Harvest Moon 64

Harvest Moon 64
Developer(s)	Toy Box Studios, Victor Interactive Software
Publisher(s)	Natsume Co., Ltd Nintendo Australia Pty. Ltd
Writer(s)	Setsuko Miyakoshi
Platform(s)	Nintendo 64
Genre(s)	Farm simulation
Mode(s)	Single-player

Harvest Moon 64 (牧場物語2, Bokujō Monogatari Tsū, lit. Ranch Story 2) is a farm simulation video game developed by Victor Interactive Software and published by Natsume Co., Ltd for the Nintendo 64 video game console. It was first released in Japan on February 5, 1999, and was later released in North America on November 30, 1999 and in Australia on December 22, 1999. It is the third game in the Harvest Moon series. Most of the characters are descendants of the characters from the very first Harvest Moon game. The characters from this game (mainly the woo-able women) were transferred to become most or all of the characters in Harvest Moon: Back to Nature (and its girl remake and their later dual port), and Harvest Moon: Friends of Mineral Town (and its girl version).

Gameplay

Harvest Moooon 64 is an open-ended game. Although there are several implied goals, there are no punishments for not achieving these goals and the main character cannot die. Likewise, the game will continue in a linear fashion for as long as the player wants without ending. Most players, however, opt to restart the game from the beginning as the events become predictable and, with most or all achievements, gameplay becomes monotonous.

The game's premise is that the main character's grandfather recently died, leaving his farm to the main character. The farm has become rundown, overrun with weeds, stones, and stumps. The player is given a set of upgradable tools in the beginning with which he can restore the farm back to its former glory. Along with restoring the farm, there are a number of other paths that the player may choose to take which include training and racing a horse, selling crops to get heaps of money, participating in a variety of town festivals as well as random events, falling in love and getting married, and collecting recipes and photographs from villagers and events. Gameplay, however, depends solely on what the player wants to do. If the player chooses, he could spend his entire time fishing off the dock in the beach and there would be no negative consequence.

For seasoned gamers who enjoy a challenge, the game does include an "endgame", where the player is evaluated on his progress. At the end of the third summer, the player's father visits the farm and evaluates the player's living via the player's relationship with the townspeople, the player's success at raising crops and animals, and a variety of other factors. If he is completely satisfied with the player's progress and status, the player may receive the highly prized Party Picture. Whether or not the player's father approves of the farming style, however, after the end credits, the player is given the option to continue the game from the third summer or to start over. If the player chooses to keep playing, the game will continue for an infinite amount of time.

The game operates on an accelerated time. Unlike the original Harvest Moon for SNES, there is a limited amount of time to work in any given day as well as a certain amount of stamina for work. If the player enters a building, however, time pauses until he goes outside again. Each season lasts 30 days and has different weather, crops to grow, wild herbs available, wild animals present and even different background music.

The player starts out with the bare minimum features for the farm: A small house, a shipping bin, a barn for sheep and cows, a coop for chickens, a silo, a shed, and farm land. Along the way, the player has the opportunity to upgrade tools, add extensions to the house, fill the barn and coop, and cover his farmland with flowers, grass, and crops. The local town, where most of the villagers spend their day, contains a church, a bar, a bakery, a town square, a flower shop, a library, a tool shop, among other things.

Controls

Start - Brings up the menu containing the time, date, items, tools, and current money. A - Pick up objects, Select choices, and talk to townspeople B - Use selected tool L - Rotate camera counterclockwise when on farm R - Rotate camera clockwise when on farm Z - Display information about selected item C Left - Whistle for the horse C Right - Whistle for the dog C Up - Put the item being held into the rucksack C Down - Eat the item being held Control Stick - Move the character

Animals

The livestock include cows, which may be milked, and sheep, whose wool may be sheared.

There are three classes of animals in Harvest Moon 64: wild animals, pets, and livestock.

Wild animals are mostly used to create atmosphere. There are different wild animals for each season, such as snakes and monkeys in summer and butterflies in spring. Wild animals can be picked up and shown to people, but have no other real purpose.

