Harvest Moon DS: Sunshine Islands

 DS
  • Publisher: Natsume
  • Release Date: Nov 12, 2009
Harvest Moon DS: Sunshine Islands Image
Metascore
77

Generally favorable reviews - based on 9 Critic Reviews What's this?

User Score
7.7

Generally favorable reviews- based on 18 Ratings

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  • Summary: The islands are in peril! Years ago, a powerful earthquake struck the Sunshine Islands. In Harvest Moon: Sunshine Islands, it's up to the player to raise the sunken islands by finding the magical Sun Stones. Raise the islands to meet new characters, harvest new crops, and befriend animalsThe islands are in peril! Years ago, a powerful earthquake struck the Sunshine Islands. In Harvest Moon: Sunshine Islands, it's up to the player to raise the sunken islands by finding the magical Sun Stones. Raise the islands to meet new characters, harvest new crops, and befriend animals such as ducks, monkeys, and badgers. In Harvest Moon: Sunshine Islands, players rejoin all of the beloved characters from Harvest Moon: Island of Happiness, and get to meet a number of new friends as well. Players grow and harvest crops, care for animals, mine, fish, and compete in festivals in their quest to restore the Sunshine Islands to their former glory. With a little luck, they may even find true love and start a family along the way. [Natsume]… Expand

Critic Reviews

Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 7 out of 9
  2. Mixed: 2 out of 9
  3. Negative: 0 out of 9
  1. 1UP
    91
    But be patient, put in the dedicated time, research, and strategic planning, and Sunshine Islands will reward you satisfactorily.
  2. Vandal
    Jan 3, 2011
    85
    Sunshine Island is one of the most enjoyable Harvest Moon, maybe the most, and at the same time has a very high difficulty, which can chop newcomers' aspirations. We could even say it is game made for veterans of the series.
  3. Official Nintendo Magazine UK
    Mar 6, 2011
    82
    With a few tweaks it could've been a classic. [Jan 2011, p.82]
    All this publication's reviews
  4. RPG Fan
    75
    Sunshine Islands is a passable installment in the Harvest Moon series. It's a great pick up and play game, but it doesn't do much new.
  5. Nintendo Gamer
    Mar 8, 2011
    75
    New players should jump right in, but veterans might want to think twice. [Jan 2011, p.64]
    All this publication's reviews
  6. SpazioGames
    Jan 24, 2011
    75
    It may be an interesting starting title for newcomers, but the fans of the saga won't find much innovation in it.
  7. RPGamer
    60
    Harvest Moon: Sunshine Islands can take anywhere between forty to one hundred hours to complete, and the difficulty of the game depends on the pace players take. In this particular title, with the right requirements and criteria while performing tasks, Sunshine Islands can be a very rewarding game to fans of the series.

See all 9 Critic Reviews

User Reviews

Write a Review
Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 3 out of 4
  2. Mixed: 1 out of 4
  3. Negative: 0 out of 4
  1. CynicalCyberCat
    Feb 28, 2014
    10
    A standard in any hardcore Harvest Moon player's repertoire, the game invites the player into a new world on a washed up island with an arrayA standard in any hardcore Harvest Moon player's repertoire, the game invites the player into a new world on a washed up island with an array of characters. Very rewarding as you plough through, clear events and trigger romantic sequences.

    A great play for fans of the Harvest Moon series or anybody who enjoys a good little gem requiring some patience but very fruitful and fulfilling rewards.    … Expand
  2. Maxte
    Nov 25, 2009
    10
    This is game is freaking awesome. First of all it fixes all the previous problems from the last installment (namely the relying too much on This is game is freaking awesome. First of all it fixes all the previous problems from the last installment (namely the relying too much on the stylus problem). It also has the best introductory sequence in a HM game period. And most of all it is fun AND addictive which is a rare combination in a ds HM considering the last two ds games. So go out and buy this game, you wont regret it.… Expand
  4. iipotato
    Jul 23, 2015
    8
    I was rather surprised by how much I enjoyed this game. As much as I recalled from the past, I had assumed that I barely spent a year ingame.I was rather surprised by how much I enjoyed this game. As much as I recalled from the past, I had assumed that I barely spent a year ingame. But I loaded up my game recently and found that I was almost at the end of Year 2, with many accomplishments.

    This Harvest Moon game has a relatively comfortable feel to it. The world is not so big that you will take a whole day to go around (like AP), but it is not so small that it will take you little time to go around (like FoMT). The characters are not the most original out there of a HM game, but they do appear lively enough to talk to.

    A negative aspect well known about the series is the Sun/Water planting system, but I found little issues with it. Really, it only matters if you raise crops more than take care of your animals; I was more of the animal farmer anyways.

    Moneymaking is fairly easy as well. You can expect having little money in your first season, but it'll take off summer and soforth.

    This game is promising, but I understand why this can be seen as one of the boring games of the franchise. Personally, it will keep you occupied for a month or two.    … Expand
  5. No3Mole
    Nov 20, 2012
    5
    The game is by no means 'bad.' It is fun to watch your farm grow, the slow pace makes progress feel all the more rewarding, and it isThe game is by no means 'bad.' It is fun to watch your farm grow, the slow pace makes progress feel all the more rewarding, and it is certainly nothing if not addicting. The downsides, however, are many. The events feel few and far between, as well as their actual impact seeming generally trivial. Taking care of everything between events falls into a sense of tedium instead of fun. Just because you're raising crops, and the pace is intentionally slow doesn't mean you should feel like you're doing a menial task instead of playing a game.

    There are other flaws. The game feels sort of like it's kind of cobbled together. There are visual glitches and hiccups here and there that make this evident, especially regarding item screens and cooking in particular. In terms of mining, you have to learn that you can turn without moving while charging, because you will find yourself falling to your doom if so much as your little toe touches a pitfall. Aesthetically, I personally find the graphics inexplicably bothersome. In generally, the whole production, while fun to an extent and a good way to pass some time, feels vacant and lacking.    … Expand

Awards & Rankings

28
#28 Best DS Game of 2009
50
#50 Most Discussed DS Game of 2009
17
#17 Most Shared DS Game of 2009