Story of Seasons: Friends of Mineral Town

 Switch
User Score
8.1

Generally favorable reviews- based on 74 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 60 out of 74
  2. Mixed: 6 out of 74
  3. Negative: 8 out of 74
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  1. ValkyriaDG
    Nov 7, 2020
    8
    Un Juego muy entretenido. Da muchas hora de juego y poco a poco vas haciendo más Rentable y Autosuficiente tu granja.
  2. hangrybear
    Mar 28, 2021
    10
    At last a farming sim game that I can sink my teeth into. I was thoroughly disappointed with the last two SoS entries but this game makes up for all that. You start out as usual with a small section of the farm and it grows more and more addictive from there. New areas are unlocked after amassing the required funs and materials. There's so much variety, you won't get bored. You can prettyAt last a farming sim game that I can sink my teeth into. I was thoroughly disappointed with the last two SoS entries but this game makes up for all that. You start out as usual with a small section of the farm and it grows more and more addictive from there. New areas are unlocked after amassing the required funs and materials. There's so much variety, you won't get bored. You can pretty much develop the farm exactly how you want it. There's fencing, paths, decorations etc.

    If i had to complain about something, I'd say there are some framerate and loading time issues. However these will be patched soon, or so I hear.

    I love this game!    … Expand
  3. TsukasaHiiragi
    Jan 8, 2023
    5
    The biggest problem with Friends of Mineral Town is honestly? Its just not that good, it's a significant grindfest with annoying quirks and the only reason for the remasters is to play on the nostalgia factor of the original Harvest Moon fans, and yes, I played every single Harvest Moon game since the original and they just haven't aged well at all, especially compared to all the otherThe biggest problem with Friends of Mineral Town is honestly? Its just not that good, it's a significant grindfest with annoying quirks and the only reason for the remasters is to play on the nostalgia factor of the original Harvest Moon fans, and yes, I played every single Harvest Moon game since the original and they just haven't aged well at all, especially compared to all the other Farming/Life sims on the market which do everything better.

    As others have stated, Xseed has childproofed many aspects and removed any rivals, whilst they added a few QOL improvements, it is still quite basic for 2020+ unfortunately the earlier SoS games including this are really strictly for fans of the original Harvest Moon series, newer players will find much better farming and life sim games elsewhere.    … Expand
  4. X_Skinchanger_X
    Sep 24, 2022
    4
    Unfortunately, I am relatively disappointed with this remake. The graphics are nice, the gameplay itself still works well and the characters are nicely designed, but unfortunately there is virtually no conflict between the characters anymore. And therein lies my problem with the game and the series in general. The whole community seems smoothed out, there's just something missing. ThereUnfortunately, I am relatively disappointed with this remake. The graphics are nice, the gameplay itself still works well and the characters are nicely designed, but unfortunately there is virtually no conflict between the characters anymore. And therein lies my problem with the game and the series in general. The whole community seems smoothed out, there's just something missing. There are no rivals like in the original, which means that the lives of the same-aged residents are basically static. I loved the original, but it unfortunately lost the very things that made it special for me. For example, even after several ingame years, there were still various events between the other couples, problems that needed to be solved. Not necessarily by oneself, but between the characters, that gave the relationships and inhabitants the appearance of existence. I notice the same problem with other titles in the series. The games don't captivate me the way they used to, because other than the tighter circumstances around your character, there's no development, much less conflict, and generally too little change. It feels more like a dollhouse instead of a simulation of life in a community, where everything ends up back where it was. It's really a shame that these principles have become entrenched over time in the series.… Expand
  5. Figgiet
    Jul 23, 2020
    8
    A really good remake of a classic. Runs very good on the switch, both docked and handheld mode. If you like the previous Harvest Moon, now renamed Story of seasons. You will love this game.
  6. Joo12
    Sep 8, 2020
    10
    It is so fun! It reminds me of my childhood time. There are more story lines and characters , the farm works are more user friendly now compared with PS1 version. Overall it is like a re-make version of friends of mineral towns with more stories. It’s worth buying !
  7. Krone
    Jul 20, 2020
    10
    I love this, love the nostalgia, the game doesn't have too much difference from the former game, they're just enchancing the graphics, maybe some new npc, and that's all, the mechanic of the game is the same as it's former game
  8. MilkyGinger-08
    Jul 23, 2020
    9
    Just wanna say, thanks to make me feels nostalgic, and thanks to Marvelous for making this game...
  9. yuedidi
    Jul 16, 2020
    9
    Amazing game! Brings back the very good memories of mine playing the older version. There's a lot of satisfaction playing the game... I can't stop playing it.... The only downside is probably the lack of creativity over the older version.... gameplay wise is very similar to the older version. Perhaps adding some new feature would make a 10/10 game.
  10. Pintresting
    Jul 17, 2020
    8
    Nostalgia factor is pretty big with this game. It may be hard to stick with if you have never played the originals and have only played Stardew Valley; however, if you played the original harvest moon friends of mineral town, Harvest moon back to nature, or you are a fan of the genre in general, this is worth the purchase. The art style grows was originally my biggest concern for the gameNostalgia factor is pretty big with this game. It may be hard to stick with if you have never played the originals and have only played Stardew Valley; however, if you played the original harvest moon friends of mineral town, Harvest moon back to nature, or you are a fan of the genre in general, this is worth the purchase. The art style grows was originally my biggest concern for the game but turned into one of my favorite things about the game. At first, I was super hesitant about the 3d art style, comparing it to something you’d see in a mobile game. It was surprising to me how quickly the art style grew on me after I started playing. The portraits are very well drawn and convey a lot of expression from the NPCs. The backgrounds and season changes are also very well done. The art direction is helped by the game running at a consistent 60fps on the switch. The new 3d art design was a good choice for the remaster and it is polished enough to give a timeless appeal. Personally I prefer this new art style over SDV.

