About this game
Harvest Moon — Bokujō Monogatari in Japan — was conceived by director Yasuhiro Wada as a deliberate counterpoint to the competitive fighting games dominating the Super Famicom market in 1996. Instead of combat, the player tends a farm: planting crops, raising animals, building relationships with townspeople, and finding a spouse before the game's time limit ends. Development took three years and nearly collapsed — only three people finished the game. Initial sales of 20,000 copies grew slowly through word of mouth into a franchise that has sold tens of millions of copies worldwide.
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The Story Behind
The parent company went bankrupt during development, leaving Wada with only two colleagues to complete the game — director Wada, programmer Tomomi Yamatate, and designer Setsuko Miyakoshi. The game was released near the end of the Super Famicom's commercial lifespan, with many retailers reluctant to stock it. Its eventual success defined an entire new genre — 'cozy simulation' or 'life simulation' — and directly inspired titles like Stardew Valley (2016) and Animal Crossing.
The original Harvest Moon — authentic, tested, shipped from Japan.
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The game has a strict in-game time limit of three years before the grandfather's farm must be restored — giving each season genuine urgency. If the farm has not been sufficiently restored by the end of year three, the game ends with a 'failure' message. Wada's vision was specifically anti-competitive: he wanted players to relax, not beat each other. The franchise was called 'Story of Seasons' internationally from 2014 onward due to publishing rights changes.
Collector's Guide
Available in our shop
Hand-cleaned and tested units shipped worldwide from Toyohashi, Japan. HP direct purchase exclusive: we include a printed shop owner's note card with every order.
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