Crops

Crops are a primary source of income in Harvest Moon 2 GBC. After being planted, the seeds must be watered every day until they can be harvested, when it is possible to sell them. Some plants that are harvested may produce more than a single batch of crops from the same plant system, allowing some crops to be harvested more than once. Crops may be grown in any of the four seasons. If you build a hothouse, it is also possible to grow flowers and herbs, regardless of season.

Animals

At the beginning of the game, the option is given whether to have a dog or cat. The pets will slightly affect the gameplay. Pets have various abilities that make them beneficial to the farm. The dog will keep wild dogs or foxes away from your farm at night, and the cat sometimes brings seeds to your house. Pets must be left outside overnight to use their abilities. You seem to be able to keep them outdoors even in bad weather. The player after a certain period of time (Fall 1st, First year, usually) is able to acquire a horse, which can be ridden (once it is an adult horse, which takes until the Second year, Spring 2nd) and used for farm work as well. The AI for the horse is quite frustrating, as it very frequently walks away when the player attempting to put your crops in (which double as a portable shipping bin).

The livestock in this game are cows, chickens, and sheep. Cows produce milk. A cow with 8 or more hearts will produce Large Milk and a cow that has less than that will produce Small Milk. They become agitated and stop producing milk for three days if the farmer is unable to feed them (due to the farmer getting a cold or a storm/bad weather); if the player feeds them and brushes them, after 3 days they should restart milk production. The player can acquire up to four cows. Chickens produce one egg per day, unless they are agitated. Similar to cows, feeding them for 3 days straight should make them lay eggs again. The player can acquire up to four chickens. Sheep produce wool. When sheep have a higher happiness rating, they produce large pieces of wool, which sell for 250G apiece. As with cows, they become agitated (and stay grumpy) for three days if the farmer is unable to feed them; feeding them and shampooing them for 3 days straight should make them happy again. One can have up to four sheep. They still produce wool even if agitated. Sheep will regrow their wool every 9 days.

Tools and Items

There is a wide variety of tools in Harvest Moon 2 GBC. Tools are used to carry out chores, care for livestock, and tend to crops.

Collecting and Trading

The game was the first in the series to introduce a wildlife collecting mechanic. For the first time fish were not categorized by size (small, medium, large) like in previous entries, but were instead categorized by their individual species. The player was also able to capture insects in the mountain area (a series first). The species of fish and insects that the player caught would be displayed in the picture books located in the library in town.

The fish and insects that the player caught (as well as flowers that the player grew) could also be traded by Game Link Cable to other copies of Harvest Moon 2 GBC or to the game Legend of the River King 2. This was done in game through the computer in the library. There were species of Fish, Insects, and Flowers that could only be obtained through trading.

Mini-Games

The game had a number of unlockable mini-games that could be achieved throughout game play. After the player unlocked one, it could be accessed at any time from the TV in the player's house.