    Romance options are some of the largest in the genre. Each romance option feels unique and the dialogue adds alot of depth to each of the characters. I also find the romance options way more engaging than the SDV romance options. Customization is where the game falls short. If your fine with not having total control over farm customization, then you should be able to get over the games biggest shortcoming. The game tries to overcome this by having a leveling system for your tools and even other grading system for your harvested crops; however, none of this really seems to matter too much when you can use harvest sprites to do all the dirty work for you. Tools are more or less just a means to clear up large stumps and rocks on the soil and open new areas. Building placement and crafting options are also way more limited than in SDV. The farming and animal mechanics have also been cleaned up a lot since the previous versions. Several quality-of-life changes have made it much easier to tend to your crops. Overall I recommend picking it up even if you’re curious. Its not perfect but its still a very fun game and an improvement on the originals.    … Expand
  11. Dizzy_Ditz
    Jul 19, 2020
    5
    I give this a five out of ten.
    Pros: This game is very similar to the original with more 'flare'. It's very fun. There are new characters, events, and animals, but it still brings back the nostalgia of the original game. Very well done.
    HOWEVER. Xseed seems to be on a 'child-proofing' kick that they're taking to an extreme. They've been doing this more and more over a long line of    I give this a five out of ten.
    Pros: This game is very similar to the original with more 'flare'. It's very fun. There are new characters, events, and animals, but it still brings back the nostalgia of the original game. Very well done.

    HOWEVER.

    Xseed seems to be on a 'child-proofing' kick that they're taking to an extreme. They've been doing this more and more over a long line of games and it's extremely upsetting. From preventing animals from getting 'sick' or 'dying' from neglect to removing rival marriages all together. It's very disheartening. The animals are cute and, yes, it is sad when they die (whether be from old age or neglect) but that's part of life. It's a good lesson for kids to learn. Not to mention with the removal of rival marriages it makes the characters very two-dimensional and unrealistic. They used to feel more interesting, having their own lives and events that were their own with nothing to do with the player. It made the characters much more fun. Also, Gray, for example, is suddenly sweet as sugar and never mean. He used to be kind of a jerk till you got to know him. Yes, he sort of snaps at you in the first event, but that's really it. This is exactly what I mean when I say Xseed is child proofing. It's sad that kids can't really learn good lessons from these games anymore.