There are two pets available in the game: a dog and a horse. The player begins with a dog that once belonged to the grandfather, but was passed on to the main character after his death. The dog can participate in the Dog Race later in the game. Because the dog cannot really be trained, how well the dog does in this race depends on how well it was treated and how much affection it has toward the main character. The horse must be obtained from Ann, who lives on Green Ranch, during the first spring. Once it reaches adulthood, the horse can be ridden around the farm and may be used as a portable shipping crate. The horse can participate in the Horse Races later in the game as well.

Livestock may be bought from Ann's father at Green Ranch. Livestock available to buy include cows, sheep, and chickens. The coop holds a maximum of 6 chickens and the barn holds a total of 8 cows and sheep. These animals require food and tender loving care in order to produce better, more valuable products. If livestock are not either fed or left outside every day, they will become sick and remain sick until the player gives it a potion. Unlike pets, who seem to be invincible, if neglected for too long, livestock can die. When an animal dies, there is a small funeral cut scene where it is buried in the small stone graveyard in West Flowerbud Village.

Animal	Buy Price	Product	Mature Rate	Product Price	Medium Product Price	Large Product Price	Best Product Price
Chicken	500G	Eggs	7 days	50G
Cow	6000G	Milk	21 days	100G	150G	300G	500G
Sheep	4000G	Wool	16 days	900G			1800G

Harvesting Crops

Planting, growing, and harvesting crops is one of the main focuses of the Harvest Moon series. Taking care of crops is relatively easy, as each vegetable will not die until the end of the season, even if not watered. All vegetable seeds can all be purchased at the Flower Shop in the village during their respective season.

Vegetable	Buy Price	Sell Price	Grow Time	Renewable	Season
Turnip	200g	60g	4 days	No	Spring
Potato	200g	80g	4 days	No	Spring
Cabbage	200g	90g	7 days	No	Spring
Tomato	300g	90g	9 days	3 days	Summer
Corn	300g	120g	13 days	4 days	Summer
Eggplant	300g	80g	7 days	4 days	Fall
Strawberry	500g	150g	6 days	No	Winter

Each crop has different sowing seasons, cultivation time, and selling price. They must be watered to grow, and can only be planted in tilled soil. Several crops can be re-watered to continuously grow more crops to sell. If the player gets a greenhouse from the carpenters, all the seeds of each season will be available for purchase.

Tools

File:Hm64 tools.jpg

The tools the player starts out with at the beginning of the game: hoe, sickle, axe, hammer, and watering can.

The five basic tools in the player's inventory from the beginning include the Hammer, the Axe, the Sickle, the Hoe, and the Watering Can. The Hammer is used to break rocks and flatten earth, the Axe is used for chopping stumps, the Sickle is used for cutting weeds and grass, the Hoe is used for tilling the ground and digging in the mine in winter, and the Watering Can is used for watering plants. After a certain amount of usage, the tools will automatically upgrade to silver, and then to gold. These upgraded tools allow the player to do more work faster using less energy. Other tools can be purchased at Rick's tool shop in the village.

Tool	Use	How to Get
Hammer	6 Strikes to break a large rock	Beginning Tool
Silver Hammer	3 Strikes to break a large rock	Use the hammer 100 times
Gold Hammer	1 Strike to break a large rock	Use the Silver Hammer 100 times
Sickle	a swing cuts one square	Beginning Tool
Silver Sickle	a swing cuts 3 squares	Use the Sickle 350 times
Gold Sickle	a swing cuts 9 squares	Use the Silver Sickle 350 times
Hoe	a swing tills one square	Beginning Tool
Silver Hoe	a swing tills 3 squares	Use the Hoe 300 times
Gold Hoe	a swing tills 6 squares	Use the Silver Hoe 300 times
Axe	6 Strikes to break a stump	Beginning Tool
Silver Axe	3 Strikes to break a stump	Use the Axe 450 times
Gold Axe	1 Strike to break a stump	Use the Silver Axe 450 times
Watering Can	Waters 1 square	Beginning Tool
Silver Watering Can	Waters 3 squares	Use the Watering Can 600 times
Gold Watering Can	Waters 9 squares	Use the Silver Watering Can 600 times
Fishing Pole	Catches fish	Talk to the fisherman
Brush	Increases animals affection toward character	Bought from Rick
Bottle	Holds various liquids	Bought from Rick
Blue Feather	Used to propose to a girl	Bought from Rick- a kitchen is required
Milker	Extracts milk from an adult cow	Bought from Rick
Shears	Cuts the wool off of adult sheep	Bought from Rick
Bell	Ringing calls sheep and cows to the player's location	Comes with a cow or sheep purchase from Green Ranch
Animal Medicine	Heals a sick sheep or cow	Bought from Green Ranch
Chicken Feed	Feeds the Chickens	Bought from Green Ranch
Miracle Potion	Impregnates a cow	Bought from Green Ranch

