Secrets of the Kappa in Harvest Moon

Although there are far more important aspects of Animal Parade to cover still, I couldn't resist the opportunity to deal with traditional mythology in Harvest Moon, one of my favourite subjects. Here is a little video about the Kappa as he appears in FoMT, MFoMT, Harvest Moon Boy & Girl and Animal Parade.



There was another old GBA game that featured the Kappa. I seem to recall that you could catch him and force him to give you special items in the form of weapons and armour. If any one can remember which game this was, post a comment. It may have been 'Lunar Legend' but I am not certain...

Bizarre (Imaginary) Harvest Moon Contest

There was a time when I posted 'Harvest Moon Trivia' contests on the IGN message board. It was fun to think up the questions and fun to see how quickly other fans would answer them.

This morning I thought of a truly bizarre (imaginary) Harvest Moon contest: a contest to make Dorothy's Chocolate Cookies according to Cammy's recipe. Would any one have the courage not only to attempt the recipe but to try the dish that resulted? Can you imagine???

Here are the ingredients again as given in the Event:

Me: They don’t taste much like chocolate… in fact… just what did you put in them to create a flavor like this…?
Dorothy: Ah… well… it’s a secret recipe, but…
Dorothy: Lamp Grass, Scorpion Pinch, Tuna, Carrots, Onions, Pineapple…
Me (with tear): Okay… you’re upsetting my stomach. Please, that’s enough…
Me (with many tears): Why did you put all of that stuff in it?
Dorothy: But… I just followed the recipe as shown in this book…
Me: I see… that sounds like an odd recipe. Can I take a look?

Unfortunately, it's an impossible task in our world as I doubt any one can find 'Lamp Grass' or 'Scorpion Pinch'.

There always have been odd recipes in Harvest Moon games. Remember how one could make the Suns in FoMT and MFoMT? In those days, we wondered about their uses... Now, of course, we know that they are extremely useful and can be placed in a convenient Basement or Greenhouse to grow crops out of season. Even the 'Winter Sun' has its use, to allow Fruit Trees to progress through their natural growing process to bear fruit when planted in a Greenhouse.

If only we could make 'Elli Leaves' in the real world. How wonderful to be able to take 'Failed' or 'Burnt' Food and transform it into an exotic leaf that restores energy!

Birthdays in and out of Harvest Moon

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As it is my birthday in this world, I thought that a worthy goal in IoH would be to move forward to my birthday there and see how my husband Vaughn will celebrate it.

Unfortunately, I am a slow player, but I am determined to reach 4 Autumn in my game, and I will report the results if I manage it. I really would like to see how the taciturn Vaughn responds to the occasion...

Well, too much of my real and Harvest Moon birthday was spent caring for livestock and building a new pen for my Chickens, but in the end, I was able to make it to 4 Fall in time to experience my Harvest Moon birthday rather late at night on my real birthday.

Sad to say, as in previous (unmarried) years, NO ONE on the Island acknowledged the fact that it was my birthday. I'll have to choose a different birthday in the next game to see if this makes a difference. IoH is the first Harvest Moon game where another character shares my birthday. It is Nathan whose birthday falls on 4 Fall.

I don't think it makes a difference though. If other players have been wished a Happy Birthday by random villagers in IoH, please let me know.

Even my husband, Vaughn, ignored the occasion completely in the morning when I spoke to him and gave him his usual gift.

After 6.00 p.m., however, I was able to trigger a birthday event as follows:

A Special Occasion

Vaughn: You’re home.
You finish work for the day?

I’m finished.
I’m not finished.

Vaughn: What’s today?
This one’s easy.

Our Anniversary
My Birthday

My Birthday

Vaughn displays a big red heart.

Vaughn: That’s right.
Happy birthday!

Vaughn: Take the day off.
Let’s celebrate.
I got a cake.
Let’s eat.

My thoughts: That was so sweet.
What a great birthday!

End of Event.

I don't wish to sound spoiled, but it occurred all too quickly. I barely had time to look at the table before the event was over... I'll have to trigger it again to enjoy it more fully. Actually, I need to experience it again and this time give the incorrect response to see how he reacts if I tell him I think it's our Anniversary!
That always is fun in Harvest Moon.

Incidentally, the birthday celebrations in ToT are sumptuous occasions. Actually, the table setting for any holiday celebration in ToT once you are married is absolutely wonderful!

(How many players recall the error in FoMT where you had to answer incorrectly when married to one of the girls or risk her wrath? Apparently the programming had gone awry. I'd have to refer to my game journals to be certain, but I think it occurred when you were married to Elli and had a child.)

Later:

I reloaded and gave the wrong answer, telling Vaughn that it was 'Our Anniversary' to see how he'd respond. He was really sweet about it, actually. He told me that I must be exhausted in order to forget my own birthday. Of course, this prompted him to tell me to go straight to bed, not being allowed to eat the food on the table. (Two pieces of white cake, two red drinks)

It was only when I reloaded yet again, to play it through properly for the final time that I noticed a detail I had missed the first time. When I gave the incorrect response, my Fullness was down. I awakened the next morning with my Fullness diminished... When I replayed it for the final time, giving the correct answer, my Fullness was down but when I awakened after sharing the cake and drink with Vaughn, my Stamina and Fullness bars both were filled completely. Like many of the food festivals in IoH, therefore, the Birthday Celebratrion fully fills both Stamina and Fullness. I love the little details like this in Harvest Moon. So much care goes into the programming.

