Table of Contents
Harvest Moon: Back to Nature (HMBTN) is one of the best farming simulation games ever made. This legendary game was very popular among gamers, especially during the 2000s.
In this game, you will learn how to properly manage a farm and livestock, as well as how to earn an income to support your livelihood.
The game itself features many original characters from the Harvest Moon 64 series. However, the Back to Nature series has several differences, including each character’s personality, occupation, family, and much more.
In addition, the Back to Nature series uses more 3D graphics and features various elements that cannot be found in the Game Boy version.
Plot
Like most Harvest Moon games, in the Back to Nature series, you come to the village to take over your grandfather’s farm after his death.
However, in this game, the villagers have decided that you can fully inherit the farm if you successfully restore it to its former glory and adapt to the residents of Mineral Town within three years.
At the end of the three-year period, Thomas will come and see how much you have done to restore the farm to its former glory.
If successful, you will be accepted as a permanent resident of Mineral Town and can continue playing from year to year.
Gameplay
After the introductory cutscene, Thomas will ask you to enter your name and date of birth, as well as give names to your dog and farm.
At the Farm, you will be given a large field where you can grow various types of plants, such as vegetables, fruits, flowers, and grass.
In addition, there is also a Chicken Coop where Chickens live, a Barn where Cows and Sheep live, a Horse stable, a Fish Pond, and an Apple Tree next to your house.
The goal of the game is fairly simple. You only need to till the soil, raise livestock, and build friendships with the other villagers.
At the beginning of the game, you will be given several basic tools, such as a Hoe, Hammer, Sickle, and Axe, to clear and work the overgrown Farm.
You can then upgrade these tools to perform various tasks more efficiently.
Take the time to interact with the villagers. Talk to them, give them gifts they like, especially on their birthdays, and learn more about them through various events you can encounter throughout the game.
There are also events that need to be triggered with the girls in order to marry them.
Livestock
Harvest Moon games are closely associated with raising animals, and the Back to Nature series is no exception.
There are two types of animals. The first is livestock, which includes Cows, Sheep, and Chickens that can produce animal products.
The second is pets, which include the Horse and Dog, both of which can help you on the Farm.
Animals must be properly cared for, and you should not let them get sick. If animals are cared for with affection, they will produce high-quality products.
On the other hand, if livestock are not properly cared for, the products they produce will be of lower quality, which will naturally affect their selling value.
There is a fairly large field on the Farm. Buy grass seeds and plant them there.
After a few days, the grass will grow and be ready to harvest for livestock feed, or you can let your animals out to graze there.
Don’t forget to bring your livestock back into the Barn when it is raining or snowing. Do not leave livestock outside during a storm. For more details, see the guides below.
Farming
Farming is one of the mechanics in Harvest Moon: Back to Nature. You can make use of the available farmland by growing various types of crops.
As mentioned above, at the beginning of the game, you will be provided with various tools. Use these tools to till the soil, then purchase crop seeds from the Supermarket.
The crops you grow can be sold, eaten directly, used as ingredients for cooking recipes, or given to villagers as gifts.
Marriage
Getting married is one of the main requirements for continuing the game. You are given three years to build relationships with the girls.
Within those three years, you must marry one of them. After that, you and your spouse will have a child.
There are five marriage candidates in Harvest Moon: Back to Nature. Each candidate has their own preferences, including favorite gifts, Heart Events, and more.
For more details, please see our guides below.
Events and Festivals
There is a series of events that you must witness, and each event has certain requirements to be triggered.
In addition, participating in annual festivals is also a fun activity. You can even enter your livestock in competitions.
Aside from events and festivals, giving gifts to villagers on their birthdays is also a good way to increase their affection.
Other Activities
Besides managing the Farm and raising livestock, there are various other activities that are just as enjoyable.
You can spend your time fishing, cooking dishes, mining, and much more.
We have several articles that may help you while playing HM BTN. See the guides below.
Characters
There are 39 characters in Harvest Moon: Back to Nature (HMBTN), consisting of 5 marriage candidates, 27 regular villagers, and 7 Harvest Sprites.
You can build relationships with the villagers to learn more about their personalities. Give them gifts they like to increase their Affection.
Trivia
- Harvest Moon: Back to Nature is one of the few Harvest Moon games that allows players to give more than one gift per day to increase an NPC’s Affection.
- Many characters in this game originate from Harvest Moon 64. However, Doctor, Carter, and Won (excluding the Harvest Sprites) are the only unique characters.
- Interestingly, the Farm was once known as a great farm. Many Chickens can be seen in the flashback scenes. However, when the player takes over the Farm, none of the buildings have been upgraded.
- The red mailbox located between the Supermarket and Clinic has no function and only serves as decoration. However, unlike other decorations, the mailbox can be interacted with and displays the text “Mom and Dad”. Its actual purpose is unknown, but it is believed that the mailbox was originally planned to be used in an event.
- In the female version, the text that appears reads “Where is this place?”
- Through hacking, an unused “letter” sprite was discovered. This may further support the theory that the red mailbox originally had a role in the game.
- Zack’s house is the only house in the entire game that cannot be entered.
- Around the time the game was released, a famous rumor circulated that if all the single characters got married, a girl named Elizabeth would move to town.
- On Winter 30, the player can watch the Weather Forecast on television. The weather forecaster will say, “Expect a comfortable and cool winter day.”
- During Spring, the Harvest Sprites hold a Tea Party. However, the player can make them work on the Farm by talking to them five times.
- The young girl who appears in the main character’s flashback as a child is the girl whom the player will eventually marry, with her identity being revealed at the end of the game.
