Harvest Moon 3 GBC

Release Dates

The final game in the series to release on the GameBoy Color handheld system was also one of its most unique. Harvest Moon 3 GBC didn’t just give players the choice of playing as a boy (Pete) or girl (Sara), but contained different plotlines based on that decision. Those playing as Pete effectively picked up where Harvest Moon 2 GBC left off, in Flower Bud Village, and were asked to travel to a nearby island, to assist a farm girl. Those who played as Sara inherited an island farm and were sent a boy—Pete—to help.

Pete was primarily in charge of growing crops. He had access to all the necessary tools required to grow a bounty of vegetables, but he lacked the tools to raise animals. Sara, on the other hand, had access to a Brush and Milker and could care for animals and gather the animal products they produced. The differences didn’t end there! Though Pete and Sara inevitably befriended one another, doing so was more important for Pete, as the only way to gather Wool and Milk to sell at the market was by teaching his female partner how to make items like Butter and Cheese. Fortunately, books in town had the necessary items. Sara, for her part, was able to purchase appliances that could turn raw materials into Butter and Yarn.

The gender roles continued to the game’s conclusion. Though both characters had the goal of saving the farm from being converted to a landfill in two years, those playing as the female character, Sara, saw the game end upon getting married. The male character’s game continued beyond marriage, allowing players to tend the farm while raising a family.

Fun Facts

• The shift to an island farm forced players to adapt to a ferry schedule in order to visit town. The only way to purchase seeds and meet other characters was to travel by ferry on Mondays and Thursdays. Players had to plan accordingly!
• For the first time in a Harvest Moon game, players could select the character’s blood type. Blood type is a common attribute in character information in Japanese games.
• There were sixteen species of fish to catch, including three King Fish, introduced in Harvest Moon: Back to Nature. Some fish could only be caught from a boat in the ocean.
• Players who managed to obtain six Power Berries and their own boat could travel across the ocean to a secret Mermaid’s Cave where, if conditions were met, she awarded players with an extra Power Berry.
• In addition to a snowboarding mini-game, the player could raise up to eight horses that could later be entered in the horse-racing circuit.