Winning the Sheep Festival in Harvest Moon

Experienced players know that, in most Harvest Moon games, any Sheep who is not fully grown, is pregnant, sick or has been sheared will not be eligible for entry in the Sheep Contest.

In Island of Happiness, the Sheep Contest occurs on 19 Spring. Another difference between Island of Happiness and FoMT/MFoMT or HM DS/Cute DS is the fact that Sheep can be sheared every four days rather than only once each week.

Imagine my embarrassment and disgust when Mirabelle told me that the Sheep I had been grooming for the Sheep Festival, who had 10 Hearts and therefore definitely would win was INELIGIBLE for entry because I had miscounted the days when I last sheared her!

I was forced to enter a Sheep with only 2 Hearts. On the day of the Sheep Festival, my Sheep with 10 hearts had a full coat of wool, one day too late...

I had to listen to all the characters at the Festival as they advised me to 'try harder' and to 'take better care' of my animals in order to be able to win next year. So humiliating.

Just a brief note to players to make certain NOT to shear any Sheep he/she intends to enter in the Sheep Festival the week before the Contest. I do mark the date for 'last shearing' in all my Event Calendar Guides and will do so in my Island of Happiness Calendar Guide as well.

As only one slot is allotted to each game in IoH, I could not correct my error and will be forced to wait until next year to win the Sheep Contest. Oh well...

The Magic of Alexandrite and Harvest Moon

One of my favourite gems both in Harvest Moon and in the 'real world' is Alexandrite. It is a gem that was discovered in Russia in the first half of the 19th century and named after the young boy Tzar, Alexander II, as it displayed the Russian Imperial colours. Natural Alexandrite was very rare when Russian mines were the sole source of the gem, but fairly recently, it has been found in other countries and on other continents, including Brazil and Africa. Alexandrite that is found outside Russia does not display quite the same colour change as the original Russian Alexandrite, however. Russian Alexandrite changes from green to purple in artificial light.

Alexandrite is one of the rarest gems that can be found in mines in Harvest Moon games and players who are observant will discover that it displays the same colour change as Alexandrite in the real world when your character takes it outside. It is details like this that make Harvest Moon games so exceptional.

In Harvest Moon, the Alexandrites found in the mines usually are faceted gems, but when it is fashioned as a cabochon, Alexandrite has the chatoyance that characterises 'cat's eye' gems. In fact, the word chatoyance is derived from the French 'oeil de chat' which means 'eye of cat'. A cat's eye gem is one with a magical lustre that gives the impression of an eye with a shining pupil. It is similar to a 'star gem', the difference being that a cat's eye has a single line of shimmering light that runs from one end of the cabochon to the other, while a star gem has three lines that cross one another in a star formation. Sapphires and rubies are gems that in cabochon, display stars. Alexandrite, like Tiger's Eye, displays a 'cat's eye'.

I am including some photographs of natural Alexandrite, both in faceted and cabochon form. (Cabochon is another word that is derived from French, in this case, a Middle French dialect, from the word 'caboche', meaning 'little head'.) It may surprise some individuals to learn that the central red gem in the ring that includes six small Alexandrite cabochon gems (3 on either side) is a Sapphire and not a Ruby. In the ring that has three faceted gems, the smaller purple gems on either side of the central Alexandrite are Tanzanite. Alexandrite as a fairly uncommon gem even now tends to be set in unusual ways, with other unusual gems. I included a gorgeous ring with three Alexandrite cabochons because the stones have a very defined chatoyance, unlike the small accent cabs surrounding the Sapphire on the other ring.

The two screenshots from IoH show Alexandrite from the Mine when it is in your character's Rucksack, both outside in the sunlight and inside under artificial light. What is interesting about this and quite different from Alexandrite in other Harvest Moon games is that the Alexandrite in IoH appears to be from Brazil, displaying an orange tone rather than the purple or purple/red of the original Russian Alexandrite from the Ural mines.

Among others, you will find Alexandrite in Friends/More Friends of Mineral Town, Harvest Moon DS/Cute DS and Island of Happiness. In Island of Happiness, its shape is quite different from the emerald cut found in FoMT/MFoMT and HM DS/Cute DS.

A Note of Caution: Two of the rings shown in these photographs are very expensive and I do not own these beauties myself. If you are interested in obtaining Alexandrite yourself, beware of synthetics. Very often, what is advertised as 'genuine' Alexandrite is lab-created and synthetic. If that does not matter to you, you should be able to find synthetic Alexandrites that are very inexpensive but if you are looking for a natural gem, find a reputable dealer. One of my own personal ambitions is to own a very fine Alexandrite ring someday. I do own one beautiful cat's eye Alexandrite but it is extremely small, far too small to be anything more than an accent stone in a custom-made piece. I bought it at a Gem Fair a few years ago. (I am a miner at heart, I suppose, fascinated with all gems, minerals and ores.)

If you would like to know which Events you have experienced...

