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Cozy games are some of the best video games to play right now across all platforms. Whether it is a large budget experience like Animal Crossing: New Horizons or a smaller title like Moonstone Island, cozy games are the place to be. But what about the forgotten or misunderstood farming sims and cozy games? This is what we have to say about the most underrated farming sim and cozy game of all time.

Siliconera Speaks Up: Most Underrated Farming Sim and Cozy Game 671x24

Setting aside the (deserved) fan favorites like Stardew Valley, Animal Crossing, and Story of Seasons: Friends of Mineral Town, more people need to check out Trio of Towns and Harvestella. Trio of Towns is up there as the best in its series for me, with such a diverse landscape to explore, varying economies, and so many excellent characters.

Meanwhile, Harvestella didn’t get nearly the attention it deserved. It truly feels like Final Fantasy-meets-Story of Seasons in all the right ways. It was rough around the edges, especially on the Switch performance-wise, but the mix of story, dungeon-crawling, job classes, and farming could easily pave the way for a fantastic sequel.

Finally, my last pick for this category is a much more recent entry. Ova Magica is an indie game that impressed me upon its release earlier this year. It certainly wears its inspirations on its sleeves, but I appreciate that. The charm of farming sim-meets-Pokemon works surprisingly well. Every aspect of the title, from the farming to romance to turn-based battles are terrific. It fares much better than other similar attempts to marry these genres in the past. It is only a shame it is in early access for now. The content is a bit too light at this time. -- Cody

I wasn't immediately intrigued by Fields of Mistria, but after playing it I was really impressed by how quickly and unobtrusively it established the character of its townspeople. I also second Harvestella. That story didn't quite go where I was expecting but I loved it and would love to see more iterations on its ideas. -- Elliot

The post What’s the Most Underrated Farming Sim or Cozy Game? appeared first on Siliconera.

Good Smile Company has opened worldwide pre-orders for its Nendoroid of Claire from Story of Seasons: Friends of Mineral Town. People in the U.S. and Canada can place their orders on Good Smile Online Shop U.S. for $42.99. Those living elsewhere worldwide can instead head to the Japanese international website, where the chibi action figure is available at ￥6,900.

Claire will be the first character from Marvelous' Story of Seasons series that Good Smile Company will make a Nendoroid of. The company announced the initial plan in late July 2023. It later shared images of the unpainted prototype in February 2024.

Good Smile Company has shared new sample images of the fully painted Nendoroid prototype. The earlier prototype featured a turnip that the owner could split to simulate the planting of the upper part. The new sample images confirm that the full set will come with the series' cow and chick, as well as a watering can and a farming field sheet. Claire will also have an alternate facial expression plate that shows her winking.

Claire is the default name for the female protagonist in Story of Seasons: Friends of Mineral Town. The farming life simulation game is readily available on Nintendo Switch, PC, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One. However, the character had been conceived far earlier when Marvelous' Bokujo Monogatari series was still known to the English-speaking audience as Harvest Moon.

Claire made her debut in Harvest Moon for Girl, an alternate version to the PS1 entry Harvest Moon: Back to Nature that was released exclusively in Japan. English-speaking people could play as her in Harvest Moon: More Friends of Mineral Town on Game Boy Advance in 2005 and Harvest Moon: Boy and Girl on PlayStation Portable in 2007.

The pre-order window for the Nendoroid of Claire from Story of Seasons: Friends of Mineral Town will close on May 15, 2024. Good Smile Company will ship the chibi action figure from Japan in September 2024 and North America in Q1 2025.

The post Story of Seasons Claire Nendoroid Comes With Cow and Chick appeared first on Siliconera.

Good Smile Company offered an update on its first Story of Seasons Nendoroid of classic Harvest Moon protagonist Claire at WonHobby 38. This time, the character appeared as an unpainted prototype at the event. 

