History VideoGame / HarvestMoonBackToNature

''Harvest Moon: Back To Nature'' (''Bokujo Monogatari: Harvest Moon'' in Japan), released in 1999 for the Platform/PlayStation, is the fifth game in the ''VideoGame/HarvestMoon'' (now ''VideoGame/StoryOfSeasons'') series and the first on a non-Nintendo platform.

* HeroesWantRedheads: If you marry Ann. Gray counts as well, though the [=GBA=] games make him look blond due to the brighter colours.

''Harvest Moon: Back To Nature'' (''Bokujo Monogatari: Harvest Moon'' in Japan), released in 1999 for the UsefulNotes/{{Playstation}}, is the fifth game in the ''VideoGame/HarvestMoon'' (now ''VideoGame/StoryOfSeasons'') series and the first on a non-Nintendo platform.

A year after release in Japan a DistaffCounterpart, ''Bokujo Monogatari: Harvest Moon For Girl'', was released. The gameplay is largely the same but the backstory is different and you play as a female protagonist. While sailing you become shipwrecked and are rescued by a mysterious man. You end up in Mineral Town, and with nowhere to go you decide to take care of the local farm. ''For Girl'' wouldn't receive an official English translation until 2005 with the release of ''Harvest Moon: Boy and Girl'', UsefulNotes/PlayStationPortable ports of the two [=PlayStation=] games.

''Friends of Mineral Town'' and ''More Friends Of Mineral Town'' for the UsefulNotes/GameBoyAdvance are for the most part ports of ''Back To Nature'' and ''Back To Nature: For Girl''. There are slight personality changes, new backstories for the main character, and updates but they're basically sprite versions of the Playstation titles. ''[[VideoGame/HarvestMoonAWonderfulLife A Wonderful Life]]'' [[SharedUniverse happens concurrently]] with ''FOMT'' storywise. Initially released on the Game Boy Advance in 2003, both titles have been re-released on the UsefulNotes/WiiU UsefulNotes/VirtualConsole in 2015.

A [[VideoGameRemake remake]] for the UsefulNotes/NintendoSwitch has been released under the name ''VideoGame/StoryOfSeasonsFriendsOfMineralTown''. Content-wise it draws from both two [=GBA=] titles.

** In the remakes, using the already [[GuideDangIt hard to obtain]] Golden Lumber as a fence will result in your popularity with the villagers decreasing every day, and several of them coming to your farm with Mayor Thomas every morning to complain. Even the Gourmet from the Cooking Festival and the ''Harvest Goddess herself'' will object to you using it. On top of this, you will be renamed "Moneybags" or "Greedy Witch" (depending on your gender) as long as it stays up, though your spouse will continue to use your original name. These effects fortunately stop once you remove and dispose of the lumber.

* GameplayAndStorySegregation: Some of the Doctor's cutscene dialogue in ''BTN: For Girl'' don't really match up with what is actually happening in game.
** [[spoiler:Just before leaving the town,]] Doctor confesses to Carter about feeling useless because most of his patients are pregnant mothers, and Elli can help deliver the babies without him, since the Doctor is not trained in midwifery. We never see any pregnant mothers or their newborn babies.
** Another cutscene has Elli scold the Doctor for shopping on credit from the Supermarket. The Doctor sheepishly admits that he can't stop himself from buying some bread, which he says is his weakness. However, bread is not actually his favorite, or even one of his liked, items.

* {{Gonk}}: [[http://harvestmoon.wikia.com/wiki/Gourmet Gourmet]], the ugly, egg-shaped judge of the food contests. Many are disturbed that you could actually marry and have a baby with him in ''More Friends of Mineral Town''. The fanbase almost universally considers him and Kappa (from the same game) to be most unattractive potential spouses in the entire series

* TookALevelInKindness:
** Gotz is less of a jerkass than he was in ''VideoGame/HarvestMoon64''. This time he is more of loner that opens up to you.
** Downplayed with Kai in ''[=FoMT=]'', whose interactions with Rick are more amiable than in ''[=BTN=]'', but he nonetheless manages to annoy Rick anyway due to his [[MySisterIsOffLimits overbearing protection of Popuri]].

The plot goes as followed: As a young boy you visited your grandfather's farm one summer. As he was too busy to play with you, you were left to your own devices. You met a girl around your age and became friends with her. At the end of the summer you left for home but promised you would return some day. Years later, now an adult, your grandfather has recently passed and you decide to take up his old farm. The mayor decides that if you can return the farm to its original state within three years you would be considered the rightful owner. If not you would be forced to leave.