House construction

The player can also visit the carpenter and his apprentices in the mountains to request additional construction for the house and farm. If the player must has enough money and lumber, the head carpenter comes by the farm to make an estimate and then works the next day.

Extension	Price	Lumber	Notes
Kitchen	5000G	450	Recipes and power berries achieved may be viewed. The refrigerator can store food. A kitchen is required for marriage.
Bathroom	3000G	300	Contains a hot tub to restore stamina.
Staircase	2000G	250	It leads to the roof
Log Terrace	7000G	350
Baby Bed	1000G	150	The player's wife cannot have a baby until there is a baby bed in the house.
Greenhouse	30,000G	580	Crops may be grown here any season. It may blow away during a summer typhoon.

Raising a Family

One of the many features of the game is the ability to marry a woman and have a child. Each girl also has an admirer that the player competes with. If the player is friends with the male rival and the girl is below a green heart, they will eventually marry. The girls like items that pertain to where they live and/or work, and they each have a special event that can bring them closer to the player. They also have different locations during most of the festivals. The girls have a heart in their dialogue box that shows how they feel about the player. White is the lowest (indifferent), then blue (friendly), green (stirring feelings), yellow (likes the player), and then pink (in love), which is the point at which the player can marry (if a kitchen is built and a blue feather is purchases). There are five women who the playable character can wed, each who have different hobbies and interests. See the Characters section.

Photographs

As the character proceeds through the game, certain events occur where if the character participates and/or succeeds, depending on the event, he will get a photo to put into the photo album. There are 16 photographs that are obtainable through the course of the game for achieving certain goals. By far, the most difficult to get and widely considered by serious gamers to be the ultimate achievement of this open-ended game is the so-called 'party picture'. The exact requirements to get this picture are still unknown except to those who programmed the game, although there are many rumors as to what they may be.

Picture	How to Unlock
Photo with Grandpa	This one is in the album from the beginning
Baby Photo	Have a child
Cow Photo	Win the Cow Festival
Dog Race Photo	Have the dog win the Winter Dog Race
Harvest King Photo	Become king of the Harvest Festival
Extensions Photo	Buy all of the home extensions
Horse Race Photo	Win one of the biannual horse races
Hot Springs Photo	Work every day building the hot springs
Swim Meet Photo	Win the Swim Meet
Wedding Photo	Get Married
Blue-Mist Photo	Plant and grow the Blue-Mist Flower
Firefly Night Photo	Complete Maria's event
Rabbit in Winter Photo	Complete Ann's event
Essence of Moondrop Photo	Complete Elli's event
Dance of the Kiefu Fairy Photo	Complete Karen's event.
Party Photo	Exact requirements unknown

Festivals

Festival days are one of the things added to make Harvest Moon 64 much better than the original. Most festivals are held in the town square from 6:00 AM to 5:00 PM and end the day directly afterward. It will never rain on a festival day, even if the forecast says it will, and most shops will be closed. Other than that, festival days are no different than normal days. Festivals are not mandatory, and if one is missed, none of the townsfolk seem to mind. People are more likely to attend a festival if they are friends with the player.