The official update essentially recreates the concept art shared back in July 2023. That showed the farmer avatar holding a turnip, one of the series’ most iconic crops. The figure is wearing her overalls, has a smiling expression, and has the turnip in her hands. No farm animals, like a cow or chicken, appeared alongside the prototype in the photograph. 

Here’s how Claire is looking so far:

While the most recent appearance of Claire is the remake of Story of Seasons: Friends of Mineral Town, the character first appeared in Harvest Moon: Boy and Girl for the PSP. She also showed up in More Friends of Mineral Town on the GBA and Harvest Moon DS Cute. 

There’s no release window yet for the Story of Seasons Claire Nendoroid, and it is uncertain if this could eventually lead to more figures based on Harvest Moon / Bokujou no Monogatari / Story of Seasons characters. The last entry in the series to be released was Story of Seasons: A Wonderful Life for the PS5, Switch, Xbox Series X, and PC. 

The post Here’s the Story of Seasons Nendoroid of Harvest Moon Staple Claire appeared first on Siliconera.

Story of Seasons: Friends of Mineral Town will be one of June 2023’s new additions to Xbox Game . However, there will also be several departures, including the horror RPG Omori.

Story of Seasons: Friends of Mineral Town is the remake of the franchise’s Game Boy Advance entry. The original game released as Harvest Moon: Friends of Mineral Town in 2003, and it was followed by a "girl's" version called Harvest Moon: More Friends of Mineral Town. The remake released in 2019 in Japan for the Switch, and it also appeared on the PC, PS4, and Xbox One. Its Xbox Game release coincides with the release of the next remake, Story of Seasons: A Wonderful Life.

Here are all the games coming to Xbox Game in the coming weeks. Only The Bookwalker is a day one release.

• June 22, 2023: Need for Speed: Unbound (Cloud, PC, Xbox Series X) via EA Play
• June 22, 2023: The Bookwalker: Thief of Tales (PC, console)
• June 27, 2023: Bramble: The Mountain King (cloud, PC, console)
• June 27, 2023: F.I.S.T.: Forged in Shadow Torch (cloud, PC, Xbox Series X)
• June 29, 2023: Story of Seasons: Friends of Mineral Town (console, PC)
• July 3, 2023: Arcade Paradise (console, PC)
• July 5, 2023: Sword and Fairy: Together Forever (console, PC)

Here are all the games that will be leaving Xbox Game on June 30, 2023.

• DJMax Respect V (cloud, console, PC)
• Empire of Sin (cloud, console, PC)
• Matchpoint – Tennis Championships (cloud, console, PC)
• Olija (cloud, console, PC)
• Omori (cloud, console, PC)
• Road 96 (cloud, console, PC)

Xbox Game Ultimate is $14.99 a month. The PC or console-only versions are $9.99 a month.

Story of Seasons: Friends of Mineral Town is available for the Nintendo Switch, PC, PS4 and Xbox One, and it comes to Xbox Game on June 29, 2023.

The post Story of Seasons: Friends of Mineral Town s Xbox Game appeared first on Siliconera.

The Epic Games Store is now a place people can go for a Story of Seasons game. An installment will appear there on November 30, 2021. Story of Seasons: Friends of Mineral Town, the updated version of Harvest Moon: Friends of Mineral Town and More Friends of Mineral Town will head to the storefront. (As of 10:30am ET, the product page isn't live yet.)

To go along wit the Story of Seasons: Friends of Mineral Town launch on Epic Games Store, it is on sale. It is temporarily 30% off. That brings the price down to $27.99 from $39.99. The game is also the same price on Steam. (The Steam sale also drops the price of its chick, chicken, dog, and sheep costume DLC to $0.99 each.) However, the Steam sale will end on December 1, 2021.

This comes after a major milestone for this entry. Earlier in November 2021, Marvelous confirmed that over one million copies of it sold worldwide. It first showed up on the Nintendo Switch. Then, a PC port appeared. Most recently, it launched on the PS4 and Xbox One.

Story of Seasons: Friends of Mineral Town is now on PCs via Epic Games Store and Steam. It is also available on the Nintendo Switch, PS4, and Xbox One.

