Harvest Moon 64 can be a very challenging game at some points, even later in the game when you think you have everything under control. That unexpected typhoon or betting just a little too much at the horse race can leave you impoverished wasting your private reserves for that long awaited kitchen. So here are a few tips, tricks, cheats, bugs, and strategies that will help you say, "I came, I saw, I kicked can!"
General Tips/Cheats
Free Medals - Medals cost a lot, and some items such as the sustaining carrot are only found there and at quite a costly price. Luck also fits in, and it isn't always the bearer of good news. So use this when your strapped for cash or just don’t want to loose it all. Speak to the mayor's wife from in front of the desk. You can bet on all the races (except if your horse is in a race; you can't bet on that one, but you can on the others) Bet 99 on all the horses (or just the high running ones) or as much cash as you have. Then press "B" twice. It will go back to the farmer's control, nothing said. Try to wait and do nothing until the start of the race. After the race is over, the game will think you placed a bet and will give you the medals times the horse odds, but it won't deduct any money from your reserves!
Free Wine - Wine is very desirable, and drinking a lot of it can help you out drink the entire population at the New Years Festival. But unfortunately, it is very expensive, and you may not be able to afford it. Here's how you can get free wine! First, buy the bottle at the Flower Festival from Rick. Then go to the Wine Cellar at the Vineyard, and go in the basement. You will see two barrels in the corner. Walk up to them (usually you want to be facing north) and press "b" (while the bottle is equipped), and you will get a bottle full of wine. Drink it once or twice a day and you will win the New Years Festival for sure!
Getting on Moon Mountain with out a bridge - Go to the place where the carpenters dwell. There you will find a fairly tall pine tree. Go up to it and press "A." You should get it; if you don't try to position yourself in a different way. This really does not do much other than let you visit the Restaurant owners on the top of Moon mountain. When you want to get down, you go left of the pine tree (above the cave) and press A. You will make a leap of faith down the the lower level ^_^.
Eggs Galore! - As most of you know, a chicken is 1500G. This is really inexpensive, but you can suck a bit more out of that 1500G. Again, most of us know chickens lay eggs, and they hatch into chicks which grow into chickens. Put an egg in the incubator (one day egg less is not really that bad) and hatch another. Do it again, and you will eventually get a full coop of 6 chickens. Remember that you don't have to feed chicks. Sure, you might have to use 60G worth of chicken feed, but the eggs sell for much more.
Reoccurring Music Box - Most of you have found the map and the spot where the old music box was at. After you got it you gave it to Rick and then to your girl. Many don't know that it comes back and you can dig it up again. Keeping a spot where it is makes it go even faster. With luck you can do this up to once (sometimes twice) a day!!! If you keep this up at a regular basis you can get your girl up to red and (with the exception of the kitchen) marry her by the middle of the first summer!!! Even after you get married it is still there and ready to dig up, unfortunately you can only give it to one of the eligible girls.
List of undetailed tips
You can leave your chickens out side, but when its winter or raining put them in! Its bad for their health (and egg laying).
When with animals, the brush is the best tool. Use it on your horse, cows, and sheep. Don't forget to talk to them also! Does wonders for the Cow Festival.
Feed your dog every day, even if its an egg or a poisonous mushroom (don't feed your dog this, only the dog that you own in the game ^_^)
Make lots of friends; your dad will be impressed when he visits.
Go gathering everyday. It may not seem like a lot but when you start out it is more than vital.
Consider the date, season, re-growth rate, price, and value of each crop before buying, planting, selling and using it.
Winter does not have much to offer, especially if you don't have a greenhouse. Stock up on flower and favorite foods for your wife, baby and to feed your dog.
Level up tools; it does wonders for speed while you have a full day.
You can level up tools inside your house, and you can level up your watering can even if it has no water in it. If you have extra energy at the end of the day, get rid of it!
Go to sleep with your wife every night between 8pm and 9pm.
Organization is vital. Use fences and also have some organization to crops rather having them all over the field.
Plant crops near the shipping box so you don't have to spend a lot of time running to it.
The grown-up horse is a walking shipping bin; except it sometimes moves too fast; for experienced players only.
Nice gestures trigger nice events.
Be nice to the Goddess and give her things regularly. She will keep your weather, love life and strength at an all time high.
If someone says they're leaving, believe them. The only way to keep them is to be nice to them when they're there.
Strategies
In the first few days, plant turnips. They will give you fast cash that you need. Go rummaging a lot to get money for the bottle at the Spring Festival, the power nut there as well, and Potatoes/Cabbage. Be sure to plant your crops near the shipping bin so that you aren't wasting time running around.
There are many ways of planting crops. When you scatter a bag of seeds, it goes around and under you in a 3x3 square. Depending on the type of crops growing and the level of your tools, you may want to plant accordingly. If you are planting non-regrowable seeds, plant them in a 3x3 square as normal. If you are planting regrowing seeds and you have a level 1 or 2 watering can, you may want to cut one of the squares away. You don't have to, but it can be a help. Here are the three main ways I've seen it done:
x x x x x x x x x
x x x x x x x x x
x x x x x x x
If you plant them the first way, you can't harvest the middle crop. If you plant them the second way, you have to cut one crop, but you can harvest/water the middle one. If you plant the third way, its harder to use with the 1st level can, but its easier to use with the second. If you have a third level can, it's probably best to use the first since you can see exactly what crop is being grown. Its all up to you. You can even use other methods.
