Release Dates
| Platform | North America | Europe |
|---|---|---|
|
GBC |
November 7, 2000 |
March 2001 |
Harvest Moon 2 GBC was the first game in the series to shift the premise away from an inheritance situation. In this particular game, players took on the role of saving a town from development. An abandoned farm on the outskirts of town was to be turned into an amusement park unless the player could restore the farm to its former glory. The player has three years to accomplish the task.
Portable gaming wasn’t quite as robust an experience at the turn of the century as it is now, and it was only natural that Harvest Moon 2 GBC lacked some of the features of its console brethren. Most notably, this installment did not include the ability to marry or start a family, nor did it feature the Harvest Sprites. But despite these minor subtractions, the game was a grand sequel that significantly expanded upon the original Harvest Moon GBC.
Naturally, if the farm was going to be developed into an amusement park, it must have been a pretty big farm. And it was! Not only was the farm larger than in the original portable installment, but players could now build larger barns (and animal pens) and a greenhouse too. An increased number of crops (including herbs and flowers) and tools combined with a robust fishing experience to keep players busy right up until the game’s three-year deadline.
Fun Facts
- Players could use the Gamelink Cable to trade fish and insects between their copies of Harvest Moon 2 GBC and Natsume’s Legend of the River King 2.
- The seeds you could purchase were restricted to gender. Though pet cats could always dig up seeds, those playing with a pet dog had to use the Gamelink Cable to trade with a friend. It was possible to earn a Golden Chicken by trading a chicken between GameBoy Colors.
- Those wanting to take a break from farming could enjoy the two included mini-games: Cherry Cup Horse Race and Mole Bash. Home versions of the games could be purchased to play on the television in your farmhouse.
- The librarian, Mary, cataloged every insect, crop, fish, and animal you interacted with. Not only that, Mary also shared a treasure map in the form of a slide puzzle.
- The library’s photo album could be used in conjunction with the GameBoy Printer to print pictures of crops and animals from the game. You could also print each of the photos taken during seven main events.