The post Story of Seasons Series Makes Its Epic Games Store Debut appeared first on Siliconera.

Marvelous announced sales for Story of Seasons: Friends of Mineral Town have sured 1 million units worldwide. Additionally, Marvelous revealed that Story of Seasons: Friends of Mineral Town is its third game to reach 1 million sales worldwide within the fiscal year. The other two titles are Sakuna: Of Rice and Ruin and Story of Seasons: Pioneers of Olive Town. [Thanks, Gamer!]

Story of Seasons: Friends of Mineral Town originally released for the Nintendo Switch in October 2019 to Japanese audiences. It later released in Europe and North America in 2020. The title was subsequently released for the Xbox One, PC, and PlayStation 4 in North America and Europe. The PlayStation 4 version will release in Japan on November 25, 2021, with the Xbox One version immediately available. Total sales for Friends of Mineral Town includes the Nintendo Switch, Xbox One, PC, and PlayStation 4 shipments of the title. This also includes digital and physical sales of the game.

Additionally, Marvelous announced an update for Story of Seasons: Pioneers of Olive Town will arrive on November 30, 2021. The free update will add additional content to the game that the player can experience after they've restored the town. This includes new abilities and cosmetic items for players to obtain.

Story of Seasons: Friends of Mineral Town is immediately available for the Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, PC, and PlayStation 4. It will release on PlayStation 4 in Japan on November 25, 2021.

The post Story of Seasons: Friends of Mineral Town Sales Sur 1 Million Worldwide appeared first on Siliconera.

XSEED Games announced the worldwide release dates for the Story of Seasons: Friends of Mineral Town PS4 and Xbox One ports. All of them fall in the same month. Australia and Europe will get the remake of the classic farming sim first on October 15, 2021. Then on October 26, 2021, it will appear in North America. That’s one day before the Japanese release of the Xbox One version, which is October 27, 2021. The North American version will also mark the return of Hanako.

Hanako is the Strawberry Cow mascot for the game. If people buy a PS4 or Xbox One copy of Story of Seasons: Friends of Mineral Town through XSEED or select retailer like Amazon, they also get the pocket plush of the pink and white cow. The character was also a pre-order bonus for the Switch version of the game.

Here's the latest trailer for the game.

Story of Seasons: Friends of Mineral Town PS4 and Xbox One versions will arrive in Australia and Europe on October 15, 2021 and in North America on October 26, 2021. In Japan, the Xbox One version will arrive on October 27, 2021, followed by the PS4 version on November 25, 2021. It is immediately available on the Nintendo Switch and PC. The original Harvest Moon: Friends of Mineral Town and More Friends of Mineral Town, upon which this new game is based, are available on the Game Boy Advance worldwide.

The post Story of Seasons: Friends of Mineral Town PS4 Version Arrives in October appeared first on Siliconera.

The people in Mineral Town are about to find more friends. As part of its E3 2021 reveals, XSEED Games announced Story of Seasons: Friends of Mineral Town PS4 and Xbox One ports. The farming simulation will come to both consoles for the first time in Fall 2021.

Story of Seasons: Friends of Mineral Town is a remake of one of the series’ older entries. Harvest Moon: Friends of Mineral Town and More Friends of Mineral Town first appeared on the Game Boy Advance in 2003. In 2019, a Nintendo Switch and PC remake that added content from both versions appeared.

The Story of Seasons: Friends of Mineral Town PS4 and Xbox One versions both will be identical to the ones released worldwide in 2020. People have access to a Simple mode that makes farming a bit easier, gives you extra money to start, and helps you make friends sooner. Most notable are the inclusions of two new love interests. People can romance Brandon and Jennifer in this newest version of the game.

Story of Seasons: Friends of Mineral Town is heading to the PS4 and Xbox One in Fall 2021. It is immediately available on the Switch and PC. Both Harvest Moon: Friends of Mineral Town and More Friends of Mineral Town are available on the GBA.

