Tuesday, March 4, 2008

Ann's Birthday in Harvest Moon Boy & Girl

I always suspected that the deck was stacked a little in favour of Ann in Friends of Mineral Town. In Harvest Moon Boy & Girl, I have similar suspicions. Some say that your childhood playmate will turn out to be whichever girl you marry, but I always believed it to be Ann, irrespective of your ultimate choice of spouse.

In any event, there are a few events that involve Ann that are worth experiencing in Harvest Moon Boy & Girl. One of these is her Birthday Party at the Inn.

I was a little tardy with this one, as I had become too accustomed to Harvest Moon DS and Harvest Moon Cute DS... in those games, you cannot access your postbox. In FoMT and MFoMT, many wonderful surprises would come via postal service, but it had been a long time since I played either of those games.

It therefore was 20 Summer before I ever looked at the postbox, idly wondering whether or not the option existed in HMBG... I was deluged with old post! First, there was the announcement from the Supermarket to the effect that the Large Rucksack now was being offered. As I had purchased it the first day it appeared on the shelf, that notice was irrelevant.

The next notice was from the Clinic, to the effect that Bodigizer XL now could be purchased. As I felt that the price of these medicines was too high, especially in view of the potency of the Hot Spring, that too was not important to me.

It was the third item of post, however, that made me extremely wroth with myself. This was an Invitation to Ann's Birthday Party at the Inn on 17 Summer. I had forgotten that her birthday was celebrated at the Inn in FoMT and MFoMT, and had played through her birthday in HMBG, merely giving her a Spa Egg at the Goddess Spring in the morning...

I realised I had to experience the event, even if I did not save the results afterwards... Unfortunately, being of a stubborn and obsessive disposition, I knew secretly that once I went back in time to experience it, I would continue with that path, losing the work I had done from 17 Summer through 20 Summer in other slots...

There was one more announcement, this one from Doug to the effect that the Inn would be open from 6.00 p.m. on 17 Summer. Now, this announcement is rather misleading. To me, it would imply that the party would be AFTER 6.00 p.m. but in fact, what it means is that you must go to the Inn at any time between 11.00 a.m. and 6.00 p.m. if you wish to experience the Birthday Party Event.

Having resigned myself to the idea of replaying three days of the game, I performed all my usual chores and then took a spa egg to the Supermarket to have it gift-wrapped. At noon or thereabouts, I went to the Inn to see what would occur. (I was uncertain at this point of the meaning of Doug's announcement.)

The event in fact triggered when I entered the Inn shortly after noon. My rival Cliff was there as well as Ann and Doug. Both cake and pie were displayed on the table. Ann and Doug both appeared to be delighted to see me and Cliff was his usual morose self, muttering sadly about his sister, harping on her resemblance to Ann.

When I gave Ann her gift-wrapped egg (very nicely wrapped, I must say!), she was thrilled, telling me with great courtesy that my mere presence was gift enough, but obviously pleased by my offering.

The only negative result of this event is that it ends only at 6.00 p.m., thereby depriving me of about half of my ordinary working day as well as the shipping deadline. No matter... Ann's heart was boosted to green by the event and I now may be able to persuade the Harvest Goddess to place her in the role of 'sweetheart' for the Hot Spring Event.

5 comments:

Mountain Gnome said...

Hi Freyashawk

When I was playing I did not know that Ann like spa-boiled eggs and instead I gave her a necklace, also nicely wrapped which she was equally pleased with I think, although am not quite sure, as she is such a tomboy!

Isn't it curious that no matter what you wrap, the end result is a flat parcel! :-)

With regard to the shipping deadline: I seemed to notice that even if you missed the 5pm deadline, the shipped goods would be collected the next day. What I could not work out though was if there was any decrease in their value if they had been sitting in the shipping bin for a whole day?

Keep well
Shaggy

Freyashawk said...

Actually, in the original Harvest Moon games for the GameBoy, ANY item placed in the shipping container after 5.00 p.m. would be discarded as rubbish and would have NO value at all. I found that too cruel for words... by the time FoMT and MFoMT were made, the creators had become more merciful. You can place items in the shipping container at any time of the day or night. You will receive payment for all items placed in the bin after 5.00 p.m. at the end of the NEXT business day. There is no decrease in value as far as I can see in HM B&G.

So far, the nicest bonus was the payment Ann gave me for the 3 eggs delivered directly to the Inn for a week... Too bad she stopped that after 7 days...

Players do need to be aware of the fact that the characters' likes and dislikes in HMB&G are a little different from other HM games. If you play FoMT or MFoMT, Ann will be very upset by the gift of a necklace or any other jewelry. Elli, who loves ALL flowers equally in HMB&G, no longer likes Moondrop in FoMT/MFoMT and in HM DS/Cute DS. There are small differences between FoMT/MFoMT and HM DS/Cute DS, but very few. The big differences are seen in HM B&G when compared with FoMT/MFoMT.

Natalie said...

Hi Freyashawk.

Ann is hard in the aspect of courting.The only easy item she really likes is a Spa Boiled Egg.
Also, you never know if she likes a gift or not, as she is too polite to decline a gift with a rude saying.Ann is a strange one....

Anyhow, Popuri is dificult in as anything with eggs is what she likes.Chickens cost half of 2000 gold added with 500 gold=1500
That is alot for just starting out a game.

Mary is quite easy as you only gift her bamboo shoots, which are cheap when shipped.She also likes toadstools and grass, but I would not give grass as it has the best value of the natural resources found.

Elli is easy as well, as you give her Toyflowers and cannot be shipped so she would be the ideal bachelorette to save you money.

Karen is the bachelorette you would spend most money on, as one of her favorites is Wine.Giving her flowers WOULD increase her Affection but not as wine.

I am courting Mary AND Elli in one file in FoMT, and Karen on the other.Well...I married Karen and we had a baby already!Karen....and me...forever!She was the one I liked from when I saw her.
My friend is always pushing me about courting Popuri instead, as her favorite is Popuri.

All best wishes
Natalie

HarvestKid989 said...

Hi! I LOVE Harvest moon, but i don't wqant to get all fancy in it! I just found out about some stuuf today, like the different levels in mines,and the jewles, and it scares me! Now im not enjoying harvest moon for fun because i saw all these cheats like how to get money in 50 years and stuuf, and it scary! any advice?

HarvestMoonForeverAndEver!!! said...

Hi,
I am so addicted in Harvest Moon:Boy and Girl especially Doc.I am in love with him! But aside from red/blue/green grass(that we can gather in the mountain), what else is his favorite? I don't like Gray because he is only the grandson of the Blacksmith (i don't like him,a little!). I really like Doc! And please, give me also some advice on what will be my daughter/son look like if i'll marry him. And what will be our house look like also? Aside from mining,farming,animals(taking care) and gathering something in the mountain (especially during Fall),how can I earn money more to buil my house? Harvest Moon: Boy and Girl ok.Please help me.

Wish you more luck(especially in Harvest Moon),
Rania