Harvest Moon: Tale of Two Towns

Review

Common Sense Media says

Fun farming on the go with storyline about feuds.
greenON: Content is age-appropriate for kids this age.
yellowPAUSE: Know your child; some content
may not be right for some kids.
redOFF: Not age-appropriate for kids this age.
not for kidsNOT FOR KIDS: Not appropriate for kids any age.

Find out more

Quality
 
Sometimes media can be age appropriate but a real waste of time. Our star rating assesses the media's overall quality.

Find out more

Parents say

Not yet rated

Kids say

Not yet rated

What parents need to know

Parents need to know that Harvest Moon: Tale of Two Towns is the latest entry in the successful and long-running Harvest Moon franchise. Players take on the role of an ambitious young farmer who moves into a new village and must work hard to cultivate crops, take care of animals, and soak in the local color. This franchise has been heralded as being relaxing and peaceful, and even though it involves elements of adventure and role-playing games, there is no violent conflict or any other negative content. The only questionable material is that players can buy beer and wine from a local shop, but these items are treated as functional stamina boosters and not as anything gratuitous.

  • Positive messages2
    This game's experience is mostly calm and peaceful. Players take the role of a farmer moving to a new village. There is an underlying story about two feuding villages but players are encouraged to rise above that feud and instead focus on becoming a thriving farmer, going to festivals, and meeting new people.
  • Positive role models1
    There is a feud between the village where players set up shop and a neighboring village. This spat is described only to set up a conflict for players to overcome, but nearly all of the townspeople that players meet are kind-spirited, friendly, and helpful. Most of these villagers are positive role models.
  • Ease of play4
    The game is easily accessible and uses simple touch-screen controls for players to easily manage their farms, buy accessories, and interact with other villagers. Trying to sustain and further grow crops will require endurance and patience, but any player who enjoys fantasy games will easily be able to get the hang of this game. The intrigue of this game is not its difficulty, but rather its long-term playability.
  • Violence1
    It is possible -- but never encouraged -- to whack farm animals while holding a farm tool like a hammer. This causes the animal to react and squeal, but it is impossible to actually harm the animals.
  • Sex0
    Not applicable.
  • Language0
    Not applicable.
  • Consumerism0
    Not applicable.
  • Drinking, drugs, & smoking1
    Players can buy food and drink items to restore their stamina. Two of these items are beer and wine, but choosing to consume them has the same depiction as consuming milk or honey or any other stamina-restoring item.
  • Privacy & safety0
    Not applicable.
CloseExpand to see more details

What's it about?

Harvest Moon: Tale of Two Towns has the same basic set-up as most other Harvest Moon titles -- players assume the role of an ambitious young farmer looking to make his or her mark in a new village. In this game, there is an underlying story about two feuding villages. Players have to choose one of these villages and then find themselves opposed by the other side. This story is only played as a minor conflict and it is used to encourage players to stand high above the petty feud.

Is it any good?

 

HARVEST MOON: TALE OF TWO TOWNS is a great addition to the storied Harvest Moon franchise. The story about two dueling villages, though not played out comprehensively, adds a touch of intrigue and purpose to the game. In addition, the aspect of socializing with other townspeople and going to festivals is stronger here than in previous titles. Plus, since this is a handheld game, players can take it on the go and manage their farm anytime, anywhere. In short, this is a fun and worthwhile game for Harvest Moon fans and newcomers to the franchise alike.

Sign Up Message
Sign up for our weekly newsletter
Each week we send a customized newsletter to our parent and teen subscribers. Parents can customize their settings to receive recommendations and parent tips based on their kids’ ages. Teens receive a version just for them with the latest reviews and top picks for movies, video games, apps, music, books, and more.
Please enter an email address.
Please check your email address for possible typos.
Sorry, you must be 13 or older to subscribe to our weekly newsletter.
Sign me up!

What families can talk about

  • Families can talk about the use on in-game avatars. How does your Harvest Moon character differ from you?

  • How would you resolve the dispute between the two towns?

  • How difficult do you think it would be to farm in real life?

This review was written by Mark Raby
Kid, 11 years old
March 7, 2012
AGE
7
 
Fun Game!
I think it is a fun game. A little bit of sexual content though. The player can get married and have a chlid, although this is completely optional. It teaches the responsibility of running a farm and caring for animals. If you like laid-back, easy games, try this.
Was this review useful?
Helped me decide | Had useful details | Read my mind
Flag as inappropriate 
Kid, 8 years old
March 3, 2012
AGE
6
 
hovering between learning and entertaining
This game is really good for kids because it teaches them how to take care of important things like animals (example:filling up the food bucket when it is empty) it is also entertaining
Was this review useful?
Helped me decide | Had useful details | Read my mind
Flag as inappropriate 
See all user reviews
This review was written by Mark Raby
Platforms:Nintendo DS
Available online?Not available online
Genre:Role Playing
Developer:Natsume
Release date:September 20, 2011
Price:$29.99
ESRB rating:E for Use of Alcohol, Comic Mischief
This review was written by Mark Raby

Contact us to give us more feedback on our learning ratings.

 

Review It

Share your review with others

Hang on! You need to be a member to post your review.
A safe community is important to us. Please observe our guidelines.

Screenshots

  • 1 of 3
  • 2 of 3
  • 3 of 3

Tell us what you think about our new Learning Ratings. We value your feedback.

About our rating system
ON: Content is age-appropriate for kids this age.
PAUSE: Know your child; some content may not be right for some kids.
OFF: Not age-appropriate for kids this age.
Learning ratings
BEST: Really engaging, great learning approach.
GOOD: Pretty engaging, good learning approach.
FAIR: Somewhat engaging, OK learning approach.
NOT FOR LEARNING: Not recommended for learning.
Our child development rating guidelines

Great alternatives handpicked by our editors

More Harvest Moon games
For kids who love pretending to be other people
Browse more games
 

vote now

Will you play Harvest Moon: Tale of Two Towns?

Game on
Press pause
Game over

Already played it? What do you think?

I recommend it
It's a pass
 
More from Common Sense Media
Age-appropriate reviews
Top advice and articles

Been There? Tell us about it