rancesama, is there a game in the series that you would recommend to someone who is just getting into the series for the first time? I'd like to play one of them but I have no idea where to start since there's so many of them!
Yeah, it can be difficult to know where to start with this series because there are soooo many games to choose from. To make matters worse, all of them have slightly different elements that change up the gameplay just enough that you might love one of them and hate another.
If you think you can enjoy the series for what it is, a farming/life simulator game, you can't go wrong with
Harvest Moon 64 or
Harvest Moon Back to Nature (PS1). They are pretty much the same game graphically, so choose whichever one would be easiest for you to gain access too. More than likely Back to Nature since HM64 is pretty costly. HM Tree of Tranquility on the Wii is also a good one that can be purchased for under $20 at most GameStops.
If you like hand held games,
HM Friends of Mineral Town on the GBA is great.
If you like those, than maybe try HM A Wonderful Life and the first Harvest Moon on the SNES. I never suggest starting with A Wonderful Life because it can be boring for people who aren't into farming simulator games since the village you live in is so small and there are only three girls to choose from. You really have to focus on just building up the farm. The first HM game is fun, but it hasn't aged well at all so it can be hard to get into if you don't love the series.
If you need a bit of action, differently try the Rune Factory games first. Rune Factory Frontier on the Wii and Rune Factory 3 or 4 on the DS and 3DS are my personal favorites. You still farm and date, but you also get to explore dungeons and craft items to fight with.
That being said, I would suggest you STAY AWAY from HM Save the Home Land. This is one of the few HM games you can't get married in, which is an element the series is known for. It takes away a lot from the game, because this also means you can't have kids and so on. Also, you only play this game for one in game year, unlike say HM64 in which you run the farm for a number of years and get graded at the end when your farther comes to visit you.
You may also want to stay away from HM Hero of Leaf Valley on the PSP. Not because it's a bad game, but it's a bit more unforgiving than the others, making it a hard one to start with.
Last but not least, DON't play HM The Lost Valley on the 3DS. They tried to change up the gameplay too much, and it's gotten pretty bad reviews overall. That would be a bad way to start off playing Harvest Moon games!