Harvest Moon: A New Beginning

Release Dates

Marking the fifteenth anniversary of the series, Harvest Moon: A New Beginning took the franchise in a new direction with a robust customization system. For the first time ever, players were free to customize their character’s appearance, hairstyle, and eventually, their clothing. As you might expect in a game called A New Beginning, that was far from the only new feature.

Unlike most prior games in the series, the goal here wasn’t to resurrect a decaying farm, but an entire town. Echo Village was practically abandoned, leaving players with the task of restoring the town. Five Town Restoration Plans guided players in their task, requiring the purchase of hundreds of garden, house, farm, and decoration blueprints. There were even blueprints for upgraded tools. Little by little, as shops and other buildings were built, and the town revitalized, former Echo Village citizens moved back in.

By far, the most revolutionary aspect of Harvest Moon: A New Beginning was the ability to pick up barns and houses and other structures and move them about the map. Everything in Echo Village could be repositioned except the Town Plaza. As more and more of the town unlocked through the Town Restoration Plans, players could continue to shift the location of shops, houses, and even the roads! This made it possible to maximize space, increase the efficiency of the town, and ensure all those villagers moved back in.

Fun Facts

• Players could visit the Salon to change the character’s hair, and visit the Tailor for new clothes. These changes could be done long after designing your character’s appearance.
• It was possible to take a honeymoon with your spouse or go on family vacations once you had a child. Destinations included the beach, ancient ruins, Snowland, and a place called Sakura Land.
• After Spring 27, players could use the Nintendo Network to play cooperatively with up to three additional players from around the world. Co-op play involved caring for other players’ livestock and collecting animal products from them.
• Harvest Moon: A New Beginning contained numerous new crops, including Cactus, Cotton, Lotus, and Nadeshiko, and also new livestock like the yak.
• Players could craft a fish trap for a whole new way of fishing. Fish traps could be used to catch all manner of shellfish and some small fish.