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Great, Addictive fun for all ages

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 91 / 93
Date: November 22, 2003
Author: Amazon User

Harvest Moon has been HUGELY addictive on the SNES and N64. The GBA version is just as addictive - and can be played anywhere!

The familiar, fun gameplay is here. You're a kid taking over a farm. The farm is in disrepair and needs help. You start out by weeding the garden, chopping the logs into boards and breaking up rocks. You slowly start growing crops, raising horses and chickens, and making a name for yourself.

You might think this would get boring, but time is running all the time. You have to get food to your animals, play with them, keep your crops watered, get your field cleared, mine for supplies, go into town and chat it up with the local girls.

There are the usual goodies - horse races, other festivals that come on certain days of the year. There are upgrades to your tools and little sprites that help you out with your tasks. You can fall in love with the girl of your dreams and build a life together. With lots of customizable names, from your farm to your dog to your horse, it really begins to feel like your own little world.

The graphics are great, and while it's not a button-mashing extreme, the clock is always ticking so you get a sense that you have to get going with your life in order to feed yourself and your animals. There aren't goals to meet or points to score - there is a farm to tend to and responsibilities to manage. It's a great game for all ages and VERY rewarding.

My one complaint about this game - and keep in mind that this is a HUGELY addictive game for me so I love it - is that it only lets you be a male. Why?? I would LOVE to be a girl on the farm who is dating boys. It can't be THAT hard to switch a few names and pixels. Why am I forced to be a boy? Why can't a girl run a farm?

That being said, it's a ton of fun and well suited for the GBA. Grab a copy - but be warned, you'll be playing it a lot!

Fun on the farm!

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 85 / 87
Date: December 21, 2003
Author: Amazon User

My fiancee and I picked up Harvest Moon FOMT right after it came out. Niether of us had ever played a Harvest Moon game before, but we did enjoy Animal Crossing and had heard that the games were somewhat similar.

I've got to say I am very impressed! It is a very enjoyable, highly addictive game. We've been playing it regularly since we've got it. Certain parts can get a bit monotonous at times, but overall the game is a fun-filled experience.

The owner of the farm passed away and left the farm to you. You raise and harvest a wide variety of crops over the Spring, Summer, and Fall. You start with a dog to care for and raise, and you will get a horse early in the game as well. You can purchase and then raise cows, chickens, and sheep. You'll need to make certain they are well fed, kept out of the bad weather, and get lots of love and attention. Raise them well, and you can enter them in various contests and have champions!

Another major aspect of the game is finding a girlfriend, who will eventually become your wife if you can win her over. You have 5 girls to choose from, 6 if you count the Goddess. You have rivals for your girls, so you have to really impress your girl if you want to make her your wife! You'll need to visit her everyday, participate in events with her, and buy her gifts CONSTANTLY. This is one part of the game I can't say I'm terribly happy with. Getting a girlfriend/wife basically means you just buy her nice presents everyday. I had hoped it would be a bit more interesting than that.

There's plenty more to keep you entertained. You can fish, get lumber, go mining, expand your house, befriend the townspeople and magic sprites, play with your dog, or even just watch tv. Its a never-ending fun adventure!

In summary -

PROS

Enjoyable change of pace from the majority of games.
Good graphics for a GBA game.
Decent sound.
An in-depth game, with many different things you can do.
Long varied gameplay without a set ending, you can continue playing as long as you like.

CONS

Certain parts, such as the harvesting, can get a bit repetitive at times.
The dialog is somewhat limited.
Getting a girlfriend/wife really means buying them presents everyday... and those are the kind of girls I prefer to avoid!

Again this is a very enjoyable game. If you have tried and enjoyed Animal Crossing, or any of the previous Harvest Moon games I'd say you'd like this. If those kind of games aren't really your thing, then you won't find what you are looking for here.

Life Is A Like A Garden, Dig It! True For This Game!