The post Story of Seasons: Friends of Mineral Town PS4 and Xbox One Ports Revealed appeared first on Siliconera.

Story of Seasons: Friends of Mineral Town is a gateway game in many ways. The original Game Boy Advance title might have been someone’s first exposure to the series years ago, this is the first mainline entry on the Nintendo Switch, and it is the first time a mainline entry is appearing on PCs. To help learn more about the remake and what went into its development, Siliconera spoke with Director Hikaru Nakano. Nakano previously worked on entries like Harvest Moon 64 and Harvest Moon: Island of Happiness, and went over everything involved with bringing this remake to new audiences.

Jenni Lada, Siliconera: How long was Story of Seasons: Friends of Mineral Town in development, and what made it the “right” one to remake?

Hikaru Nakano, Director: If we use the Japanese version as reference, it took about two years from conception to release. We released the title on a new console, the Nintendo Switch, and wanted the people who have never played a Bokujou Monogatari game to experience its charm for the first time through a remake of Friends of Mineral Town.

This title was originally on the Gameboy Advance, and it is a culmination of the early works of the Bokujou Monogatari series that begins with Bokujou 2, and we thought that it would be ideal for new players to be able to get a basic idea of what the series is about. I was a developer for Bokujou Monogatari 2, so I have a special connection with the characters, and that may have also been a reason why we chose this title.

Story of Seasons: Friends of Mineral Town is very clear about stamina levels. What led to all of that being displayed in the UI?

Nakano, Director: It was a result of wanting to make the game extremely easy to digest.

If you work, your stamina drops, and if you eat, your stamina rises. You can increase your maximum stamina by eating a Power Berry. Having the stamina be more visible and being able to literally see the stamina rise and fall would help make that system simple to understand, and we wanted this to be something that was clear.

How long did it take to create the new love interests Jennifer and Brandon, and what goals were there for each one during development? Was one more challenging to work into the story than the other, and why?

Nakano, Director: Jennifer and Brandon are new characters that were added into this title.

It was already decided that we would be adding new characters to the remake of Friends of Mineral Town, so the question was what kind of characters we wanted to create. Our first thought was to create characters that are largely different from the bachelors/bachelorettes. The residents of Mineral Town all have great individuality and are all unique in their own way. If we take Rick, Doctor, and Elli, for example, they are all well-established in the town, are living honest lives, and find their relationships with other residents to be important. In that sense, Mineral Town is accomplished in itself and I thought that having a character with a strong personality could inspire it.

In both a good and bad sense, these two characters are assertive and prioritize their own feelings. They definitely have some clear flaws, but I’m not too concerned with that. They have a strong sense of “this is how I live!” I thought that characters like this could impact Mineral Town in a positive way. Their individuality made it quite simple to create their stories as well.

Story of Seasons: Friends of Mineral Town allows relationships between characters regardless of gender. What led to this decision and what have you received?

Nakano, Director: Harvest Moon DS: Cute had “Best Friend Ceremonies.” This was only available to specific characters, but it allowed two women to have a wedding ceremony. Although it was integrated as a hidden element of the game, we had positive from the fans, and some specific requests to bring it back. If given the chance, it was one of the things that I wanted to include.

One of the running themes for the series is the freedom of choice. We want players to have the freedom to do whatever they please, so regardless of which protagonist is chosen, we want them to be able to partner with their favorite character. With this remake, we wanted to allow players to be able to have a relationship with any of the bachelors/bachelorettes, regardless of what protagonist they choose to play.

As for the response we’ve received, this is basically a first for the Bokujou series, and we’ve received a lot of during development from our peers and from our fans after launch. I will not be going into details, but personally, I would like to think of ways to improve the romance portion of the series so that fans can further enjoy their life within the game.

A PC version is available worldwide alongside the Switch release. How long was it in development?

Nakano, Director: I wasn’t sure if a PC release would actually be possible, but it was something that I had wanted to do from the start, so it was being developed with a PC release in mind from the beginning.