Festival	Date
New Year's Festival	Spring 1
Planting Festival	Spring 8
Biannual Horse Race Festival	Spring 17
Flower Festival	Spring 23
Fireworks Festival	Summer 1
Vegetable Festival	Summer 9
Firefly Festival	Summer 17
Sea Festival	Summer 24
Cow Festival	Fall 4
Harvest Festival	Fall 12
Egg Festival	Fall 20
Biannual Horse Race Festival	Fall 28
Thanksgiving Festival	Winter 10
Dog Race Festival	Winter 19
Starry Night Festival	Winter 24
Spirit Festival	Winter 27
New Year's Eve Festival	Winter 30

Recipes

Collecting recipes is one of the many optional goals of the game. When the player becomes good enough friends with and gives certain foods or items to a character, that character may give the player a recipe. The recipes cannot be cooked or used physically in any way during gameplay, but the number of recipes received during the game factors into the evaluation at the end of the third Spring. They are on display in the kitchen and can be checked at any time.

Recipe	Vegetable	Character
Cream of Turnip Stew	Turnip	Mayor's Wife
Pickled Turnips and Cabbage	Turnip	Restaurant Owner
Steamed Clams and Wine	Grapes	Karen's Dad
Hot Spicy Wine	Grapes	Bartender
Veryberry Wine	Veryberry	Kai
Herb Rice Cake	Edible Herb	Restaurant Owner's Wife
Spa-Poached Eggs	Egg	Kent
Stuffed Omelet	Egg	Gray
Bread Pudding	Egg / Milk	Elli
Spice Tea	Egg during Winter	Cliff
Cinnamon Milk Tea	Egg / Milk	Bakery Master
Homemade Butter	Milk	Rick
Fried Potatoes and Bacon	Potato	Mayor
Mashed Potatoes	Potato	Ann
Potato Pancakes	Potato	May
Garlic Potato Beef	Potato	Harris
Rolled Cabbage	Cabbage	Maria
Twice Cooked Tomatoes and Greens	Tomato	Lillia
Tomato Cream Soup	Tomato	Shipper
Tomato Rice	Tomato	Karen's Mother
Easy Tomato Soup	Tomato	Pastor
Corn Fritters	Corn	Ann's Father
Corn Pasta	Corn	Basil
Eggplant with Miso Paste	Eggplant	Midwife
Strawberry Champagne	Strawberry	Karen
Strawberry Dog	Strawberry	Stu
Strawberry Jam	Strawberry	Popuri
Grilled Trout with Cheese	Fish	Assistant Carpenter
Fried Char	Fish	Fisherman
Sesame Dandelion Greens	Medicinal Herb	Saibara
Miso Soup with Sprouts	Edible Herb	Potion Shop Owner
Walnut Cake	Walnut	Elli's Grandmother
Mushroom Rice	Mushroom	Head Carpenter
Mushroom Salsa	Mushroom	Harvest Sprites

Power Berries

Power Berries are rare fruits that look similar to red apples. They raise the main character's stamina permanently. Some of them are easier to obtain than others, but the more of them the player gets, the longer he can work without tiring himself out. They are eaten as soon as they are obtained- Power Berries cannot be given away, sold, or stored.

Power berry locations are as follows:

• A Power Berry can be found tilling the soil on the farm

• The shadowy salesman sells a Power Berry during the Flower Festival for 1000G

• A Power Berry may be caught instead of a fish when fishing off of the dock at the beach

• If an offering is made to the Goddess of the Spring before any work is done that day, she will give the player a Power Berry if she is asked for energy.

• If the player is good friends with Basil, he will bring back a Power Berry when he returns the following Spring

• A Power Berry may be obtained by smashing the huge rock on the other side of the small pond with a golden hammer when the pond freezes over in winter.

• The first place prize the first year of the Egg Festival is a Power Berry

• Marbles may be traded to the Harvest Sprites for a Power Berry.

• If a large fish is thrown into the small pond by the fisherman's tent, the spirit will rise out of the pond with a special blue power berry that supposedly keeps the player from getting sick on rainy days.

Characters

Many of the characters, such as Ellen's grandmother Elli, are descendants of characters in the original Harvest Moon for SNES. There are three types of characters: eligible girls, bachelors, other villagers, and other minor characters.

