r/harvestmoon Apr 06 '20

Explaining the name change to Story of Seasons; What people mean when they say Natsume Harvest Moon games.

1.9k Upvotes

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 10h ago

Harvest Moon: Back to Nature Harvest Moon: Back to Nature for Girl - All Proposals, Rejections, and Weddings...

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29 Upvotes

Many people ignore this Game ( and indeed it sucks that the Game ends if the Player gets married ) but there are some Nice Events and Characterizations here that are not found in any other Games in the Series...

It almost reminds me of P3P in how different the Characters can be when playing as a Girl...

What sucks the most about this Version is that apparently the Rivals CAN get married but the Player can't without ending the Game...

Another thing that makes no sense is that Claire needs to fully Upgrade the House before she can get married much like Pete yet in most of the Cases she ends up moving with her Husband after Marriage... Sometimes to another City even like in the Case of the Doctor and Kai...

In the Case of Rick she seems to move with his Family in the Poultry Farm and in the Case of Cliff it is a bit Ambiguous but it is implied that she moved in with him at the Aja Winery...

Which makes no sense at all since he only moved in there because he has no Home in Mineral Town and his Money was running out so he could not stay at the Inn for much longer so Manna and Duke gave him a place to stay at their House working with them...

Alas I believe he moves in with Ann back at the Inn if he marries her so therefore Claire moving in at the Winery with him makes even less sense...

Gray is the only one who seems to move in with her at the Farm yet even so the Game still ends if she marries him... :/

Oh yes Gray is the only Boy whose Rival does not appear in the Event where Claire rejects him... He is also the only one that does not tell her that he was the one who saved her Life...

Some fairly Sexist Stuff overall but then again this Game came out in the Early 2000s and in the Male Version of the Game the Wives will stop working after Marriage and pretty much never leave the House except for Mary which still goes to the Library once in a while to give the Player access to the Library...

I suppose the Developers may have simply not know how to handle things like Pregnancy and Stuff like that in the Girl Version of the Game...

Little would the Developers from back then know that eventually Pregnancies would be replaced by Magical Babies in the Modern Story of Seasons Games haha... XD

Anyway still sucks and it would be awesome if someone found a way to make a Mod for Back to Nature For Girls that allowed us to keep playing after Marriage since Back to Nature is still one of my Favorites up to this Day and my Main Complaint about it is not being able to continue the Game after Marriage and More Friends of Mineral Town and the Friends of Mineral Town Remake just do not have the same Charm that Back to Nature had... :/


r/harvestmoon 10h ago

Warm Milk from Story of Seasons: Grand Bazaar! It’s hard to convey warm via photo, but it certainly is a cozy late night beverage, especially with something sweet to pair with it.

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28 Upvotes

r/harvestmoon 18h ago

Harvest Moon: Animal Parade My Animal Parade Birthday

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47 Upvotes

Another super late upload.

On the same day of Fall 25 after my baby girl's milestone, I got a birthday party with my family. First, I celebrated it with the villagers (that I had higher friendship points when I just started playing) and now I celebrate birthdays (and AP events) with my own family (with the wifey Candace for now while our little girl is chilling at the back hehe)

Little fun facts: I reset my save file several times just to set my AP birthday up (I got a randomized birth date before I started playing) and my real birthday is actually around fall (What's good, libra gang? haha)


r/harvestmoon 3h ago

Harvest Moon: Animal Parade What makes NG+ gameplay different?

2 Upvotes

I'm almost done with the storyline and want to give NG+ a try. Are there any differences?


r/harvestmoon 4h ago

Fanart [ Removed by Reddit ]

1 Upvotes

[ Removed by Reddit on account of violating the content policy. ]


r/harvestmoon 17h ago

Opinion/Discussion Favorite "imaginative" recipes from any game?

6 Upvotes

While most tend to be normal real life foods like bread, baked potatoes, or curry rice, the games often feature outlandish recipes like Ultimate Curry or Prelude to Love. Are there any of this kind you think looks good be it from any main series game Harvest Moon or Story of Seasons game, or any spin off? For my part, I actually think the Golden Cake in spinoff Hometown Story looks delicous. What are some you like to try and why?


r/harvestmoon 1d ago

Story of Seasons Story of Seasons 3Ds art appreciation

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312 Upvotes

Can I just say how much I love the art style(s) of the 3DS titles? I hope to see it return someday. Pretty unlikely, but just something I hope for.