Players often become confused as to which Heart or Rival Heart Events they have experienced. This can occur because a player stops playing the game for awhile and then returns to it or it can occur simply because a player is unaware of the significance of an Event when it is experienced.

Whatever the reason for the confusion, I always include a section in my Courtship and Marriage Guides for the actual text of every Heart and Rival Heart Event in the game. Whether it is 'Friends of Mineral Town', 'More Friends of Mineral Town', 'Harvest Moon DS' or 'Harvest Moon Cute DS', you can find the text of all Romantic Events in the 'Heart Events and Rival Heart Events Guide'/'Courtship and Marriage Guide' for the game you are playing.

The section that gives the text of the Events therefore is not intended to be a 'spoiler' but rather an aid to gameplay. Much time and energy can be saved if you know which Events you have experienced and which you still need to trigger. Knowing which Events are Heart Events and which constitute Rival Heart Events is important as well. By including the text of the Events, heartache and heartbreak can be avoided! If you wish to marry the girl/bachelor yourself and have experienced three of the four Rival Heart Events without realising it, reading the Text section of the Guide can alert you to the situation, allowing you to avoid the 4th and Final Rival Heart Event that would deprive you of your intended spouse forever.

Separate sections in the Guides are devoted to each of the Eligible Girls or Bachelors in the game, giving the individual's birthday, schedule, likes and dislikes and a full schedule of each of his/her Heart and Rival Heart Events.

The Romance guides include detailed information on Courtship and Marriage in general, with all requirements for Marriage.

Links to ALL my Guides, including Courtship and Marriage Guides, are included on the right side of this page.

Spring Horse Race Exploit in HM Boy & Girl as well

Many years ago, when playing FoMT, I discovered that I could take my Basket to the Races and winning Medals, purchase a total of 39 brooches there, placing 30 in the Basket, 8 in my large rucksack and 1 in my hands, leaving my Basket at Rose Square until I could throw the brooch in my hands into the shipping container at home.

This provided sufficient wealth to allow me to purchase every possible upgrade and as many seeds as any farmer could desire before the end of Spring in the first year.

When More Friends of Mineral Town was released, I discovered I could use the same exploit in that game. Furthermore, racing was fairly predictable up to a point and it helped immensely that one could save the game directly before one entered Rose Square, making it easy to reload if the wrong horse won.

One can use this trick up to a point in Harvest Moon Boy & Girl as well. I have not tested it with the Basket yet because the races are wildly unpredictable and I grew tired of reloading the entire day. As you can save your game only at the point of going to bed at night, you have to replay the entire day if you wish to replay any part of the day, including the Races on 18 Spring.

If you can bear it though, prior to the point where you can win enough Medals to be able to purchase the Power Berry, you can trade your Medals for Earrings at the cost of 33 Medals each. Earrings ship for 2000G. As the price of any ticket is 50G, even if you bet on a horse with odds of 1 to 1 in the First Spring to win only 33 medals on a bet of 33 Medals, you can purchase Earrings and ship them for 2000G, giving you a profit of 350G. If you win on a horse at better odds, obviously you can buy more earrings and make a greater profit.

The problem here is that the results really are completely random and not even related to ordinary probabilities. A horse going off at even odds can lose to a horse that goes off at 13 to 1 odds. It happens frequently! As previously stated, if one could reload at the point of entering Rose Square, it wouldn't be so bad, but when one must replay the entire day, it becomes an exercise in frustration.

Your best chance to win enough Medals for the Power Berry is when you first race your own horse. Your first opportunity is the Spring of the second year. As it will be the horse's first race, the odds will be very high. If you can win at those odds, you should be able to purchase the Power Berry.

All other prizes, apart from the Earrings, are not worth the investment. A ticket costs 50G. A Truffle costs 12 Medals, making its price higher than its shipping value of 500G. The other Jewelry items, although they COST more, do not ship for more than the Earrings. All jewelry ships for 2000G.

When the Lumber is offered AFTER your purchase of the Power Berry, you should be at a point in the game where you never will need that quantity of Lumber again. By the end of the first year in fact, you probably will have all building upgrades including the Hothouse. It therefore always is better to exchange medals for Earrings and then ship them. Of course, once you have lived through a year or so, you probably won't need the profit from ANY shipments and therefore may wish to give away the jewelry instead of shipping it. That is your choice, of course.

You always could opt to trade your Medals for Bodigizer XL or Turbojolt XL but by then, you should have a full kitchen and be able to make food items that work almost as well and cost far less...

Down Memory Lane... FoMT and MFoMT

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Thinking about marriage in Boy & Girl reminded me of Friends of Mineral Town and More Friends of Mineral Town, two of the greatest games ever made. In the days when I played FoMT, it never occurred to me to take screenshots of my games. I captured events in words. In fact, that was the start of my first game guide. Unfortunately, I cannot find my original game where I was married to Karen. I did, however, manage to find two old games. In one I was married to Elli and had a child. In the other, I had married Mary quite recently.

You will see the infamous mouse-eared child in both FoMT and MFoMT I am including some scenes from an old MFoMT game. My husband is not in evidence... so you will have to guess which one of the guys fathered this particular mouse-eared child!