Eligible Girls

One of the main opportunities that Harvest Moon 64 presents to the player is the ability to woo, marry, and, eventually, have a child with certain female characters. Each of these characters will display a small heart at the bottom of the speech bubble whenever the player talks to her. The color of the heart represents how much the girl likes the main character. The colors are white (indifferent) , blue (a crush), green (like), yellow (like a lot), and pink (in love). The faster the heart moves, the closer the girl is to moving to the next color. Girls in this category may be proposed to by presenting the girl a blue feather bought from Rick.

Ann

• Birthday: Summer 14
• Favorite Items: Wool, Corn

Ann is the red headed daughter of the Green Ranch owner. Gray is her brother and Rick is her cousin. She can usually be found on Green Ranch or by the Goddess Pond when it is not raining. If it is raining, she may be found in the Green Ranch barn if it isn't a Thursday. If she likes the player's character enough, there will be a dream sequence during the night about when she broke her arm climbing a tree. If she is encountered shortly afterward by the tree near the cave and talked to, her affection toward the player's character will significantly increase. Also, if at a yellow heart, she might be found directly outside the farm with a twisted ankle, where she may be carried home by either the player or by Cliff. If not pursued, she will eventually marry Cliff. If she becomes the main character's wife, she will feed chickens and crate eggs.

Elli

• Birthday: Fall 1
• Favorite Items: Eggs, Milk, Fish

Elli is the only eligible girl in the game whose parents do not make an appearance. Her parents died when she was young and she was brought up by her grandmother, Ellen. Elli works at the bakery with the bakery master and can be found there every day of the week except Sundays and Mondays. On Mondays, she may be found near the river or the Goddess Pond unless it is raining. Her dream sequence involves a time when long ago when the player's character and Elli were kids and got sick together eating mudpies. She may be found afterward at the bakery or the midwife's house to talk about the dream. When her ankle is twisted, she can be found near the river. If not pursued, she will eventually marry the bakery master. If she becomes the main character's wife, she crates eggs and feeds the chickens.

Karen

• Birthday: Winter 29
• Favorite Items: Berries, Grapes, Strawberries

Karen has green eyes and blond hair that resembles that of her grandmother. At the beginning of the game, she acts rather mean toward the player, but warms up if given gifts over time. She works on the vineyard, trying to bring it back to its former glory. If that is not possible, however, she has no problem with leaving town and moving to the city permanently. During the day, her location is randomized. She may be found at the beach, by the carpenter's house, or at the vineyard. At night, she might be at the bar. When she twists her ankle, she can be found on the vineyard by the tree. her dream event involves getting stuck in the wine cellar. Afterward, she may be found on the vineyard where she will lock both the player's character and herself in the wine cellar. The player must then either wait it out or find the hole near the upper right corner. If not pursued, she will eventually marry Kai. If she becomes the main character's wife, she crates eggs, but will sometimes drop one.

Maria

• Birthday: Winter 11
• Favorite Item: Cabbage

Maria is the shy, black haired girl who runs the library. Although she stutters a lot at first, she opens up if talked to daily. She can be found in the library on every day except Monday and the first week of summer. On those days, she will be by the Goddess Pond, by the cave, by the carpenter's house, or outside the church. If it is raining, she will be either in the library, church, or the mayor's house. Her dream event is about an old fairytale book where the characters part ways at the end. She can be found in the library afterward with the book open on her desk. When she twists her ankle, she will be outside her house. If not pursued, she will eventually marry Harris. If married, she will pull weeds and crate eggs and her mother will take over the library.

Popuri

• Birthday: Spring 22
• Favorite Item: Flowers

Popuri has pink hair and eyes and seems to be very fond of plants, especially flowers. Considering her parents are Basil and Lillia, it makes sense that she would be similar. On most sunny days, she can be found outside the flower shop. On Fridays and Saturdays, she will be at the Goddess Pond, near the carpenter's house, or at the very summit of Mt. Moon. If it is raining on a Sunday, she will be in the bakery. Popuri's dream event is about flowers. She will be by the tree near the cave. She twists her ankle in nearly exactly the same place. If not pursued, she will eventually marry Gray. If married, she will crate eggs and water random spaces of tilled soil.