When putting together the Friends of Mineral Town PC version, what did you feel was most important to include?

Nakano, Director: This is the first time we are releasing a Bokujou Monogatari game on the PC, so we wanted it to function exactly the same as the Switch version.

When preparing the PC version of Friends of Mineral Town, was mod ever considered? What is your stance on fans potentially attempting to add new events or content?

Nakano, Director: Modding sounds like a lot of fun.

I think that a lot of people enjoy modding because they feel that it is interesting and fun. Personally, I would like for it to be ed, and to create a game that fans would want to mod.

What element of the Story of Seasons series do you value most and how do you feel that influences each entry’s direction?

Nakano, Director: There is no single way to play the game.

There is a basic structure to the game, where players create their own farm and enjoy their life raising animals, but please keep in mind that the game does not guide you into only doing those things. If fishing is fun, then you can continue to fish the whole time, the same with mining, and the same with creating relationships with the other residents. I aim to let our fans choose what they want to do and enjoy the game in their own way. Because of this, I always work hard to balance each portion of the game.

So many farming and life sims have been influenced by Story of Seasons. Have any of these spin-offs had original elements that have inspired and influenced development of Story of Seasons games?

Nakano, Director: Not sure if those games are influenced by Bokujou Monogatari, but within the same genre, there’re “Animal Crossing” and “Stardew Valley” come to my mind as games that are very high quality, and it’s exciting to see the genre expand.

However, when deg the game, I feel that I’ve been largely influenced by multi-player games such as Ultima Online and the Diablo series. Farmville is another game that left a strong impression on me, that is a little bit closer to the same genre. Seeing the amount of people that you can connect with quickly expand is something that felt unique to this game. In addition, this title allows you to customize your land however you please and allows you to share your creation with others. This isn’t something that is directly translated into the Bokujou series, but the idea behind this game is something that I have been largely influenced by.

Which animal or crop have you always wanted to implement in a Story of Seasons game, but technical limitations or other issues kept it from happening?

Nakano, Director: I don’t think that there is anything in particular when it comes to plants or animals.

For things that I’ve always wanted to implement but couldn’t, I’ve always wanted to give the animals personality types. Calm or wild, animals are supposed to have their own personalities, but expressing this properly while staying on schedule with development is difficult.

Story of Seasons: Friends of Mineral Town is available for the Nintendo Switch and PC.

The post Friends of Mineral Town Director Talks About Returning to Life on the Farm appeared first on Siliconera.

Story of Seasons: Friends of Mineral Town, the Nintendo Switch and PC remake of the Game Boy Advance classic Bokujou Monogatari game, isn’t a straightforward return to form. It builds upon the foundation. While some of that involves some streamlining and modern conveniences, others have the potential to influence your daily life and relationships. Brandon and Jennifer are introduced as the new Friends of Mineral Town love interests, and each one fills holes people might not have realized existed in the game.

To start, the Story of Seasons series has always been about people leaving to pursue a new, more peaceful life in a rural, country environment. In many games, our avatars are the only one doing so. Friends of Mineral Town (and games with Cliff and Kai in them) was a little different, because we did have people who also “left” for this new kind of life. Kai visits in the summer to get away, and Cliff took off to find a new path.

The new Friends of Mineral Town love interests both did like our protagonist and went for a new life. Jennifer to get in touch with nature (and perhaps the mystical), while Brandon is there for his art. It only figures more people would want a chance to escape. Both of them give us that other side and alternative.

They also give us alternate reasons someone might head to a country town. Jennifer is using it as an escape and a means to connect. She had a privileged life, but it was one in a city with perhaps everything handed to her. It was one where people might not have understood someone who had an idea that okay, maybe there are supernatural elements in a world where… well, you can see a goddess and kappa every day or get help from sprites.

Meanwhile, Brandon gives us a Friends of Mineral Town love interest who is an artist. We’ve seen bachelors who are creative before, like Angelo in Harvest Moon: Grand Bazaar. But here, we have a different side. We have an artist who handles woodworking and who really gets caught up in his craft. He’s someone dedicated and a little eccentric, and gives us someone consumed by their ion.

