The latest Story of Seasons title, Story of Seasons: Friends of Mineral Town, is a remake of the classic Harvest Moon titles Friends of Mineral Town and More Friends of Mineral Town. It includes some new features, updates to gameplay, and a huge graphical overhaul. However, the core focus, themes, and storylines remain the same, allowing the game to keep its heart.
So in what way has this classic changed and what new features are there to play with? We take a look at the biggest additions the remake has made as well as the features of the original that remain intact. Here’s how the game is both unique from and identical to its predecessor.
10 Changed: Extra Playable Characters
Originally there were just two characters you could choose to run your farm, Pete from Harvest Moon: Friends of Mineral Town and Claire from Harvest Moon: More Friends of Mineral Town. For players outside of Japan and the US, only the first option was available since the second game was never released in PAL regions.
This update now offers not only Pete and Claire as options but also new characters Yuuto and Naomi. You can immediately choose any of the four characters and there are also two different clothing options per gender to choose from, all with varying color swatches. Extra clothing can also be purchased separately.
9 The Same: Your Favorite Villagers
At first glance it may seem like some of your favorite NPCs are missing, especially with the graphical updates. Rest assured, all the original characters are in the remake, it’s just that some have had their names changed to more closely reflect their Japanese counterparts.
Some are similar, for instance, Ann is now Ran, Elli is Elly, Luu is Lou, Gotz became Gotts and May is now Mei. Less obviously, Doug is Dudley and Stu is Yu. Finally, and most confusingly, Won is now known as Huang and Barley is now Mugi. There are also two new villagers, Brandon and Jennifer.
8 Changed: New Animals And Pets
Alongside the original cows, sheep and chickens are extra variations of these. Chickens can now be brown or white and will lay eggs of their corresponding color. You can also raise coffee cows and produce coffee milk, strawberry cows to gain strawberry milk and fruit cows for fruit milk. You can also have angora rabbits that produce rabbit fur and alpacas that produce alpaca wool.
In terms of pets, horses are still in the game, although your horse is gifted, not purchased, and there are more species of dogs available. This new version also includes brand new pets in the form of cats and far more randomly penguins and capybaras.
7 The Same: A Relaxed Pace Of Life
The game still remains the same at its core. Its focus is still on a relaxed pace of life that lets you explore at the rate you feel comfortable with. While there are stories to uncover, you can take your time learning about this new town you now call home.
Talking to people, giving gifts, and exploring all areas of the village will allow you to uncover all the secrets the town has to offer and there’s no need to rush or run. Just keep taking care of your crops and animals and enjoy the tranquil life.
6 Changed: Inclusive Dating System
Originally player characters could only romance villagers of the opposite sex. However, in this updated version, romantic options are available between any combination of player character and romanceable NPC, regardless of gender. This gives players double the number of heart events and allows for more flexibility.
The Western versions of the game allow same-sex marriages but the Japanese version uses the same inclusive hearts system but labels it as the best friend system.
5 The Same: Harvest Sprites
Veterans will be glad to know that the harvest sprites are still here. The seven cheerful sprites can be found by walking up the path beside the church in the top corner of the map.
Each sprite can be befriended by gifts of their color, or gifts of flour from the general store. Once befriended they will help you on your farm and you may even get an invite to their tea party.
4 Changed: New Festivals
There are a huge number of festivals to enjoy. As well as all the original festivals you can also expect to see all the events from Harvest Moon: Back To Nature. Additionally, new festivals have also been added.
Make sure to use the TV in your farmhouse each morning to keep on top of the upcoming events. They are randomized and you can expect them to change between different saves, although some are tied to specific seasons.
3 The Same: Set Your Own Goals
Just as before, the game still allows you to set your own goals. You could choose to create the most profitable farm, upgrade everything to the maximum level or simply find love, and settle down.
The gaming experience is open-ended and players can decide what they want to achieve. While some things are achieved slightly differently in the updated version, the goals you can aim for remain the same.
2 Changed: Quality Of Life Updates
There are several quality of life updates in the game, which will help newcomers especially. These include the ability to save anywhere at any time to one of eight available save slots.
Players can also choose from two difficulty modes. Normal mode is how the original game worked, while simple mode gives players some ready to harvest turnips, extra gold, and a boost to the money earnt from shipping. It also makes befriending villagers easier.
The other updates are to the mechanics of fishing, mining, and cooking, making them all more user friendly.
1 The Same: Charm
While the game has a fresh coat of paint, its charm remains the same as ever. There’s a reason this title is long considered one of the standouts in the series. It focuses on the basics you want from a game of this type, farming, raising livestock, mining, fishing, and foraging. These are added to the ability to befriend or marry villagers.
The town itself contains some stories to uncover, ways to streamline your workload, and upgrades to strive for. On top of this, the charming characters are still engaging and interesting all these years later. If anything the updated graphics add to the charm.
NEXT: Story of Seasons: Friends of Mineral Town The 10 Best Marriage Partners Ranked
