Friday, September 23, 2011

Introduction to Tale of Two Towns

The newest game in the Harvest Moon series is 'Tale of Two Towns' and this is the Site devoted to the game. You will find the links to my actual Guides as Tabs above this Post.

The Guides will be available on IGN as usual as well. A preliminary General Guide and First Year Calendar Guide can be found now on this site.

'Tale of Two Towns' has been released for the ordinary DS system but a slightly different version is due to be released for the 3D system shortly. Evidently, the game will be the same for the most part, but there will be some special little additions to the 3D game.

In 'Tale of Two Towns', you choose not only your character's gender but his/her residence of choice. There are two Towns, as the name of the game announces. The Towns are Bluebell and Konohana. Bluebell Town specialises in Animal Farming. Konohana specialises in Crops and Orchards. The Towns are separated by a mountain region.

The Harvest Goddess will tell you the history of the Two Towns as well as the reason why she blocked the tunnel that cuts through the mountain and once acted as a shortcut between them. Too much bickering between the Mayors and villagers of both towns became unbearable to her and she caused an earthquake to bring down boulders to act as a barrier. Your primary task at the start of the game is to restore good relations between Bluebell and Konohana as she regrets the act that further divided them.

Although Crop Farming and Animal Husbandry are divided between the two Towns and you must choose between the two at the start of the game, it is not only possible but desirable to change your residence from time to time. You have the ability to make a choice each season, so every player can experience the unique beauty and charm of each Village, not only as a tourist but as a resident. While living in one Village, you are encouraged to visit the other. Each Village has some basic shops, but there are specialised businesses that can be found only in one of the two.

Note that although you must choose between Crop Farming and Animal Husbandry, you will be able to grow Crops on your Farm in Bluebell Village or raise Animals on your Farm in Konohana.

In true Harvest Moon tradition, there are Cooking Festivals and it is the Cooking Festivals that offer you the opportunity to begin to mend relations between the Two Towns.

Players of both Harvest Moon and Rune Factory will note new options in this Harvest Moon game that have been taken from Rune Factory. Among other things, there is a Message Board where Requests can be taken and Courtship includes both Heart Events and 'Date Events'.

Players who enjoyed Grand Bazaar will note that some of the Characters as well as gameplay options from that game have been included in Tale of Two Towns. The three brothers who were so prominent in the Bazaar are Characters in Tale of Two Towns. Another Grand Bazaar option is the ability to purchase pets who will herd your Animals as they do in Grand Bazaar.

The Mountain Area that separates the Two Towns is particularly glorious in this game, and gives a Player the ability to forage for Mushrooms, Bamboo Shoots and other wild items as well as Fishing and catching Insects. New to Two Towns is the ability to catch fish with your hands! The use of a Fishing Rod is necessary to catch many varieties of Fish but shallow waters offer the chance to 'hand fish'.

A preliminary General Guide should be available on my new Tale of Two Towns site this weekend.

Happy Harvesting!

3 comments:

  1. As I always say, your Harvest Moon Guides are the best in all sites of Internet, really love the way you do the guides and I'm fan of all your guides because I really enjoy too to play harvest moon games, I play it all of them and so The Rune Factory series and your guides has served me very much. Thanks a lot for make it a guide for the new game Harvest Moon A tale of two towns. I'm been playin it the very first day of releasing and I'm still just in spring 15 but I been waiting your guide and I know it will help me a lot. So the case is that I've been reading right now your guide and I just want to say you that in this part: "The result appears to be
    predetermined. If your Character lives in Bluebell Town, it is the Konohana
    Town Team that will win the contest. If your Character lives in Konohana Town,
    it is the Bluebell Team that will win."
    I can say to you that in some cases or in the very first event I lose too but in the next cooking festival I win! =) so I don't know how it is really the festival game system but I just wanted to say this to you because maybe it will help you a little to make you guide. Anyway thanks again ^^

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  2. You are absolutely correct and in fact, I discovered this myself when I had a little time to replay the Cooking Festival Event. I now believe that the result is random except perhaps in a case where your Character makes a truly spectacular Cooked Dish with an extraordinarily high Quality and value. I both won and lost in the same Cooking Festival with the SAME Dish!

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  3. Yep. And the ingredientes that the mayor's give us are always of high quality, I think that all you need to win an event is luck! =) However if you win or not the festival it raises a little the hearts to unify both towns. Anyway your guide is very helpful! ^^

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