Bachelors

These are the characters in the game that will marry an eligible girl if the player chooses to marry another girl or take too long to marry. Generally, though, a bachelor will wait until after the player has chosen a girl to marry and will only marry if the player is good friends with him.

Kai

• Favorite Items: Berries, Veryberries, Grapes

Kai works at the vineyard along with Karen. The youngest of 8 brothers, Kai is a hard worker and supports Karen's idea of moving back to the city. He can be found every day outside the vineyard or in the wine cellar if it is raining. He may also appear at the bar at night. When he becomes the player's character's friend, he will begin saying things like "Doesn't it feel great to work 'til you drop" instead of the usual "Excuse me" when talked to a second time. If he gets the chance, he will marry Karen. If he gets a baby, its costume is a Pikachu.

Harris

• Favorite Item: Potato

Harris is the town mailman who must deliver the mail, rain or shine. He is always nice and cheerful, though, no matter the weather. His location is always randomized between Green Ranch, Moon Mountain, the crossroads outside the farm, Flower Bud Village, and the library. At nights, he sometimes can be found at the bar. It is hard to tell if he is a friend or not because he is always nice and cheerful, but if he starts talking about "girl problems" and Maria at the bar at night, he is becoming a close friend. Eventually, if the player doesn't propose to her first, he will marry Maria. His baby's costume is a panda bear.

Gray

• Favorite Items: Eggs, Flowers

Despite the fact that he keeps to himself and tends to ignore the player, Gray is actually quite caring underneath. He tries his best to take care of the animals and flowers of Green Ranch as well as his family. According to Rick, Gray used to be a lot more talkative until he fell off of his horse and hurt himself. Most of the time, Gray can be found at Green Ranch either outside in the field or, if it is raining, inside the barn. He also sometimes makes appearances by the carpenter's house and at the bar at night. When he is friends with the player, he says things like "...see ya" instead of his usual rude responses. He will eventually woo and marry Popuri if the player doesn't marry her first. His baby's costume is a flower.

Bakery Master

• Favorite Items: Eggs, Milk

The game never mentions what his name is, but he is the owner of the bakery and works with Elli. On work days, he can always be found behind the counter of the bakery. On his days off, he likes to fish by the river. He also frequents the bar at night. When he is friends with the player, he talks about getting the best tea leaves from Flower Shop. The bakery master is destined to marry Elli unless the player marries her first. His baby wears a chicken costume.

Cliff

• Favorite Item: Eggs

Cliff does not show up until halfway through the first month of the game. During the middle of the first Spring, he will appear near the shipping bin collapsed from hunger. He wanders randomly around the map with his pet falcon, Kain. During the day, he can be found by Green Ranch, by the carpenter's house, or in the cave or the carpenter's house if it is raining. At night, he will sometimes go to the bar. During the first summer, there is a cutscene where he runs into Ann and knocks her over. From this point on, Cliff will chase after and eventually marry Ann unless the player marries Ann first. If the player does not give Cliff food when he is first encountered and / or ignores Cliff in general, he will decide to leave the game permanently. When he is good friends with the player, he will talk about "losing something you love". His baby's costume is a dinosaur.

Other Villagers

These characters are not as active or affect the game as much as the marriageable girls or the bachelors, but they have their place.

Rick

Rick is the owner of the tool shop that shares a building with [[#Saibara|Saibara's] craft shop in East Flower Bud Village. He is an inventor like his grandmother but, like his grandmother, much of his inventions end in failure. He closes his shop on Wednesdays, weekends, and whenever it rains. Many of the extra tools that can be purchased are sold at his shop. During the weekdays, unless it is raining, he can be found in his shop. On Saturdays, if he decides to show up, he will be standing outside his shop. On Sundays, if he decides to be there, he will be in the town square near the fountain. He disappears on rainy days and Wednesdays. When he is good friends with the player, he will say something other than "sorry that my shop is closed so often" when talked to twice.

