Harvest Moon DS: Sunshine Islands DS
  • Publisher: Natsume
  • Release Date: Nov 12, 2009
Metascore
77 out of 100

Generally favorable reviews - based on 9 Critics

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 7 out of 9
  2. Mixed: 2 out of 9
  3. Negative: 0 out of 9
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  1. 1UP
    91
    But be patient, put in the dedicated time, research, and strategic planning, and Sunshine Islands will reward you satisfactorily.
  2. Vandal Online
    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]
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  4. GamingXP
    Dec 20, 2010
    79
    The variety, the daily schedule, the economic factor and especially the discovery engine will capture you again and again until the last island is lifted and you can retire happily.
  5. Nintendo Gamer
    Mar 8, 2011
    75
    New players should jump right in, but veterans might want to think twice. [Jan 2011, p.64]
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  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. 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.
  8. Nintendo Power
    70
    Fortunately, Sunshine Islands has a better understanding than previous handheld Harvest Moons of how to efficiently use the DS platform. [Dec 2009, p.85]
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  9. 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.

User Reviews

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User Score
8.1 out of 10

Generally favorable reviews- based on 8 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 1 out of 2
  2. Mixed: 1 out of 2
  3. Negative: 0 out of 2
  1. No3Mole
    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 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.    … Full Review »
  2. Maxte
    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 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.… Full Review »
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