Multiplayer Games

Multiplayer Games


Grand Bazaar has a Multiplayer Option that allows four players to play together. One player must host the game at his/her farm. One to three other Players can join him/her either through DS to DS local connection or the Nintendo World Centre with a Friend Code. You do not need a Friend Code to play DS to DS but you do need to have one if you wish to use the internet option. Any one who has unlocked the Multiplayer Option will be capable of joining a game.

The Multiplayer Option allows up to three players to 'visit' another player's farm. When this visit occurs, it will not occur on the current date in any player's game but may be instead on the first day of the Host Player's current season. All Players will begin at the Hotel, where Stuart will greet them and tell them the rules.

Before you embark on any Multiplayer venture, you should choose three Bazaar items to sell at the Neighbourhood Bazaar (the Multiplayer Bazaar). As with the weekly bazaar, you can choose a stack of items or a single item for each of the three slots. In the Multiplayer option, you can choose to sell the items either for full price or half-price. Half-price is the price that Raul or any merchant normally pays for your items, incidentally.

With respect to this, it is only items that are in your Bag that are eligible. You cannot go to your Storage once you choose Multiplayer Mode. This can present a problem if you did not plan ahead for the Multiplayer game and the items you intended to sell remain in your Storage Room. You therefore need to place the items you wish to sell in your Bag on the previous night before you go to bed and save the game.

There are three basic steps to follow in order to play in Multiplayer Mode. First choose the method by which the game will be played, whether it is 'local' (DS to DS) or internet (Nintendo World Centre). Then select three items from your Bag to sell at the Bazaar. You must select the items before you begin the Multiplayer Game but if you do not wish to sell any items for any reason, you can decline this option.

The location of the game is the next choice, whether you wish to Host the game on your own farm or visit another farm. Season is the most important consideration here. Any Multiplayer game begins, by default, on the 1st day of the Host's current season. If the Host is willing to share Crops to the other players, he/she should make certain that they are ready to harvest or will be ready in a day or so. Other seasonal considerations are the types of Fish that can be caught in the Host's town.

When one player has chosen the option to Host the game, he/she must save. Other players then will be able to join the game. When all players have joined, the Host will be able to begin the Multiplayer Game.

The game will begin at the Hotel with a rather long-winded explanation by Stuart. Due to an unspecified 'incident', it is forbidden to hold items over a player's head during Multiplayer games. What this means, in fact, is that items cannot be tossed on the ground or given as Gifts. They CAN be sold at the Neighbourhood Stalls of other players as long as the Stalls have items on display.

In any Multiplayer game, you can explore the host's village, speaking to other Characters as well as harvesting any Crops that are ripe on the host's field. You will not be able to find any Insects or items for foraging but you can dive in the river for items. If you have a Fishing Rod, you can fish.

Remember to keep empty slots in your Bag if possible in order to be able to store the Fish you catch and the items you find in the River.

When you wish to sell or buy items, you need to go to the Bazaar Grounds where you will find that agents have set up stalls for all the Players. You can Buy the items at any Stall or sell items from your Bag but only while another Player still has items to sell at his/her Neighbourhood Stall. Once all items are purchased, the only message you will receive is the fact that the items are sold out.

You can speak to Zephyr Town Characters in Multiplayer Mode and some of them will give you the 'Records' of all participating players in collecting Insects, bouncing off Animals and other activities. You cannot use the Windmills in Multiplayer Mode, nor can you purchase any items at the Cafe, although Marian will urge you to bring your Friends to the Cafe for a cup of coffee. You may learn interesting information from players as well. The Twins will tell you that although Cindy likes Yam dessert, it is Lauren's Most Favourite Dish.

Characters have different dialogues on different days. By staying in Multiplayer Mode more than one day, you may discover more interesting facts. For example, Freya may tell you on the third day that:
Freya: Ivan loves herb perfume. I like it too, so I told him about a perfume and cologne shop in the city.

Another interesting fact can be gleaned from Ivan with respect to the Huchen, a rare fish.

Ivan: You can find a rare fish here when it gets cool. What was it called...? Bochen? Muchen? It was something like that, but I can't quite remember.

If you do not dismiss Nellie as some one who simply 'talks about nothing' as her daughter Cindy declares, you may learn something useful.

Nellie: You can use Wonderfuls to enhance the Windmills. A purple Wonderful lets you make special items. You should give it a try sometime.

When you are finished with the multiplayer game, return to the Hotel and tell Stuart that you are ready to sleep for the night in your room. All players must go to bed before the game can be saved and terminated.

You can play through more than one day in Multiplayer Mode. It is the Host's prerogative to end the game at the end of the day or continue it. If you wish to play through more than one day, it is a good idea to keep the Neighbourhood Stalls open by leaving one item for sale at each one. That way, you can sell unwanted items in order to maintain empty slots in your Bag. You can make quite a decent profit if you spend a few days fishing in Multiplayer Mode as long as you can continue to sell the fish you catch.

Be warned, however, that Items in your Bag will deteriorate over the course of time even in Multiplayer Mode. If the item is merely 'fairly fresh' when you begin the game and you stay more than a day or two, it may begin to go off. It is better, therefore to sell items that are 'fairly fresh' at the Neighbour Stall immediately or you will find that their value has decreased by the time you are forced to sell the item before it rots completely.

Note about Host Farm: Although any Multiplayer game begins on the first day of the Host Player's current Season, time does run as far as Crops are concerned. You therefore do need to water any Crops that have not matured or they will appear dry the next day. When Multiplayer Mode continues through more than one day, you need to water all Crops every day. Any player can do this. Weather is variable and on rainy days, Crops need no care.

When any Crop dries out from a day's neglect, it can be recovered if you water it the following day, but this neglect will delay your harvest by at least a day and possibly downgrade the quality of the Crop as well. It appears that Multiple Harvest Crops can be harvested only once in any Multiplayer game. When any Crop is harvested on the Host's Farm, it becomes black for the remainder of the game. This does not signify death, by the way, but simply that it cannot be harvested again. You should continue to water Crops that have turned black!


One of the great virtues of Multiplayer Mode is the ability to obtain items that are not in season in your own game. There are a few Recipes that require items from more than one season. For example, Herb Salad requires all three Herbs. Perfumes use Flowers or Fruits from more than one season.

If one of the players has all three Windmills and the others do not have them yet, Multiplayer Mode will allow you to 'sell' raw ingredients to the Player with the Windmills, so that he/she can process them. Start another Multiplayer game after the first has been terminated to 'sell' the items in processed form back to the Player who provided them.

Note that, if any Player buys a Cooked Dish for which he/she does not have the Recipe yet from a Neighbourhood Stall, the vendor will teach him/her the Recipe. This is a method by which new Recipes can be added to your Cookbook if you do not have the ingredients to make them yet.