    TL;DR = While they kept most of the old game, they added new things that are cute and fun. However, XSeed's child proofing ways are at it again.    … Expand
  12. averyjbyrd
    Jul 23, 2020
    8
    I have been playing Story of Seasons Friends of Mineral Town since launch. I did not play the original GBA release, but I am familiar with the Harvest Moon/Story of Seasons series in general.

    I enjoyed many aspects of this game. I feel like the gameplay loop is addictive and satisfying. I love some of the quality of life improvements (1 pack of seeds plants 9 spots in the field, the    I have been playing Story of Seasons Friends of Mineral Town since launch. I did not play the original GBA release, but I am familiar with the Harvest Moon/Story of Seasons series in general.

    I enjoyed many aspects of this game. I feel like the gameplay loop is addictive and satisfying. I love some of the quality of life improvements (1 pack of seeds plants 9 spots in the field, the tool swapping is easy, etc.) For the most part, I enjoy the meat of this game, but I cannot give it a 10/10 because of some important gripes.

    The graphics are perfectly acceptable -- I even find them cute -- but the animations do feel a bit stiff and lifeless. The music, when present, is fun but I often find that there is no background music. The sound effects are dated; I really dislike how the footsteps sound. The villager dialogue is a bit lacking as well.

    Overall, I am glad I bought this game, and I know I will put in a ton of hours. I just wish they would have taken the time to get some of the finer details better.    … Expand
  13. Sercho
    Jul 15, 2020
    8
    Add a review here for Story of Seasons: Friends of Mineral Town, or submit with only a rating...
    Playing story of seasons feels like coming back home and your are having your favorite meal for dinner with a few surprises. It truly enhanced everything the GBA version did and has some really nice improvements. If you loved Friends of Mineral town and More friends of Mineral Town you'll love    Add a review here for Story of Seasons: Friends of Mineral Town, or submit with only a rating...
    Playing story of seasons feels like coming back home and your are having your favorite meal for dinner with a few surprises. It truly enhanced everything the GBA version did and has some really nice improvements. If you loved Friends of Mineral town and More friends of Mineral Town you'll love this one too. There are new fruit trees, improved graphics, a new area in town, new animals and pets and finally same-sex marriage. All these new features will definitely make this the definitive version.    … Expand
  14. lucaspxy
    Jul 17, 2020
    9
    People saying this game is too faithful to the original seem to ignore the new characters, new animals, new events, new gameplay mechanics, equal marriage and so on. Yes it is a remake, so it's an improved FoMT. But there are many convenient updates that allow both newcomers and original fans to have fun. And that last word, FUN, is vital here. It is a game that emphasizes the relaxing andPeople saying this game is too faithful to the original seem to ignore the new characters, new animals, new events, new gameplay mechanics, equal marriage and so on. Yes it is a remake, so it's an improved FoMT. But there are many convenient updates that allow both newcomers and original fans to have fun. And that last word, FUN, is vital here. It is a game that emphasizes the relaxing and engrossing experience of having fun leading a simple farm in a simple town. There is nothing breathtaking or exuberant. So if you are the kind closed-minded gamer who mock at the possibility of this type of game existing in 2020, now is a good time to turn back.… Expand
  15. JamesC1992
    Jul 23, 2020
    8
    As a veteran Harvest Moon fan this is by far my favorite farming game on the switch. Nostalgia does play a big role in this game though. Many do not know that this is a remake of a classic GBA game called Harvest Moon: Friends of Mineral Town. I will say that many will prefer to Stardew Valley (which is understandable) than this but hear me out! This is a fantastic game to relax to andAs a veteran Harvest Moon fan this is by far my favorite farming game on the switch. Nostalgia does play a big role in this game though. Many do not know that this is a remake of a classic GBA game called Harvest Moon: Friends of Mineral Town. I will say that many will prefer to Stardew Valley (which is understandable) than this but hear me out! This is a fantastic game to relax to and take in the memorable music it has grown on me since I was a kid. It has two new characters which is a breath of fresh air for the series. It also has same-sex marriage which is a major plus in my books. We stan equality in our games. You can be a girl or boy, pick your skin color and the game has a variety of clothing options to choose from. Add-ons such as costumes cost 1.99 on the eshop store. More animals to raise and more different crops to grow aswell. It really filled in the gaps of the GBA version I grew up with.