When I revisited my old lives, I took a quick peek into my Refrigerator and Shelf and was thrilled to find that all my sentimental treasures remained safe... I include a photograph of the 'treasures' from the Blue Heart Events in MFoMT. I have all the gifts from the girls in my Shelf in FoMT, naturally.

For those who never played FoMT or MFoMT but who have played 'Boy & Girl', I am including a photograph of the 'White Flower of Happiness'. In MFoMT, you can obtain this flower more than once.

Here is the ultimate proof as well of the hours I put into research for my guides, for better or worse. My mother would be horrified at what she would consider a colossal waste of time and energy but to me, a job worth doing at all is worth doing properly. A life worth living is worth living properly and I consider my Harvest Moon lives to be 'real' on some plane of existence.

The 'Big Bed' in Harvest Moon

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Any one familiar with classical Harvest Moon games knows about the 'Big Bed'. It is, not surprisingly, one of the requirements for marriage. If you don't have a 'Big Bed', no one will marry you? Is it a question of wealth and status? No! It's a very practical one. Another person would not be able to fit in your small bed with you and certainly not a spouse AND a child.

In Magical Melody, the Large Beds can be purchased at the Workshop but in Mineral Town and Forget-Me-Not Valley, you have the luxury of 'catalogue shopping' via the Shopping Network.

Many new players of Harvest Moon become agitated when the bachelor or woman of their dreams has been courted, has reached red heart level but will not accept the Blue Feather. If all heart events have been experienced, the reason for rejection often is the lack of a Big Bed in the house.

Harvest Moon games are founded on practical logic for the most part. The Shopping Network will not offer a Kitchen until you have expanded your tiny house once. There simply would not be enough room for it! With similar logic, the Shopping Network will not offer the Big Bed until you have expanded your house TWICE. Again, there would not be sufficient space for a large bed if you do not expand twice.

In Harvest Moon DS and Harvest Moon Cute DS, the Big Bed will be the next item offered as soon as your second house expansion is completed. That is why I do not expand my house for the second time until I have purchased ALL Kitchen implements. I feel that it is far more important to complete my Kitchen and be able to cook all dishes than to have a Big Bed that I will not use until later in the game...

At this point in my own game, on Saturday, 24 Autumn, I have two bachelors at deepest red heart level and the other ordinary bachelors at Orange Heart Level. I have experienced all four heart events for each of the ordinary bachelors. My second house expansion was completed this morning and as it is Saturday, the Big Bed should be offered today. As I rescued over 60 Sprites, thus rescuing the Harvest Goddess, my Blue Feather will be accepted if I offer it now.

It was at this point that I discovered a very interesting twist to the game. Although my house expansion has been completed today, if I access the Shopping Network Channel BEFORE I go outside to speak to Gotz, the item that is offered will be the 'Clock' instead of the 'Big Bed'! If, however, I go outside and speak to Gotz to receive his official annoucement of the completion of my 2nd house expansion, the item that will be offered today will be the Big Bed!

I never would have known this if I had completed my 2nd house expansion on a day other than Saturday. It is a small detail but potentially useful if any player goes into a panic, finding that the Clock is on the agenda when he/she expected the 'Big Bed' to be offered! In my game, actually, it was the 'Big Bed' that was offered, but I had gone outside to speak to Gotz before I accessed the Shopping Channel... I then decided to reload my game, to see what would occur if I didn't speak to Gotz...
My theory that the Shopping Network somehow was connected to Gotz' announcement proved to be accurate. I was offered the 'Clock' instead. All I had to do then was reload the game once again and speak to Gotz before I accessed the Shopping Channel.

It is situations like this that prompted me initially to write guides for Harvest Moon. I delight in these little 'puzzles' and feel a small sense of triumph when I solve them. Most often, the emails I receive from players ask questions that are answered in my guides but once in a great while, I get a question that is based on a peculiar set of circumstances such as the one I have described here. Now this information will be added to my Cute General Guide as well as my Courtship and Marriage Guide. Always speak to Gotz FIRST before you access the Shopping Network if your 2nd house completion occurs on Saturday.

For those players of 'Friends of Mineral Town' and 'More Friends of Mineral Town' who wonder how they will be able to order items from the Shopping Channel without having a telephone, the answer is: use the telephone at the Inn. You will find it on the bar counter. It costs only 10G to use. Watch television on Saturday in order to be offered the next item by the Shopping Network, then go to the Inn and use the telephone to order it. Zack will deliver it on Monday. If you try to use the telephone at the Inn without having watched the television first, you will not be able to purchase anything. You actually must watch the programme on television.

Similarly, in HM DS and HM Cute DS, you must watch the Shopping Channel before you use your telephone to ring TV Shopping. If you receive the message: 'There's no answer.', it will be because you are trying to contact them outside of business hours. Wait until 9.00 a.m. and try again.

Incidentally, business hours for all shops and businesses are included in my guides but in HM DS and HM Cute DS, they can be found in your BOOKS as well. Go to your bookcase and you will find a wealth of information about shops, crops and other aspects of life in Forget-Me-Not Valley. (In the U.K./European version of HM DS, there is no way to access your books. That version was NOT made by Natsume, by the way. I suggest that players in Europe order from a distributor in the U.S. via internet in order to be able to play the game the way it was intended to be played. Worse than the deprivation of the books is the fact that the Mineral Town characters cannot be unlocked in the European/U.K. version! It really is inferior in many respects to the Natsume version BUT it does contain ALL the nasty glitches such as the 'freeze file glitch'. So go Natsume ALL THE WAY.)