It also means we get two Friends of Mineral Town love interests who don’t behave like the other characters we had chances to date and marry. Brandon is a bit in his own world and, while he has something of a pretentious air, he can be considerate and the player’s presence helps him connect more and occasionally come up for air while he’s drowning in work. Jennifer, on the other hand, is someone who seems to “get” that this is a world with different, mystical rules compared to our own. We see her helping people around her and appreciating nature in a way that we also might after getting a thousand dollars out of gathering flowers and various grasses on the mountain.

Both Brandon and Jennifer help and enhance the Story of Seasons experience in multiple ways. Both of them act as Cliff, Kai, and our own avatar do, by giving us additional people who looked for a calmer lifestyle. They represent different reasons folks might turn toward a rural lifestyle. They have personality types we haven’t seen among Friends of Mineral Town love interests before. They just fit, and that’s a welcome change for a comforting game.

Story of Seasons: Friends of Mineral Town is available for the Nintendo Switch and PC.

The post Story of Seasons: Friends of Mineral Town’s New Love Interests Fill Holes in Our Hearts appeared first on Siliconera.

Story of Seasons: Friends of Mineral Town’s debut is upon us, with people getting a chance to what farming was like in the old days with this remake of a Game Boy Advance entry. Since it is already out in Australia and Europe now, the hallmark is being celebrated. In addition to the expected launch trailer, the Story of Seasons manga and short story have been localized into English, French, German, and Spanish.  

The Story of Seasons short story by Igusa Matsuyama stars Yuto, one of the two male protagonist options in the Friends of Mineral Town remake. It is a simple picture book that sets a foundation for his new life on the farm as he takes part in chores, learns how demanding it can be, and even meets potential love interests. It can be read in full on the official site.

The Story of Seasons manga by Rumi Shimokaze shared on the official site follows the other male lead, Pete. While it looks at the general tasks he needs to perform in his new life as a farmer, it also acts as something of a tutorial for a new player. After all, it does bring up elements like stamina, tool upgrades, and giving gifts.

Here’s a gallery of the full manga. to read for right to left!

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Finally, here’s the Story of Seasons: Friends of Mineral Town launch trailer.

Story of Seasons: Friends of Mineral Town is immediately available on the Nintendo Switch in Australia, Europe, and Japan. It will come to the Nintendo Switch in North America and PC worldwide on July 14, 2020.

The post Story of Seasons: Friends of Mineral Town Manga and Short Story Released appeared first on Siliconera.

2020 is a year and a half. It’s a time during which people might need comfort food. Or, failing that, a sort of game where you can fall into a pleasant, endless routine that blocks out the rest of the world. It’s time to head back to the farm, and fortunately all your old friends from Mineral Town are waiting for you with Story of Seasons: Friends of Mineral Town.

Given this is a remake of the Game Boy Advance title Harvest Moon: Friends of Mineral Town and More Friends of Mineral Town, which itself borrowed villagers who originated from Harvest Moon 64 and a premise common in essentially every early Bokujou Monogatari installment, things should be pretty familiar. You have inherited a farm in Mineral Town and decided to use it as an opportunity to pursue a new way of life. Everyone in town is friendly and happy to see you. And fortunately, even though your farming experience consists of one summer spent with your grandpa, you’ve got a green thumb.

Given this is a remake of the ninth entry in a series that has since had over 20, the gameplay loop doesn’t offer much opportunity for deviation. You have four “months” in a year, with each tied to a season. Your primary moneymaker will be farming, but you can also raise animals like chickens, cows, alpacas, and angora rabbits, fish, and mine. Gathering materials and money will give you opportunities to improve your tools to make them more effective or expand your home. Mineral Town itself is full of people to befriend or fall in love with.