    Now comes the negatives. Why I gave this an 8 instead of a 10 is..

    1. The graphics and character portraits. The graphics do look like a mobile version of a game I will admit but I did however grew to like it. Alot of people might not like this though. Especially if they're gonna pay $50 for this game. I can understand that. And the portraits and characters look very chibi and some of the character redesigns aren't that great. Gray without a hat and Ann is named Ran instead of Ann. Just minor setbacks but let's now get to the most important flaw.

    2. No rival marriages. This is the biggest flaw in the game because it made the town come alive back on the GBA Version. Maybe down the road they will add it in a patch. Who knows but it's a big disappointment for many nostalgic FoMT fans.

    Overall Marvelous has really stuck to the original GBA version as close as possible and I'm so happy they did this for the older and newer fans too. We have to appreciate that we were blessed with a nostalgic and fan favorite game remade in our hands and it's so nice to play it on the go and on the big screen. is it worth $50 though? For a non-fan I'd wait for it to go on sale but if your a longtime fan it's definitely worth the price. Thank you Marvelous for keeping the spark alive. Something Natsume has failed to do these last past years. Happy farming!    … Expand
  16. Awkylold
    Jul 17, 2020
    4
    Stick to the Original GBA release.

    While this game has many improvements, I had some issues playing this game and cannot justify it being $50. issues including materials selling for more than your crops, Missed opportunity to include multiplayer connectivity like the last game. Character names such as Ann and Won have been oddly changed. Speaking of which, the game's dialogue looks    Stick to the Original GBA release.

    While this game has many improvements, I had some issues playing this game and cannot justify it being $50. issues including materials selling for more than your crops, Missed opportunity to include multiplayer connectivity like the last game. Character names such as Ann and Won have been oddly changed.
    Speaking of which, the game's dialogue looks like its been put through google translate. Since everyone in the game is "bi" including the player, this also means that there are no more Rival Events. This makes the game needlessly easy and provides no challenge for the game at all.
    You can no longer cook your own dishes, you have to learn recipes. Which means some recipes are no longer a secret. TV Shopping is no longer a thing, you have to buy utensils at a store. I've also ran into several bugs, and crashes a few times.
    Overall, this game feels like a cash grab trying to pull in fans of the original game. For $50, i wouldn't recommend this.    … Expand
  17. Goemon64
    Jul 19, 2020
    4
    •Gráficamente es basura
    •Los menús no son nada intuitivos
    •No cuenta con un radar para los NPC
    •Muchos de los SFX son espantosos y molestos.

    Para ser un Remake está bastante mediocre.
  18. Kosama
    May 2, 2021
    10
    100% nostagial jaja pero en todo es mejor que cualquier HM o SoS, las cutscene y el control de lo mejor que tiene.
  19. Decim_barman
    Jun 27, 2021
    9
    Great remake i love this game...................................................

Awards & Rankings

58
#58 Most Discussed Switch Game of 2020

Critic Reviews

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Metascore
77

Generally favorable reviews - based on 49 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 34 out of 49
  2. Mixed: 14 out of 49
  3. Negative: 1 out of 49
  1. Universo Nintendo
    Dec 16, 2020
    80
    Story of Seasons: Friends of Mineral Town brings several aspects that players of the genre, and especially longtime fans of the franchise will appreciate as a remake, but could have improved the experience with more personalizations and more depth through never seen before content.
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  2. Nintendo Force Magazine
    Oct 26, 2020
    75
    If you were a fan of the original Friends of Mineral Town titles, this is a great dose of nostalgia, with plenty of quality-of-life improvements over the original and a fresh new localization. [Issue #48 – September/October 2020, p. 73]
  3. Siliconera
    Sep 15, 2020
    80
    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.
    Read full review
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