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 49 / 58
Date: June 16, 2003
Author: Amazon User

Harvest Moon GBA also known as Harvest Moon: Friends Of Mineral Town starts out with jack the main character, him being you, is taken to mineral town by his parents to get some fresh air. He soon wanders off being the little kid he is to some old man's farm. Your worried parents find you at the farm and the old man asks the parents if he could stay there for his vacation. They agree and you go off in various activities. While you are there you meet a young girl Soon they come back and you and the
man decide to become pen pals but you don't see the girl again. But one day he
stops writing and you go to investigate and soon find that the man has died
and left his farm to you in his will.

This game is excellent, and i might add much more improved then the latest gbc conterpart. The graphics have improved a-lot, theres a cute music to add and did i mention the characters are based off the ps1 version, harvest moon: back to nature. For those new to the harvest moon series, you start out with excrusiating pain of clearing the feild on your farm of stumps, rocks, and weeds. (DARN THOSE WEEDS BAKA BAKA!) Only one problem you can't cut the stumps up with your ax without upgrading it. And to upgrade it you need to have 1000 g, and a copper ore and one day of waiting to do so. The boulders need a level 2 hammer and the big rocks need a level 4 hammer. So you see it does get a bit frustrating. After that you can plant crops, try to marry the cutest girl in town, upgrade your house and more! Including rasing animals. Some amusing things that i have found is when you work too hard and get sick your face goes blue and the background music goes wack! Or when you whistle in a house with other people they look around in alarm (*lol*) Overall this is a nice addition to the harvest moon series, that newbies and old fans will enjoy! And i expect i'll enjoy this game too when it comes out in north america since its difficult to read japanese right now.

Aidos~Keeper Of The Twilight ..A Fifteen Year Old Female Gamer

Harvest Moon FOMT A Awesome Game

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 27 / 29
Date: September 19, 2003
Author: Amazon User

This game is going to be great.I was lucky to get in the September shipment before it sold out.I can't wait for to get here.It is much like the other Harvest moon games that you have to save a rundown farm .This game has a whole lot of new stuff to do.You can choose between six girls to marry.It has new crops for you to plant.New mini games like playing with your dog.You can get up to four houses to live in.You can have a baby and it grows up a little bit.You can buy stuff off the TV Shopping channel like a kitchen which you can cook your food with over a hundred recipes.You can mime in the two mines that are near your farm.Some things that you can mine are Gold,Silver,Rubys,Copper and a whole lot more that you can sell and you will need to upgrade your tools.And you can connect with Harvest Moon AWL for Gamecube.There is so much more I can't say because I won't have room.This is a awesome game.

Great Game! (A review by an experienced gamer)

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 16 / 16
Date: June 29, 2004
Author: Amazon User

Harvest Moon has been a very successful series since the debute of the classic SNES version in 1997. Natsume made it hold it's one of a kind RPG with this title. Harvest Moon FoMT has a ton more new features than the other GB or GBC games, and combines the classic features of the other console playing games. All packed into a tiny cartridge for your GBA.

Graphics: 5/5 - The graphics in this game are amazing. They have Gamecube quality detail all packed onto a tiny screen. The partial bird's eye view of your character is at the perfect angle, so all of the animals, townspeople, and crops are visible. Unlike Harvest Moon BTN (Back to Nature) nothing in this game looks like a cardboard cut out. These graphics push the GBA to its max!

Story: 4/5 The story is also pretty good. As a kid, you visitted an old man's farm over summer vacation and loved it. The two of you have kept in touch with letters, until the old man passed away. The main character (let's call him Jack), visits the farm. The mayor of the town invites Jack to fix up the farm, and you recall all of the memories and fun times you had. At least in this game they have a decent length cutscene explaining every bit of the storyline.

Controls: 5/5 Plus, the controls in this game are great! Every button has a specific use, and there are some "fast combos" to access menus quicker than scavenging around to find them. The controls are nice and simple, and can be changed under the 'Diary' menu to adjust to your preference. Just another great aspect of Harvest Moon FoMT.

Gameplay: 5/5 This is where every Harvest Moon game always has a good review. The game play is outstanding with over 100 interactions and activities.