The thing about Story of Seasons: Friends of Mineral Town is, its contemporaries make it feel dated. This might be the “newest” game, but it is a remake of a 2003 installment. Newer entries in the same series, like Story of Seasons or Story of Seasons: Trio of Towns have greater variety in of animals, crops, villagers, objectives around town, and jobs. They also make it easier to do more in a day. Likewise, competitors such as Stardew Valley offer more range, anti-frustration features, and customization options. Coming to this after newer games is a shock, given how quickly you’ll hit that stamina wall and swiftly time es. It’s isn’t bad, but it is a step back from what is now commonplace and people could need a few in-game weeks to adjust.

[gallery columns="5" ids="842899,842900,842901,842902,842903,842904,842905,842906,842907,842908,842909,842910,842911,842912,842913,842914,842915,842916,842917,842918,842919"]

This isn’t to say there’s no consideration and Story of Seasons: Friends of Mineral Town is living in the dark ages. There are a wealth of quality of life changes that constantly present themselves in subtle ways and make your virtual day-to-day better. Most obvious is a Simple difficulty option that makes it easier to make money and befriend people, but otherwise keeps the game the same. You can cycle easily through equipment and items with the D-pad and right analog stick, respectively. Maximizing profit is easier, since there is a quality system for crops with easily visible star ratings and you can walk over growing crops instead of them being imible, materials chopped, cut, or hammered are automatically drawn to you. It’s easier to herd animals with the bell. Not to mention it includes same-sex marriages. It’s all very welcoming.

And, to be fair, there’s a healthy dose of new content that is seamlessly integrated. When you start things off, you can choose your protagonist from four options, alter their skin color, and change their clothing. New livestock, like the alpacas, rabbits, and both chicken and cow variants, are here. You have additional pet options, which range from traditional dogs to capybaras. You could grow new crops like chilis. Brandon and Jennifer are new love interests. Also, all of the old bachelors and bachelorettes have new heart events. There are definitely plenty of things to do.

There’s also a comfort in the whole presentation here. Story of Seasons: Friends of Mineral Town very much nails the ambiance of the original Game Boy Advance games from the character designs to the color palette. It’s a great rendition of the town and calls back to the earliest 3D entries with its designs. I do wish it didn’t get so dark at night, since it can be near impossible to see past 8pm, but then I suppose you are supposed to be asleep again at that point.

Story of Seasons: Friends of Mineral Town’s Switch port is a means of preserving the past while gradually adjusting it so it is slightly more in tune with modern sensibilities. There aren’t drastic changes here. It will definitely feel a bit dated and difficult, due to the way stamina and a player’s inventory were handled back in the day. But there are plenty of positive changes, from new additions that range from characters to crops, changes that do make it easier to take care of your homestead, and more opportunities to fall in love with (all) of your favorite characters. It’s a welcome opportunity to sample a try a change of pace.

The post Review: Story of Seasons: Friends of Mineral Town Marks a Return to a Simpler Time appeared first on Siliconera.

With so much time spent with farming simulations inspired by Story of Seasons, it can be a bit of a shock to return to the original and realize how different it can be. Nuances can be forgotten and someone might not realize how much a game has changed. With the Story of Seasons: Friends of Mineral Town Switch and PC remake, we have a modern remake of Game Boy Advance entries. In a person’s earliest steps forward, it can mean relearning how to play and seeing how things have changed.

To start, beginning a new life in Mineral Town means choosing a difficulty level. There are two. Normal assumes you’ve farmed before and lets you start from scratch. However, there is also a Simple Mode option. The difference is a little extra help in a 2,500G nest egg, 18 already-planted turnips in your field, knowing Zack is going to pay you slightly more for items you ship, and relationships go up slightly faster. To offer an idea of how big of a difference that can be, I tried one month of Simple Mode. I had Cliff and Gray up to Purple Heart levels of affection, Brandon at a Blue Heart, had purchased the first bag upgrade, gotten my four initial tools to the bronze level, and used that early “seed” money to invest in cabbages for an eventual 11,000 profit.