For those who have not experienced the glories of 'catalogue living', I have included a couple of photographs of the 'Shopping Channel' when it offers the 'Big Bed'.

Those players familiar with HM DS probably know the signature speech by heart but here it is for those who have not played this marvelous game yet:

That's right, it's that time again! It's surprising, it's exciting, it's catalogue living! It's time for TV Shopping!'

'Today we introduce to you... the 'Big Bed'! It's hard to sleep in a small bed. doesn't that trouble you? Sleep sprawled out on this bed, no problem. This 'Big Bed' is a mere... 10,000G! Call now if you want this!! TV Shopping pays the shipping costs for you!'

The Legendary Harvest Sprites in HM DS and Cute

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Your first Giant Crop either in Havest Moon DS or Harvest Moon Cute DS will give you a chance to see the original Harvest Moon Sprites from Mineral Town, now known as the 'Legendary Harvest Sprites'.

Much to my disgust, I obtained my first Giant Crop in Cute in a file I had no intention of saving as I had jumped ahead by a day or two simply to discover if a specific event would trigger... I therefore had no benefit from it in my game.

Nonetheless, it was a pleasure to meet my favourite Harvest Sprites again. Here you will see the Giant Crop, a Turnip before it is harvested. Another photograph is of Hoggy, one of the Legendary Sprites, as he demands payment for his labours in the form of flour.

Each of the 'Legendary Harvest Sprites' in Mineral Town has a very distinct personality, as there are few of them, unlike the 101 Sprites in Forget-Me-Not Valley. The Valley Sprites each have their own individual responses to gifts and have little remarks that they will make in different seasons at different levels of friendship but they are not as clearly defined in personality as the Sprites of Mineral Town. 'Chef' always placed everything in the context of cooking. 'Timid' was as hesitant as his name would suggest and 'Bold' always was fearsome. Hoggy as one might imagine was greedy in every situation and 'Staid' was the most proper...

There are a number of new events in Cute involving your 'rivals' that did not exist in the original Harvest Moon DS. These events will trigger when you reach 200 FP with the girl. Lumina's 200 FP event makes a reference to the Legendary Harvest Sprites as she will serve you 'historical' tea that was given to your character long ago in FoMT or MFoMT!

Incidentally, when you give the 'correct' response to a situation in these events, you often can gain 20 FP with the girl involved. Giving the 'incorrect' response may or may not affect FP depending on the event.

The Villa is a Hive of Activity

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There are many events that occur at the Villa, apart from the constant stream of regular visitors who come and go on a weekly basis.

The event with Karen is described in another post. There is a rather hilarious event that involves Van and a 'pot' with a history that dates back to Won, another famous character from 'historical' Mineral Town. The premise of Harvest Moon DS (in both male and female versions) is that it occurs hundreds of years AFTER A Wonderful Life and Friends of Mineral Town. Although characters have the same names and same appearance as their predecessors, they supposedly are NOT the same individuals, but rather their descendants.

In the event with Van, he attempts to sell a rare 'pot' to Romana for 10000000G. Romana replies that the price is far too high and asks him to knock off 'three of the 0s'. Van's response is to reduct the price to 1000000G. In the original FoMT and MFoMT as well as AWL/AnWL, Won's rare item was described as a vase rather than a pot. I am not certain if it is simply a different translation of the original Japanese word or if they are two different items.

Other events that occur at the Villa are events with Sebastian in the kitchen and Romana in her bedroom. There are events between Kate and Lumina as well. All these events are based on your friendship level with the parties concerned. Some are triggered at 100 FP but others at 200 FP. Somee will be familiar to players of the original English boy version of HM DS but others are new to English players.

Many players wondered about Mary's movements. She alone of the young Mineral Town visitors never stayed at the Inner Inn. You could not find her in the guest bedroom at 6.00 a.m. nor could you find her on the road from Mineral Town at any hour. In Cute, she is kind enough to explain her whereabouts between 6.00 a.m. and 8.00 a.m. on Monday, the day of her weekly visit.

Although she claims that she works in the locked room, she will not allow you entry! Perhaps she is lost in her creative labours and will not even hear your attempts to enter...

Sly Natsume... Jeff's unshown artwork in Karen's event

It is difficult to express the thrill that a true Harvest Moon fanatic experiences when an event that was eliminated from a previous version of a game finally is experienced. There were quite a few events in the original Japanese version of the boy game of Harvest Moon DS that were eliminated from the English version. These events for the most part apparently have been included in 'Cute'. Every week of gameplay so far, I have been able to experience new events hitherto denied to some one who is not fluent in Japanese.

I had heard of these events, of course and read about them, even done everything in my power to trigger them in the original English boy edition of HM DS. In fact, my contact at Natsume had been unable to tell me categorically whether or not they had been eliminated from the game... there are so many steps in the production of a game from its inception to its completion. Often notes from programmers are sketchy and it is only by playing the game diligently that one can see what is or is not included in the final version.

