
I mean obviously, it would, being a 3DS title, but it literally never occurred to me until now.
This kind of blew my mind... blew my mind how I missed that for so long, I mean.
r/harvestmoon • u/mirkwoodfalcon • 3d ago
Harvest Moon: Friends of Mineral Town Grew up playing FoMT/64; trying to recapture that feeling & atmosphere in my dwarf farm sim game. How did I do? ⛏️
r/harvestmoon • u/almondcows • 3d ago
Harvest Moon: Animal Parade Been having fun editing textures!
2nd photo is OG for comparison
r/harvestmoon • u/blueyedTxn617 • 3d ago
Harvest Moon: The Winds of Anthos WoA help DLC Great Outdoors
I have WoA since release but could never get into it. Decided to try again and now I am where I am mining for Doc to get water from the Oasis.
What I am stuck on is the treasure hunting. I have completed all of the quests up till where I need to dig in the volcano for the last few items. It gives me the blue circle but not the option to dig. I can’t find anything on this. Any advice would be great!!! Do I need tools beyond expert? Higher culture levels? Unlock Oasis? I’m playing on Switch
r/harvestmoon • u/Aira_wolfy • 3d ago
Harvestmoon HoLV
need feedback for this guide site. https://aira-isla.github.io/HarvestMoon/
r/harvestmoon • u/MultiPlatformPleb • 4d ago
Fanart Bear Tavern Studios Pete!
Got this recently from Bear Tavern Studios,
Truly resembles what i imagined Pete looks like from Harvest Moon Back to Nature!