But, even if you take into that little extra leg up, Story of Seasons: Friends of Mineral Town isn’t the sort of game to coddle people. Rather, on both difficulty levels it keeps someone’s ambitions in check and makes them work to progress. As a novice with no farming experience, your bag only has room for four tools and eight normal items. Your stamina and status is represented by berries, a face icon, and numbers. When you perform farming or work-related activities, this drops, and early on each action affects one square or only works on the smallest items. Even with the hot springs nearby, probably about a half-hour walk away, it can take over an hour to start to recuperate. It lends to the feeling on an inexperienced person who really is just starting out.

It means planning a routine and plotting out each day becomes a necessity in a way it might not have been in games inspired by it. You have to take into how time moves here again. You watch how much stamina each action takes, counting down the exact points. You learn schedules, so as to not waste time running around when you don’t need it. You prioritize purchases. Then, as you start to build things up, you get a chance to branch out and add more layers.

But even as you do, there’s a comfort in knowing how things have changed to make things a bit easier. For example, Story of Seasons: Friends of Mineral Town is always showing you how much stamina you have. You have a face icon, berries, numbers, and your character goes through certain animations as they hit certain major markers and run out of steam. Your tools are easily cycled through with the left d-pad, and you can see all items in your bag at once on the left with the right analog stick cycling through them. In the menu, you know how much stamina items will restore and see how much experience tools have. You even have an idea of the affection levels of secret marriage candidates if you filter by affection levels, as it will show their placement among others even though you can’t see their hearts.

There are certainly plenty of changes present in this Story of Seasons: Friends of Mineral Town Switch and PC adaptation. Some of them make it easier to wade back into the simulation. Others help you keep track of how much you’ll be able to do. All of it seems to prepare you to find a groove to settle into.

Story of Seasons: Friends of Mineral Town will come to the Nintendo Switch in Australia and Europe on July 10, 2020 and the Nintendo Switch in North America and PC worldwide on July 14, 2020. It is immediately available on the console in Japan.

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Another Story of Seasons game is headed to PCs. XSEED has announced a Story of Seasons: Friends of Mineral Town PC port. People also won’t have to wait too long to play it. During the PC Gaming Show 2020, the company announced it will arrive on July 14, 2020, the same day the game will debut on the Nintendo Switch in North America.

A few details about the Story of Seasons: Friends of Mineral Town Steam release have been revealed. People will be able to grab it via Steam. They will be able to play with standard gamepad controls or keyboard and mouse options. It will have eight language options available, to aid in making it accessible. It will also 4K.

While people wait, there is one other Story of Seasons PC game available to play. Doraemon: Story of Seasons appeared outside of Japan in 2019.

Story of Seasons: Friends of Mineral Town PC and Nintendo Switch versions will arrive in North America on July 14, 2020. The Australian and European Nintendo Switch versions will launch on July 10, 2020. It is immediately available on the Nintendo Switch in Japan. The original Harvest Moon: Friends of Mineral Town and More Friends of Mineral Town, upon which this is based, are available on the Game Boy Advance worldwide.

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This summer will bring with it some perfect farming and friend (or fiance) making weather. It turns out the Story of Seasons Switch game will be releasing in North America around the same time as the Australian and European ones. On July 14, 2020, people will be able to settle down with Story of Seasons: Friends of Mineral Town.

This means it will only be a few days behind the other localizations. People in both Australia and Europe will be able to grab the game on July 10, 2020. Though, if someone decided to import, the Japanese copy has already been around since October 2019.

A new trailer was released to go along with the reveal. It reminds people what farming life would be like when someone would grab the first Story of Seasons Switch installment and head back down to the farm. You can see what it is like to tend crops, care for animals, and meet potential spouses.

Story of Seasons: Friends of Mineral Town will come to the Nintendo Switch in Australia and Europe on July 10, 2020. The North American debut will follow on July 14, 2020. As a reminder, people who preorder a North American physical copy will also end up getting a Strawberry Cow plush toy.

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