Harvest Moon: The Tale of Two Towns

Release Dates

Continuing what had become a franchise trend of only releasing games for portable consoles (a pattern that continued until 2017), Harvest Moon: The Tale of Two Towns came to both Nintendo’s DS and 3DS devices. Whereas the prior game shifted the focus to running a market, it was time for cooking to take a turn in the spotlight.

The story of Harvest Moon: The Tale of Two Towns was that of Bluebell and Konohana, and the mayors who grew so embittered that the Harvest Goddess herself sealed off the tunnel that connected their towns. Now, generations later, the player was given a choice to farm in either of the two towns—and coax a new friendship between the mayors through seasonal cooking competitions! Only by performing well in the cooking contests would their friendship be built, and the tunnel reopened.

Naturally, there was a lot more than an emphasis on cooking to make this game shine. One of the biggest changes was made to the affection system and dating. Players no longer had to compete with a rival for a bachelor or bachelorette, but they did have to weigh the effects of jealousy. Spending too much time with one bachelor, for example, could make the others jealous. This system extended to marriage, where the unchosen bachelors continued to get jealous as the player spent time with their spouse. Players wanting to maintain friendships and keep the peace had to take advantage of the game’s whole new way to initiate asking a character on a date.

Fun Facts

• The game included new livestock in the form of alpacas, as well as new Asian-based crops like Bok Choy and Daikon Radish. A special pet owl could be used to fly the character between the two mountain towns.
• The 3DS version of the game featured improved graphics and a wider screen, along with a livestock petting mini-game and the ability to use StreetPass to trade items with other 3DS owners you passed in public.
• Dozens of recipes awaited the skillful chef. Players hoping to reopen the tunnel needed to master a full five-course meal including salad, soup, appetizer, entrée, and desserts.
• Opening the tunnel didn’t just complete the main goal of the game, but also let you quickly travel between towns and find valuable gems and ore within the mountain.
• Konohana and Bluebell had plenty of differences, including marriage candidates and festivals. Also, players could only buy animals in Bluebell and seeds in Konohana. It was possible to change towns each season.