Getting upgrades in the game is a well known aspect... but this time the upgrades have changed! Not only can you upgrade your house two times, but there is a shopping channel too! Every Saturday, a new item is put on sale for a certain amount of money. You phone in to purchase the item from the inn, and eventually it will arrive within 2-3 days! Some items include a mirrior, a clock, a cabinet, a refridgeorator a kitchen, eight utensils (on different weeks), a big bed, and a power berry. In order to get married, you have to have EVERY SINGLE ONE of those items (exlcuding power berry). Finally, the unique aspect of this game is that you can own up to FOUR HOUSES!

Crops now hit the spotlight. Each season ,except winter, there are at least three different crops to grow that produce a different income. Some crops may sell for low and be able to get reharvested, and others sell for high but can only be harvested once. It all depends on what crops you choose to plant in a season. And if you need some help, refer to the Harvest Sprites. By giving them gifts, they can play games with you to improve on taking care of animals, watering crops, and harvesting livestock. Then, the sprites can help out with your farm for up to a week.

If you have played a different Harvest Moon game, you know about raising livestock. In this game, it holds the same aspect. There are three money making animals that you can buy. There are cows, sheep, and chickens. These all produce items that you ship to make a standard income. Plus, once you upgrade the barn and chicken coop, the 'makers' are avalible. These little barrels take either eggs, milk, or wool into them, and give you mayo, cheese, or yarn (Which are shippable for higher prices)

Next comes marriage. There are five girls you can marry... so make a choice. In order to marry a girl, you have to have all of the upgrades and furniture in your house. Plus, her heart has to be at the red level. Finally, there are four cutscenes (also called heart events) that you will go through as the girls heart level increases that you have to see. But beware! For each girl, there is a guy trying to get her. These are your rivals for marriage, so you better get that red heart up before the two of them get married. I've covered most of the main aspects of gameplay, leaving out the obscure stuff and spoilers. Now on to audio.

Sound - 4/5. This is probably the low point of the game... but still good! Natsume could've added more tunes for the different areas. Instead, there is only a seasonal tune on your farm, a tune to the mountain, and a tune to the town. Now, the sound would have gotten a 2... but linking up with the gamecube HM comes in. By linking up, the travelling merchant 'Van' comes into town at Doug's inn. From him you can buy a record player and up to 12 tunes to play to change that boring old farm tune. But the tunes in other areas still remains the same.

Overall: 4.75. Overall this game is great! Every aspect is detailed and understandable. But still puts up a challenge! I highly recommend buying this... there is just too much to do within that small period of renting the game. And besides, the game is significantly cheaper than other GBA games (saw it on other sights for under $19.95). Trust me, you'll get your money's worth from 40 hours+ of gameplay. So what are you waiting for... get out there and start planting!

Will be the best!

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 29 / 39
Date: September 28, 2003
Author: Amazon User

Do not listen to the "Only get this game if you need your veggies..." reviewer, he/she obviously does not know what he/she is talking about. Anyways I bought the Japanese imported game of HM: FOMT. All I can tell you is that this game is going to be the best harvest moon game ever! It basically is Harvest Moon Back to Nature (Is on PS1), same town, same characters, but all new features, events, minigames, locations, and tons, tons more! The graphics as well can be comparable to HM BTN, which of course is a good thing.

I would like to tell you more about this wonderful game, but that would be spoiling it for you! ...

This game, combined with Harvest Moon for the Gamecube, is a must have!!!

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 14 / 14
Date: November 08, 2005
Author: Amazon User

