Story of Seasons Friends of Mineral Town (Xbox)
Story of Seasons Friends of Mineral Town (Xbox)
Publisher: Marvelous Inc XSEED Games
Developer: Marvelous Inc
Genre:
PEGI: E
Comments:
When I found out that Harvest Moon – I mean Story of Seasons – was coming to Xbox I was overjoyed. Even though Story of Seasons carries a different name, it’s still the same farming game I grew up loving as a kid. Although Natsume got to keep the “Harvest Moon” name, when I loaded Story of Seasons Friends of Mineral Town on Xbox it brought me back to my childhood. Story of Seasons Friends of Mineral Town is a remake of the Harvest Moon game with minor tweaks. Some of the characters had their names changed, but as a Harvest Moon fan you will pick this up really fast. Get ready for hard work on the farm.
Since I have been playing these types of games since the 90’s when Harvest Moon 64 came out I would consider myself an expert. When starting on the farm I immediately knew what I had to do. Early on in the game, so many tasks are needed to be done with such little stamina. My tip is to visit the hot spring, as it’s fast and easy to regain energy that you need to maximize profits. Begin planting right away to ensure you have a spring full of prosperity.
Planting for Success
Each season has it’s own crops that can be planted. It’s important to plant the right seeds or they will die which will be wasted money.
Spring:
Turnip ( 4 days to grow)
Potato ( 7 days to grow)
Cucumber (9 days to grow and regrows every 5 days after that)
Strawberry ( 9 Days)
Cabbage (14 days)
Summer:
Tomato ( 9 days regrows in 3 days)
Corn (14 days regrows in 3 days)
Onion ( 7 days)
Pumpkin (14 days)
Pineapple (20 days regrows in 5 days)
Autumn:
Eggplant ( 9 days regrows in 3 days)
Carrot ( 7 days)
Yam ( 6 days regrows in 3 days)
Spinach ( 5 days)
Green Pepper ( 7 days regrows in 2 days)
It’s important to look at the calendar to plan as you need enough grow time before the season ends to harvest the crops.
Around the Town
I love exploring the town and speaking with the residents. Sometimes, you will unlock cinematic scenes which can increase friendship. If you desire, you can even get married in Story of Seasons once you unlock all the heart events with the person you desire. I love going to the beach to fish, even though it’s a simple process and all the fish look the same until you pull the fish out of water. To be fair, this isn’t uncommon in these style games.
Mineral town is designed well, and it is easy to navigate especially if you use the map. While we always enjoy sprawling towns in new 2021 adventures, the simplicity of Mineral Town is actually refreshing. Mineral Town has so many secrets so make sure you explore – can you find the Harvest Sprite house? How about the jewels?
Mining
Mining is needed to get ore for tool upgrades. Working hard in the mines will also give you items needed for makers. Mineral Town has two mines, the first one is located just behind the hot spring. In order to mine you need a hammer and hoe, and make sure you keep an eye on your stamina level. The second mine is located west of that and unfortunately you need it to be winter for the water to freeze to access the opening. That said, there are better and more rare items here for you to find.
Animals
What’s a farming game without animals? Story of Seasons friends of Mineral Town brings us all the animals we love, and they are cute to boot! Taking care of the animals is important as their product quality will go up netting you more profit. It’s extremely simple talk to them, feed, and brush to make them happy. Having animals is also important for recipes. Be sure to be creative with names it’s fun, I personally love naming the animals.
Mineral Town Fun
Story of Seasons is full of things to do, and I was constantly running out of time in a day. It’s important to have a plan for each day to maximize efficiency. Visiting the Blacksmith is the place to upgrade tool, buy tools such as a milker, and make gifts. It’s vital to upgrade your tools as they use less stamina and cover more area. Throughout the month the town also holds events such as a Horse derby you can even bet on the races. All the even information can be found in the calendar so pay attention and participate.
Final Thought
Story of Seasons Mineral Town is a must play. It’s filled with hours of entertainment and so many hidden secrets to unlock. Story of Seasons goes on forever it’s a long game if you want it to be. Mineral Town has a refreshed feel to it that you will enjoy even as a new player. Thank you to Xseed and Marvelous for bringing us this farming gem. I can’t wait to see what they bring us next! it’s also a big step that the games are being released on multiple platforms.