Midwife

• Favorite Item: Eggplant

The midwife is the town's senior and the mother of the shipper. Her name is never mentioned, but she will be the one who delivers the player's wife's baby. For the most part, she never leaves her house. Sometimes she will be walking outside her house, but that is as far as she roams. When she is the player's friend, she will talk about her past and family.

Potion Master

• Favorite Items: Edible Herbs, Medicinal Herbs, Mushrooms

The Potion master lives in West Flower Bud Village next to the midwife. If you bring him the ingredients and a bottle, he will brew up some medicine for you. Weekdays, rain or shine, he will be in his house. On Saturdays, he will be outside the carpenter's house and on Sundays, he will be in the cave of Mt. Moon. He has become the player's friend when he begins to talk about the player's grandfather.

Lillia

• Favorite Items: Flowers, Tomatoes

Lillia is Popuri's mother and Basil's wife. She is also the owner of the East Bud Flower Shop. Every day except Sunday, rain or shine, she can be found in her shop. She spends sunny Sundays standing in the town square.

Pastor

• Favorite Item: Tomato

The pastor, like the shipper, never reveals his name. He is the town teacher as well as its pastor, spending the weekdays in the church teaching the kids of the town: Stu, Kent, and May. Every day of the week, he can be found near or around the church, either inside or outside.

Shipper

Like the pastor, the shipper's name is never revealed during gameplay. He works hard all day and doesn't have much time for his daughter, May. The midwife is his mother. The shipper is the hardest person to find, as the only time he appears is when he picks up your shipments at 5:00 and at the bar some nights. When he is the player's friend, he will talk about how rarely he gets to see his daughter, May.

Bartender

• Favorite Items: Berries, Grapes

The bartender doesn't get much character development over the course of the game. He almost seems to be a supplementary character, as the only time he is seen is when he runs the bar at night and he never really says anything about himself when talked to. When he is good friends with the player, he will give the player the Doorway to Heaven wine which is essential for getting Karen's photo.

Saibara

• Favorite Items: Edible Herbs, Medicinal Herbs

Saibara is the craft shop owner whose shop is right next to Rick's. At the beginning of the game, the only thing in his shop is an old, broken vase that he will not sell. Beyond that, he doesn't get much more in his shop over the course of the game. On every day except Monday, he can be found inside his shop. He has become friends with the player when he starts talking about how he enjoys the fact that life is the same every day.

Head Carpenter

• Favorite Item: Mushroom

Assistant Carpenter I

• Favorite Item: Fish

Assistant Carpenter II

• Favorite Item: Fish

Mr. Green

• Favorite Item: Corn

Ann's father runs the animal and feed shop on Green Ranch. His hair and mustache are bright orange and he usually has a spiteful demeanor toward the player. At first, he doesn't seem to believe that the player's character is capable of running a farm. Though he cares very much for his daughter, he often gets in fights with her because, as he admits, he doesn't know how girls think. Every day except Thursday, when the shop closes, he will be there behind the desk. He may also go the bar at nights. He has become the player's friend when he mentions how he has wrong about how the main character is doing running a farm by himself.

Karen's Dad

• Favorite Item: Grapes

Karen's Mom

• Favorite Item: Tomato

Basil

• Favorite Item: Flower

Much like Cliff, Basil does not appear until the middle of the first spring. Unlike Cliff, though, he does not beg the player for food. Basil is Popuri's father and Lillia's wife. He leaves every fall, but returns every spring. If you are good enough friends with him, he will give you a Power Berry upon his return. While he is in town, if it is sunny, he can be found either inside the flower shop or fisherman's tent. On Sundays, if it is not raining, he will be standing in the town square.

Stu

• Favorite Items: Flowers, Strawberries

Stu is one of the three children, along with Kent and May, of the game. He has black hair and is the brother of Kent. He likes flowers, but wants to keep it a secret because, in his own words, "boys aren't supposed to like flowers." On weekdays, he can be found in the church until 3 PM. After 3 PM and on weekends, he will be near the fisherman's tent, on the beach, in the library, in front of his house, or, rarely, in the town square.