* InterspeciesRomance: You can opt to marry the Kappa in ''More Friends of Mineral Town''. [[HalfHumanHybrid And have]] [[HumanMomNonhumanDad his child.]]

** Growing Pineapples in the Summer. They're the biggest money-maker crop in the game (seeds cost 1000G, while the crop's worth is 500G a piece), however they take a whopping ''three weeks'' to mature. And you can only harvest them twice before Fall, assuming you planted them at the very beginning of Summer. It is possible to grow them in a Hothouse in ''[=BTN=]'' (but not the GBA remakes), but that has its own drawbacks (see below).
** Speaking of the Hothouse, it also qualifies. To get it, you need to have first purchased all of the other building upgrades from Gotz the lumberjack. After you've done that, you need to pay him 30,000 gold and supply him with 580 lumber so that he can build it for you. But it doesn't stop there - in the Summer or Winter, if a hurricane or blizzard strikes, there is a chance that your expensive new Hothouse will be destroyed, forcing you to do all of that all over again. Have fun.

** Also in ''[[=BTN=]]'', if you insist on cutting the lone cedar tree on the side of Mother's Hill with an Ax after the tree begged for you to not do so, Gotz will suddenly appear and scold you. At this point, you can never get the Power Berry from the cedar tree unless you have a save file from last night and load the game.

** The bad ending, as mentioned above, will end your game immediately, and you can never play that file again.

** Downplayed with Kai in ''[=FoMT=]'', whose interactions with Rick are more amiable than in ''[=BTN=]'', but he nonetheless manages to get on Rick's nerves anyway due to his [[MySisterIsOffLimits overbearing protection of Popuri]].

** Kai goes from a kind and friendly Vineyard worker in ''64'' to a SmugSnake who actively torments Rick in ''[=BTN=]''. His jerkass personality is more toned down in ''[=FoMT=]'', though he still manages to get on Rick's nerves.

* TookALevelInKindness: Gotz is less of a jerkass than he was in ''VideoGame/HarvestMoon64''. This time he is more of loner that opens up to you.

** Kai goes from a kind and friendly Vineyard worker in ''64'' to a SmugSnake who actively torments Rick in ''[=BTN=]'' and ''[=FoMT=]''.

* MoneyForNothing: Most expensive things you can buy: Makers and Hothouse. Best ways to acquire much money: Makers and Hothouse. At least the Hothouse isn't as [[GameBreaker game breaking]] as it was in ''VideoGame/HarvestMoon64''.

** Getting married as a girl in the Playstation and PSP versions will end your game on your wedding day. You will see a cutscene [[spoiler:revealing that your new husband was the man who saved your life at the beginning of the game]], then your character will say "Life is like a festival" as the game cuts to the credits. Averted in ''[=MFoMT=]'', as you can continue playing after getting married.

** The Teleport Stone in ''[=FoMT=]''. To get it, you have to dig all the way to the bottom of Spring Mine - that is, level '''255'''. Getting all the way there is a very long and stamina-draining process. If you don't bring items to manage your stamina and fatigue, you'll probably pass out long before you get there, especially if you're not very lucky with finding the stairs to the next level. Oh, and if your rucksack is full when you reach level 255? [[PermanentlyMissableContent It completely vanishes from the game and cannot be obtained again.]]

** Speaking of Rick, he was a kind and meek inventor in ''64''. In ''[=BTN=]'' and ''[=FoMT=]'', he becomes Popuri's rude and overly protective big brother who actively imposes his beliefs and will onto others, and gets mad at anyone who disagrees with him - even Karen, his love interest. Doubly so in regards to Kai, whom he also absolutely forbids Popuri from going out with.

** Duke was a caring bartender who often worried over his customers' health in ''64''. However, in the [=PS1=] and GBA game, he becomes a bully who torments and steals from Jeff, harasses Kai, and neglects his own work at home.

** Kappa was a friendly water imp in the ''Harvest Moon 64'' game. However, in the [=PS1=] game, he is an ungrateful jerk.
** Kai was a friendly and kind worker that works in the Vineyard in ''Harvest Moon 64''. In the [=PS1=] game, he is a jerkass who actively torments Rick.
** Speaking of Rick, he was a kind and meek inventor in ''Harvest Moon 64''. In the [=PS1=] and GBA game, he is a complete jerkass who actively imposes his beliefs and will onto others, and gets mad at anyone who disagrees with him. Especially if your name is Kai.
** Duke was a bartender who worries over his customers' health. However, in the [=PS1=] and GBA game, he is a jerkass who steals from Jeff, bullies Jeff and Kai, and neglects his work at home.