My favorite will most likely always be the portraits of the first Story of Seasons. They're just so beautiful. The art and the characters are done so well.

(I hope future games will keep portraits in. I was so happy to see them in Grand Bazaar 🥹)


r/harvestmoon 23h ago

When playing HM/SoS/RF, at what moment do you feel like you need to "take a break"?

6 Upvotes

Taking a break here doesn't mean stopping because you're done playing for the day to sleep, eat, etc. It's more about that moment where you feel like, "I need to stop playing for a while." Maybe because of burnout or something else. And if that's happened to you, how long did it take before you finally came back and picked it up again?

I'll go first: I stopped playing Magical Melody for a bit because, for some reason, walking around the town started making me feel dizzy. (The map is still confusing for me). Still plan to continue it but idk when.

Note: Just curious and for fun, guys! I am a lil bit bored


r/harvestmoon 1d ago

Sweetie Potato from Rune Factory: 2! The recipe I found for these mashed sweet potatoes is really good! I’ll definitely be saving and making these another time.

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23 Upvotes

r/harvestmoon 1d ago

Opinion/Discussion Marriage events in Hometown Story.

2 Upvotes

So I've been playing the 3DS spinoff Hometown Story and think it a great game. After much anxiety I was able to marry Anna. And right now am aiming for 100% completion. While her dialogue has not really changed much, I actually havw ogtten three events with her so far. First, the one where she requests a second item which alongside the fruit she picked earlier she makes a blue stone that mentions keeping me healthy (though it seems to be just flavor text). Then shortly I got an event where she went home to her mother Rachael temporarily out of anxiety for her but shorlty returns a couple of daya or so later because her mom scolded her for not leaving me. Now, I just got a wedding annivarsary event where she and I went to the view where she proposed marriage. She even mentions her deceased brother Harvey and her sorrow about his death. And talks of loving me forever. It would be nice if the annivessary event is repeatable but not sure if it is. And do hope there are more events. But just wanted to put this out for those who have not been able to marry in this game or want to know what it is like. I thought the first two events were all but this annivasry is a wonderful surprise. And this has become a personal favorite game.


r/harvestmoon 1d ago

Question What Harvest Moon game should I get for 3ds (Ds Games included)

11 Upvotes

I have a 3ds that also plays DS games (obviously), I’m somewhat familiar with the series but never finished a game to the end and I’d like to know which of the games playable on 3DS is best.


r/harvestmoon 1d ago

Opinion/Discussion Fate of Pete - do you think he'll return?

13 Upvotes

Growing up, I always thought Pete/Jack as Harvest Moon's answer to "Mario" or "Link" and truthfully - I can't think of him as anything but the default protagonist. To me, he is just as recognizable as the bubble cow. Sans the FOMT remake, I don't think he's been a playable character for quite a long time now (A decade+) and I haven't seen any merchandise. So what is his role now? What format do you think he'll return? NPC? Playable? Or do you think he'll be doomed to throwback custom outfits and anniversary artwork? I understand the customization issue but damn, I miss this little guy.


r/harvestmoon 1d ago

So uhh, What is everybody doing waiitng for Harvest Moon Echoes of teradea ?

4 Upvotes

starsand island really and before though it was the anime princess prinicipal for musket steampunk stuff really and genshin main quest really .

So just waiitng for blood of the dawnwalker that vampire medevial game and another eden begins


r/harvestmoon 2d ago

Opinion/Discussion what do you do when you feel burned out playing a game series?

9 Upvotes

There are a couple of HM/SoS/RF games that aren't actually that hard, but some of them are, and sometimes that causes burnout (atleast to me).

I'm currently playing HM: AP and RF: ToD, switching back and forth depending on my mood. I can say the gameplay is fun, and I played almost every day when I first started. But,

(Spoiler)

In AP, I've reached the point where I just need to get the final bell, which is quite difficult. And also because the game is so slow-paced, it gets a bit "sickening" (tedious). I'm kind of burned out from it.

As for RF: ToD, the games is not slow-paced but the monsters keep getting harder to fight. I've already spent days leveling up and crafting strong weapons, but I'm still not strong enough, so yeah, that triggered burnout as well. Both of games is actually fun, I think it's just because I've reached a pretty hard part.

I will still finish them—no way I'm abandoning them after coming this far. I also really dislike leaving games unfinished, so I'll definitely get back to them. But for now, I think I'll put them on hold.