Kent

• Favorite Item: Egg

Kent, Stu, and May are the only children in the game. Kent is Stu's brother and the grandson of the potion master. Kent looks up the the player's character and shows interest in becoming a farmer himself one day. Weekdays before 3 PM, he can be found attending school in the church. Otherwise, he may be found near the fisherman's tent, near the cave of Mt. Moon, on the beach, or by the potion master's house in West Flower Bud.

May

• Favorite Item: Potato

Of the children encountered in the game, Stu, Kent, and May, she is the only girl. The shipper is her father and the midwife is her grandmother. During weekdays before 3 PM, she can be found in the church. When she is not attending school at the church, she can usually be found near the midwife's house or outside the carpenter's house unless it is raining, where she may be found in the midwife's house.

Mayor

• Favorite Item: Potato

The mayor of Flower Bud Village is the first character the player encounters in the game. He is Maria's father and spends most of the time walking around the village or in his house in West Flower Bud Village.

Mayor's Wife

• Favorite Item: Turnip

The mayor's wife, much like Karen's mother is spends a great deal of her time in her house and is rarely seen unless the player goes out of his way. Unlike Karen's mother, she will sometimes venture out of the house and can be occasionally be found in the bakery when it rains or in the church on Sundays. She is Maria's mother and will take over the library if the player chooses to marry Maria.

Ellen

• Favorite Item: Walnut

Ellen, Elli's grandmother, is Elli's last remaining relative. It is said that she is the same Ellen that made an appearance in the original Harvest Moon for SNES. She spends her time rocking in her rocking chair outside the bakery or inside if it is raining. If the player is friends with her and talks to her during the second spring, there will be a scene where she dies.

Fisherman

• Favorite Item: Fish

Harvest Sprites

• Favorite Item: Mushroom

Harvest sprites are diminutive elves dressed in red clothing that live in the cave of Mt. Moon. There are three of them total; however, only one ever ventures outside of the cave. If the player develops a strong relationship with the harvest sprites, they will reveal the secret of the vineyard, which is necessary in order to complete Karen's event. If befriended, they may also feed the player's animals during typhoons or on other days during which he is unable to do so. If traded a marble (which can be obtained from Stu), they will give the player a Power Berry.

Minor Characters

Entomologist

The entomologist will only make one appearance in the game during the second spring. He is searching for a rare butterfly that will appear only if the player successfully grows the Blue Mist Flower. Whether or not the player grows the flower, the entomologist will disappear forever after the second spring.

Gourmet Judge

The Gourmet Judge makes very few appearances in the game. He will be the judge of both the Vegetable and Cow Festivals. Additionally, he may be found occasionally wandering around the crossroads outside the farm. He will appreciate gifts, but isn't very fond of inedible items. He also has a good degree of knowledge of the French language.

Sammy the Salesman

Sammy the Salesman is a shady goods dealer that makes occasional appearances to sell the player products that are usually scams. He first appears during the first spring to sell the player "special" chicken feed which turns out to be normal feed. He can usually be found at festivals where he continues to try to sell the player goods at inflated prices. The one good deal he makes is during the Flower Festival offering the player a Power Berry for a relatively cheap price of 1000G.

Photographer

The photographer makes very few appearances, but is essential for collecting photographs. He shows up at certain festivals if you win them to take your pictures. Otherwise, his presence is only made known by the pictures and accompanying letters he sends you.

Reception

IGN rated the game at 8.2, or "impressive", saying that though the graphics and sound could be much better, the game is addictive.

GameSpot.com users rated it 7.3[1]--"Good: A game within this range is good overall, and likely worth playing by fans of the particular genre or by those otherwise interested. While its strengths outweigh its weaknesses, a game that falls in this range tends to have noticeable faults." [2]

Mars Publishing's Parent's Guide to Nintendo Games gave Harvest Moon 64 the only Parent's Guide Choice Award for a Nintendo 64 game because it met the requirements of a game that "displays imagination, creativity, ingenuity of the first order, while offering a playing atmosphere that is educational and enriching."

Nintendo Power ranked Harvest Moon 64 as the 78th greatest Nintendo game of all time.

External links

• The Official Japanese website
• Harvest Moon 64 ROM for a Nintendo 64 emulator
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