The great thing about this game is that it never ends in replayability. Once you beat it once, you want to play it again so you can marry another wife or get a different child. I myself have owned the game for almost a year and have married Popuri(*the cutest girl in the game*). I am currently on year 4 and still refuse to put this game down!! I'm not really the most dedicated person to video games, but this game is so addictive(to me)that I want to play it the second I turn it off. Allright, enough of this, now I will start with the pros and cons. One deffinitly out-weighs the other!!
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-Pros-
>This game can take up to 10 hours per year(the game has a time system)
>If you are a Harvest Moon fan(me)then this game will satisfy you beyond limits
>You can chose to live your life however you want to(marrige, lone farmer, outcast)
>6 wives to chose from, making character devlopment very deep
>4 seasons, each with its own weather, crops, herbs, and music
>Will satisfy RPG fans with tool system(leveling up)
>Can connect to the Gamecube with Harvest Moon: A Wonderful Life for extra items, seeds, records, and even a new house
>Lots of replayablity due to the emense cast of townsfolk
>Almost endless amount of tools, items, seeds, crops, flowers, herbs, etc.
>Excellent sound and music
>Has a great livestock system
>Can please a wide amount of ages
>Controls are on par with this type of genre
>The presentation is very high(little cartoon avatars for every character)
>Worth the price for its sheer length and replayability factor
>Almost every item can be upgraded to some extent
>Lots of house and farm expansions
>You want to play the game once you tern it off
>No gore or swearing, so it is also a very peaceful and rewarding game
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-Cons-
>If not a RPG/Harvest Moon fan, this game is no exception
>If new to the series, this game is not a good starter
>Though it gets an E rating, most children will be daunted by the games difficulty
>The graphics are not bad, but seem a little out-dated
>Hard to find, but there are a few glithches(though they don't take anything from the game at all)
>Very difficult to marry within the first year(in the game)
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Overall this game is very fun, but you have to be into that sort of game. Scoring it 1-10, I would give it a 9.7. The problems will seem very big to someone who isn't into these games, but to someone who is, the problems won't even seem to be there. Also, this game could have just been rated T because then children wouldn't buy, and this game would be very hard for a child. The content deserves an E, it is just a hard game. Still, this game is a must have for Harvest Moon fans.

I love this game - and I don't even play it!!!!!

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 14 / 16
Date: November 26, 2005
Author: Amazon User

My son has this game for his Gameboy Advance and I would recommend it over many of the games available. In a very simplified form, he is dealing with time management, budgets, business plans, all of which are issues that he will face in real life. We have discussed our family's budget and how to adjust to save for goals. We have discussed how to plan to build a new venture and adjust for costs over time. He has even had to address the question of healthcare (for the farm animals) and how to allow for it in his budget and business plan.

I homeschool my children and while I cannot treat this game as an economics class, when I take time to discuss his activities in the game we end up in a far deeper discussion of economics and farm economy than I would expect of any game - even Monopoly!! I plan to get the girl version for my daughter and see if our conversations will become more sophisticated than the latest fashion for MyScene dolls....

farm life couldn't be any more fun!!!!!!!

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 19 / 26
Date: January 04, 2004
Author: Amazon User

When i first got this game i thought it would be okay. Man was i blown away!!! this game is one of my favorites. there is soooo much to do. want to mine ,you can do it!!! want to fish you can do that!!!! but i'm getting carried away lets start at the beginning. your family goes on avacation to the country, there you meet an old man, who owns a farm, you love it there and stay there longer than you mean to. your parents come looking for you, but before you leave you agree to be the old mans pen pal. later you return to the farm to discover that the old man has left you his farm in a will. that is where the story ends and the game begins.
when the game starts you recieve a puppy. some rewiers say you automaticly recieve a horse THIS IS NOT TRUE!!!! to get the horse talk to barly, the man who runs yodel farm. in your house there are 5 tools the hoe, the sythe, the ax, the hammer, and the watering can. to get the fishing pole go to the house on mineral beach with an empty space in your sack. you will get the pole from zack. but enough of this lets get to what you can do. the main thing you can do is farm. this may sound boring but its not.there are tons of crops to plant and harvest for cash. another fun thing to do is woo the woman of your dreams. there are five women, and a secret one!! other fun things to do are fishing ,mining, attending festivals, and playing frisbee with your dog. there are many other things too!!! ...

Harvest moon: Friends of mineral town - I'd give it six stars

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 10 / 10
Date: October 30, 2005
Author: Amazon User

This is a brilliant game about life on the farm for gameboy advance. You plant crops, raise animals, marry the girl of your dreams and start a good farm life.

There are loads of different crops to grow, you can keep chickens, sheep and cows, and marry one of six girls: Mary, Ann, Karen, Popuri, Elli ad the goddess. You can see how much each girl likes you by the colour of the heart on their protrait when you speak to them (with the exception of the goddess).

Time passes and 1 day = 12 minutes in our time. You need to earn money, and can take part in loads of festivals, from chicken festivals to beach day to the music festival in the church. You get to know the characters around the village really well,

It is the best game I have ever played.

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