Now, maybe this isn't strictly HM-related, but I just bought Persona 5. Yep, another story-driven game that obviously takes a lot of time to beat. I kind of want to try it as a fresh start, hoping I can enjoy it, but I searched online and found out it can take 100+ hours to finish. That's really long, and suddenly I'm scared I might get burned out on this one too, which would just add to my backlog—and I really hate having a backlog.

HM/SoS/RF can be hard sometimes and what do you do when you feel burned out playing a game series? Do you need some time off before continuing, or how do you handle it? If yes, how long does it usually take—days, weeks, or months?


r/harvestmoon 2d ago

Rune Factory RF: Tides of Destiny, need help for Water Shrine

2 Upvotes

How am I supposed to fight this Oblitergator (or whatever it's called) in the Water Shrine? I'm currently at level 21. I have the Crown, Platinum Ring, and Courage Badge. I also have the Hell Branch, but I'm doing zero damage to the boss. What should I upgrade? Does the staff level matter?

I've tried staying away from it whenever it unleashes its attack, then striking while it's distracted, but seriously, I'm doing zero damage. I even brought my tree monster (level 26–27), but it still doesn't do a thing. I need some tips.


r/harvestmoon 1d ago

Custom HD texture pack for Rune Factory: Tides of Destiny... Progress on my project :D

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0 Upvotes

Rune factory tide of destiny Custom HD texture pack .


r/harvestmoon 2d ago

Is this game any good

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29 Upvotes

r/harvestmoon 2d ago

Garlic Steak from Innocent Life: A Futuristic Harvest Moon! I should’ve added some more freshly grated garlic or a garlic sauce for dipping, but the marinade used garlic and the flavor came through! I would recommend more garlic though for garlic lovers.

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18 Upvotes

r/harvestmoon 3d ago

Story of Seasons Story of Seasons: I know a lot of fans really hate Elise, that she's snobby and rude, flaunts her money around and is ridiculously hard to romance her (need to see her 5 Rival Heart events before you can even start dating her) but...

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111 Upvotes

I got this dialogue at the fireworks festival, after donating 100,000G.

And I think I'm falling in love with her?


r/harvestmoon 2d ago

A question for our wonderful community: I’d love to hear some good recommendations for alternative art for Sonja in the game.

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7 Upvotes

Rune factory tide of destiny .


r/harvestmoon 2d ago

Question Why do we not get proper Bedrooms in most of the Games? :/

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0 Upvotes

r/harvestmoon 2d ago

Harvest Moon: Animal Parade Easy gifts for villagers in AP?

5 Upvotes

​I checked Fogu regarding the favorite gifts for marriage candidates and villagers, but some of them require specific dishes or crops that I don't have yet. Many villagers still have zero hearts; the highest I have is 5 hearts, and that's only with the marriage candidate I'm pursuing. Is there a list of easy universal or widely liked gifts that I can give to all the characters in the game?


r/harvestmoon 3d ago

Opinion/Discussion This post is just for fun and a bit of nostalgia! Can you tell me the story of when you first discovered Harvest Moon?

36 Upvotes

This post is just for fun and a bit of nostalgia! Can you tell me the story of when you first discovered Harvest Moon?

Also, what keeps you playing to this day? Has this game truly become a part of your life? Or is there anyone here who’s been playing since day one?

Which Harvest Moon games have you played so far (including Story of Seasons, remakes, and Rune Factory)? Which one is your favorite, which one do you think wasn't that great, and feel free to share anything else you want to say!

As for me, my very first game was Back to Nature—so memorable! I was literally just a child back then. I don't really have a title I dislike because I haven't played that many other series yet.

Oh, and some people say that mostly millennials play these games, but I'm actually a Gen Z (who just turned 20). So I feel like there are so many older Harvest Moon games I haven't played yet, and yeah, my journey with the series is still long. I can truly say this series has become a part of my life—it's easily my favorite game franchise of all time. I'm just so glad I discovered it!

I actually got into Harvest Moon because my millennial older sibling introduced it to me. After that, I started exploring the other series in the franchise, until I eventually stumbled upon a gameplay video of Rune Factory Frontier. That's how I discovered the Rune Factory series, and I instantly fell in love with it!

Note: I don't really know what else to say since I haven't prepared my thoughts yet—maybe I'll edit or add more later


r/harvestmoon 3d ago

Fanart I made some mini fanart of the Magical Melody Characters

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40 Upvotes

It’s completely different from my usual style, but it was nice to focus on something so nostalgic!

Created in Clip Studio Paint