I am not the only player who does this, of course. There are scores of Harvest Moon fans who attempted in vain to trigger events in the original English boy edition of HM DS. Flurries of emails and board discussions dealt with the situation... Were the events there or not? Were there hidden requirements that none of us had discovered or had they simply been eliminated from the English version of the game? Ultimately, we came to the sad conclusion that they had been 'lost' somewhere along the way in the translation of the original Japanese game to English.

In Cute, I have experienced many of these hitherto 'lost' events effortlessly. When any 'new' event begins, the emotion that I experience is absolutely priceless. It is almost like discovering the 'Holy Grail'. There is that initial moment when one realises one has triggered a new event. Then, as the event unfolds, one recognises it as one of those mythical events one has read about but never had the privilege of experiencing. Such unadulterated delight!

It is almost impossible to express the degree of excitement to any one who never tried to trigger a special event in a game but was unable to do so. In HM DS, one did everything possible to make the event occur:

1. raise the affection and/or friendship levels of the character;
2. try to experience the event in different weather conditions: rain or sun
3. try to experience the event in different seasons
4. try to experience the event at different times of the day and night
5. And then, as a last resort: try to experience the event after marriage

Year after year, during gameplay, one kept these events in the back of ones consciousness. One became fairly certain that they did not exist, but even so...
Again, I was not the only player who was reluctant to admit defeat.

The inclusion, therefore, of all the 'lost' events in 'Cute' is extremely gratifying to any Harvest Moon fanatic. Now we can experience all those events that we read about but never were able to know firsthand. It is rather like finally being accepted as a member of an exclusive club. There is no substitute for direct experience and when Cute is released in English at the end of March, every Harvest Moon fan will have that direct experience!

For those who are new to Harvest Moon, it may be useful to know that there are two types of events. There are events that actually have a potential effect on your character's future and there are events that have no real effect. 'Heart Events' and 'Rival Heart Events' are events that potentially affect your future and/or the future of other characters in the game. You must experience a potential spouse's 'Heart Events' if you wish to marry that individual. You must experience all 'Rival Heart Events' between a couple if you wish to see THEM marry.

Harvest Moon is wonderful in that there are a multitude of events that really affect nothing in terms of success and failure but which can give you more detailed information about the characters. Once in awhile, an event like this can unlock a minor item or be the first in a series of events involving the same character. It is not essential to experience these events, but it adds enormously to the enjoyment and depth of the game.

Meanwhile, here are some photographs from the 100 FP event between Karen and Romana, when Karen asks to see Jeff's painting.

The makers of Harvest Moon often can be rather mischievous! There is a point in the event when Romana invites your character along to see a private exhibition of paintings by Jeff that never have been shown to any one. One becomes very excited at the prospect of seeing new paintings by Jeff... If one had played other Harvest Moon games, one would have seen paintings by Jeff hanging in the Inner Inn in AWL and AnWL as well as many paintings in Mineral Town in FoMT and MFoMT, and of course, there is the painting in Romana's bedroom in the Villa, but here one anticipates that one will be given an opportunity to see new paintings that never have been exposed to the light of day...

What happens then? Both screens go black and your character thinks to herself: 'Hmph... Even after seeing all these, I still don't get his art... I better get back to work.'

Actually, there are quite a few events in both the original Harvest Moon DS and Cute that involve either Romana or Karen. Romana is not as vital a character as she was in A Wonderful Life when only she could provide you with a marvelous watering can that would make your life as a farmer much simpler and she was the one who would give you a cat, but she still is an important character in HM DS where events are concerned.

Karen was the 'hot babe' in Friends of Mineral Town and she only will visit the Valley in Cute if you connect your cartridge to a FoMT or MFoMT cartridge. If you do this, however, you will be able to experience a number of events that involve her.

The ordinary Valley Bachelors of Harvest Moon Cute

I feel rather ashamed of myself today after I may have appeared to slag off the bachelors of Forget-Me-Not Valley by referring to them as 'older men'. They definitely ARE older men, but each has his own charm. I personally may prefer the young boys of Harvest Moon but I ultimately do try to marry each and every one of the potential spouses in my games. I certainly experience ALL the Heart Events of each in EVERY game I play...

I often receive emails from players asking me who the best wife or husband would be in any Harvest Moon game. The fact of the matter is that all are equal in most of the games, apart from 'A Wonderful Life' and 'Another Wonderful Life' where the identity of your spouse DOES influence your child. In Harvest Moon DS, it only influences the physical appearance and clothing of your child... and the appearance of the child is randomly chosen if you marry Skye or become the 'Best Friend' of a magical girl.

In any event, I thought I should give players a little idea of the personalities of the various bachelors.

Griffin is the barkeep at the Blue Bar. He is an older man who is both sensitive and shy, extremely polite and considerate. He actually has a creative side and is a 'closet' musician, as players of AWL and AnWL will recall.

