reporting's Full Review: Harvest Moon: Friends of Mineral Town for Game Boy...
I was never a big fan of the Zelda games (sorry everyone), Castlevania, or any of that fighting stuff. All the hacking and slashing just gave me a headache, and boss battles were just too frustrating for me. When we got the Harvest Moon: More Friends of Mineral Town, I wasn't all that excited myself, because, come on, farming? I doubted I could be interested for even a few minutes. I wanted something strategic, yet fun and always surprising. However, I started my own farm, and I was surprised what I found.
The Story
You play a city girl, who is sick of the busy life and moves into an empty farm just south of a little place called Mineral Town. There are no real goals set in the beginning of the game, besides running an efficient farm, earning lots of money, and having good relationships with the townsfolk. Simple enough, right? Nope! There's more to that. Not only can you become very good friends with some of the villagers, but you can even MARRY one of the 8 bachelors around the town. Every townsperson has their own unique and individual job, family, likes, dislikes, and personality. They have their own schedules, etc. And that's not it, I could go on for hours about each and every detail about the game, but that wouldn't be very fun, would it?
Townsfolk
Like I said before, the townsfolk have very in-depth character, and it takes more than a few hours just to figure them all out. I think one of the major goals is getting married, in which you have to reach the red "heart level", which slowly increases over time as you visit them and give them gifts. There are rivals that you are competing against to win the heart of your true love, which makes it all the more interesting. Also, as you go around town, there are events that you can trigger by being in a certain place at a certain time, with more requirements. This keeps everything from getting boring and repetitive. The only issue is that the "more friends of mineral town" is basically the same friends as in the previous game. If you already have the first game, I don't suggest getting this one.
Earning Gold
Yes, this is indeed a farming game, but that's not all you do. You don't have to stand around all day watering each plant one by one, baking in the hot sun. You can keep animals (which can be entered into competitions), mine, fish, cook; and gather grasses, mushrooms, bamboo, and wild grapes. The challenging part of the game is planning on how to spend and invest the money. Will you blow it all on a kitchen, or upgrading your tools, house, and barn? It's your choice how you spend your money, and it's your decision which is the quickest way to earn it.
More details
Details, details! The game is based on all of these, fun, clever little details that you can work on. First off, you've got tools, which you can upgrade to make very powerful. You've got gems and berries to collect, a mailbox, festivals, and even your own tv with weekly shows to follow. There's a shopping network, vacation homes, recipes, curfews, and even mini-games if you befriend the adorable Harvest Sprites. I'm barely scraping the surface with the details. If this isn't enough to impress, nothing will.
Graphics & Sound
I'm sure you've already heard enough of the story and features, and my raving. And yet, I'm not done raving yet. The graphics for this game are as equally cute as any of the japanese manga people. (if you are not familiar with this, the characters are basically the same style as the Golden Sun characters) I have not yet encountered any of the glitchy moments where the graphics mess up and you walk into a wall or something. Everything is clear and nicely detailed. The sound is very pleasant, there are sound events for every tool you use, every action you use. The sound track is great, for every season, event, and (almost every) place there is a different music to listen to, omitting any thoughts of repetition.
To buy, or not to buy
Yes, yes, yes, and yes! This seemingly "simple" game is teeming with surprises, strategy, and even some unlikely fights (no actual combat, however). Give yourself a treat, and play Harvest Moon: More Friends of Mineral Town.
You are bidding for a Brand New/Sealed Harvest Moon: Friends of Mineral Town for GBA . Shipping and Handling Rates Country Estimated Delivery Time Pri...More at eBay
The best part is...you can do it anyway you want! There is no set path to following...you are in control of how you want to accomplish your goals. Do ...More at Buy.com Marketplaces
You'll live out the life of an everyday farmer in Mineral Town -- tend to the crops, feed the livestock, and sell your goods. See if you can explore t...More at Amazon Marketplace
All the elements that fans have grown to love in the Harvest Moon series are right here--tons of vegetables to plant and nurture, different animals to...More at QVC
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