In Harvest Moon Cute, you become aware of this facet of his character when you experience his first Rival Heart Event on a rainy morning, when he confides in Muffy:

Muffy: Hey, Griffin.
Griffin: What?
Muffy: Griffin, didn't you used to be a musician?
Griffin: Yeah.
Muffy: How did you get into music?
Griffin hesitates, then turns to face her.
Griffin: Hmm... I just happened to find an old guitar in the back of this store. It was like it was calling to me to come and play it. And when I asked my dad about that guitar, he said it was one of our ancestor's. Maybe it was that ancestor telling me to play?
Muffy (with music): Yeah. That's a wonderful story. Hey, play for me next time.
Griffin: Got it. I will, sometime.

Speak to him after the event and he will say:
Griffin: I know we promised... I'm a little shy, though.

(This event is Muffy's First Rival Heart Event in the original HM DS)

Gustafa is another one of the 'older men' whom you can marry in the game. He is the resident poet of Forget-Me-Not Valley and is a musician as well, from a long line of musicians. In fact, he will tell you about his heritage when you reach 100 FP with him either in the original HM DS or Cute:

Gustafa: Hey, Freya. How have you been? Is work still busy?
I nod.
Gustafa: Hahaha. You're very straightforward. But I really admire life at the ranch. You always get to pet animals and pick crops, right? I can think of lots of songs. Oops, did I say music? I guess it's in my blood to be a musician after all.
Me:?
Gustafa: My ancestors had been minstrels for the king in the country that they lived. It seems that every one in my family has had jobs involving music. That's why I've been making music since I was born. Since birth, I have followed this chosen path of becoming a musician. That's why you and I are similar. The life at the ranch was chosen for you before you were born, too.
I nod.
Gustafa: There is no 'if' in this world but if I wasn't born into a musician's family, I wonder what I would be doing now. Knowing me, I would've chosen the musician's path. After all, I love music. You probably would've chosen life at the ranch, too.
I nod.
Gustafa: Hahaha. I guess this means that things are good the way they are. Sorry to make you listen to something this boring.
I shake my head.
Gustafa: Now then, I guess I'll go sing.

If you speak to him after the event:
Gustafa: Let's both do our best.

The event that truly epitomises Rock's character is one that occurs in Another Wonderful Life when he faces your dog and later crafts an improbable tale of heroic battle against the pet he has renamed 'Crusher'.

In Harvest Moon Cute, you will discover his nature when you experience his first Heart Event at the beach:

Rock: (!) Hey, Freya. Did you come to look at the sea, too?
I nod.
Rock (with music): The sea's so nice. It's so expansive... Just so beautiful and blue! I love to look at it. Plus, it matches my personality perfectly! It's so big and beautiful. Just like me.
Me: (...)
Rock (?) What's wrong, Freya? You got quiet all of a sudden.
Rosk (with music) Oh, I know! You've been taken aback by how cool I am, huh?

My choices:

Yes, I'm mesmerised.
You disgust me.

With some amused affection for the boastful boy, I chose: Yes, I'm mesmerised.

Rock (with music): Yes, I thought so! You can look at me all you want! I'm not shy! But you have to let me look at you too, then.

Rock: ................

......................
.......................
Rock: (with music)
Me: (?)
Rock: Hahaha, you're pretty funny, Freya. You won't even look at me. Haha!
Me: (!) (displaying large red heart)
Embarrassed, I race from the beach.
Rock: Aww, you're so shy that you're leaving! How cute!

There is no malice in Rock and he is unabashedly lazy and irresponsible. In the original Harvest Moon DS game, it was only Kai who possibly challenged his position as the ultimate charming but rather irresponsible bachelor, although Kai does work hard at his stall at the beach in the summer. In Harvest Moon Cute, however, both Kai and Rock are relegated to the shade by the smooth-talking cat burglar Skye.

It is the 'older men' I intended to showcase in this post, however, and it is Carter and Marlin who need to be discussed now.

Carter is a devoted archaeologist who is driven by the belief that he will discover facts about his ancestors and heritage through his work. He is an avowed
sun-worshipper, as players of AWL and AnWL may recall. He actually shares a tent with his assistant Flora, but although she cooks for him (very badly!), their relationship is properly platonic. You will not be courting a married man if you court Carter!

Many of Carter's statements deal with Flora's cuisine. In fact, it is the focus of his first Rival Heart Event:

Carter was facing the northern wall and Flora was behind him.
Flora; Professor?
Carter: What's the matter, Flora?
Flora: How about Curry Rice for dinner tonight?
Carter (with cross): What?!
Flora: Don't be so picky!
Carter: I'm begging you! Anything but that!
Flora: Grrrr! Are you trying to make me mad?!
Carter: (...) Umm, n... no... Oh no...

Carter evidently is too pedantic for most people as when you visit him at his tent, morning or night:

Carter: Ah. Thank you for coming. Make yourself comfortable. Would you like to talk of ancient ruins? What? You'll 'pass' on that? Very well then...

Apparently, he never has been able to persuade any one to settle down for a long session of archaeological dialogue. One feels rather sorry for him sometimes...

Marlin, if anything, is even more shy about himself than Griffin. He is thoroughly tongue-tied, a little abrupt and unapproachable. I happen to know that many female players are attracted to these qualities, although I would not include myself in Marlin's fan group. In Another Wonderful Life, where there were but three choices in terms of potential spouses, he was my second choice after Rock. (The wedding event with Gustafa, with Gustafa hopping along on his buttocks, just was too awful for words. I cannot look at him even in Cute without recalling it! Gustafa is the ultimate laid-back hippy from the 1960s. Ironically, I really like his character, but find his personal appearance off-putting. I never have liked beards for a start.) This paragraph was supposed to be about MARLIN, not Gustafa...

Marlin demonstrates his almost pathological reticence in his First Heart Event in Cute:

Marlin: (!) ... Hey.... sorry, but Celia is upstairs sleeping. Vesta is looking after Celia right now... If you want to meet with Vesta or Celia, please come another time... Or did you come for me?

My choices:
Want to talk?
OK. I'm leaving, then.

(N.B. In any heart event, your character has two choices of response. One will raise the affection level of the bachelor and the other will lower it. I am including both here. The first response was the correct one obviously.)

I chose: Want to talk?
Marlin (startled): I don't really have anything to talk to you about...
Me (with tear):
My choices now:
Wh... what food do you like?
What do you think of Celia?

Wh... what food do you like?
Marline: ... Why do you ask that?
Me (with tear)
Marlin: ... Well, whatever... Yeah...
... What's my favourite food?
I nod encouragingly.
Marlin: (...) ... I never do have a good answer for that...
I nod again encouragingly, desperately hoping to get SOMETHING out of him.
Marlin: (...) ........................
... My favourite food is...
I nod once again with infinite patience.
Vesta now comes down the stairs:
Vesta: (!) Oh, Freya! You're here. You and Marlin together? Well, that's unexpected! What were you talking about?
Marlin: (Freya... This conversation is over.) Nothing, really... It was no big deal... More importantly... How is Celia feeling?
Vesta: Well, it's no big deal. She's just worn out. I think she'll wake up soon.
Marlin: ... Oh, I see. ... I hope so.

After:

Marlin: ... Let's talk again later.
Vesta: Don't worry! I'll be better soon!

If I had said: OK. I'm leaving, then.
Marlin: ... Oh, OK. ... Fine. Sorry that every one worth talking to is busy. .... See you.
Vesta comes down the stairs after I leave.
Vesta: ? Oh, is somebody here?
Marlin: It's not important. How is Celia feeling?
Vesta: Well, it's no big deal. She's just worn out. I think sh'll wake up soon.
Marlin: ... Oh, I see. ... I hope so.

As you can see, you will not even discover Marlin's favourite food in this event. Oddly enough, it was an important question, as each individual in any Harvest Moon game has a 'Most Favourite Item' that, when given, will raise his/her affection and/or friendship level. For any one who may be interested in Marlin, I happen to know that his 'Most Favourite' is Elli Leaves, a concoction that is more potent than any other Medicine available in the game. This makes sense when you realise that Marlin's health is as precarious as his ability to socialise. If you meet him outside the farm, he will tell you:

Marlin: Our farm was near town at first, but my ancestors came here looking for more land. It looks like my ancestors were sickly too. It must be hereditary...

I dealt with Skye exhaustively in an earlier post. I will discuss the bachelors of Mineral Town later. Any one who has played Friends of Mineral Town or More Friends of Mineral Town will be very familiar with their characters. Moreover, unless you insert a cartridge of FoMT or MFoMT into your DS, you never will meet any of them in HM Cute...

Harvest Moon Boy and Girl for PSP

Shaggy, a Harvest Moon fan, recently posted a comment on this site to ask if I had created a guide either for 'Back to Nature' or 'Harvest Moon Boy and Girl'. Actually, I never covered 'Back to Nature' but I am about to embark on a new guide venture to create a guide specifically for 'Harvest Moon Boy and Girl' for the PSP. It will take time, as do all my guides, as I am very thorough in my gameplay and base the guides on my own games. I do believe, however, that my existing guides for FoMT and MFoMT (Friends of Mineral Town and More Friends of Mineral Town) will be of assistance in playing Harvest Moon Boy and Girl. Fundamentally, they should be the same game, although Natsume always adds new dimensions to old games when they are created for new platforms. 'Friends of Mineral Town' basically was 'Back To Nature' modified and transformed for the GBA handheld system. 'More Friends of Mineral Town' was the 'Girl' version.

The first guides I ever wrote were guides for Friends of Mineral Town. If you are playing the boy in 'Harvest Moon Boy and Girl', the FoMT General Guide should be useful to some extent until I can create a guide specifically for the PSP game. In similar fashion, my General Guide for 'More Friends of Mineral Town' should be useful in playing the girl in 'Harvest Moon Boy and Girl'. As I have not touched the game yet, however, this is mere hypothesis. I do know, however, that players who were playing 'Back to Nature' often successfully used my FoMT guides for reference.

It will be difficult to put 'Rune Factory' aside, I have to confess. It always is difficult to leave any Harvest Moon game. Investment in terms of time and energy is great and after all, these games represents actual ongoing lives. Like your village in Animal Crossing, your neighbours NEED your continuing commitment and when I am absent for any length of time, I feel I have betrayed my 'community' somewhat. Harvest Moon in particular instils a tremendous sense of 'belonging' and working to restore the farm makes one truly believe one has created a place for oneself.