 | ON: Content is age-appropriate for kids this age. |
 | PAUSE: Know your child; some content may not be right for some kids. |
 | OFF: Not age-appropriate for kids this age. |
 | NOT FOR KIDS: Not appropriate for kids any age. |
Harvest Moon: Island of Happiness
- Nintendo DS
- Price: $29.99
- Genre: Simulation
Common Sense Media says
Plodding farming sim that's more work than fun.
Parents say
Kids say
What parents need to know
Parents need to know that this is the latest release in a series of simulation games that all focus on farming, raising livestock, and finding a spouse. While this E-rated game has no offensive material, it's a game with frustrating controls and a reward system that is slow to reveal new content. As such, it is a tremendous time suck for children without much corresponding reward. The online portion is for uploading your records so as to compare your progress through the game to others.
What's it about?
The Harvest Moon series of video games is celebrating its 10th anniversary with the release of HARVEST MOON: ISLAND OF HAPPINESS for the Nintendo DS. This game continues the series' tradition of providing a farming simulation where you are tasked with raising crops and livestock, and interacting with your community in hopes of finding a spouse. In this version, you are shipwrecked on an island along with others.
You can choose to play the game as a cute anime-style girl or a boy.You play the game by managing your time everyday between your chores and talking to people while buying needed items or giving presents. In the beginning, you must clear fields of stones and wood so that you can till the soil and plant seeds. After you have harvested enough crops or made money by running around and collecting wild grasses, you can build a chicken coop or other building for livestock. While the animals bring in more money, they also require daily attending. Over time, you can unlock more of the island to explore.
Is it any good?
While this simulation seems interesting at first, your jobs quickly become tedious and repetitive. And the new content unfolds at a snail's pace. But what's worse is that the game controls don't work well. This is a stylus-controlled game where it is difficult to make the stylus do what you want. For example, when you want to clear land or water plants, you must move your character around so that a purple square lands on the space you want to work. Unfortunately the purple square jerks around a lot as the character moves, so that it can take multiple tries to get it to stop where you want it to. This game will frustrate all but the most patient of players.
What families can talk about
Families can talk about strategies to earn money and keep their character fed since doing both are difficult early in the game. What did you like about this game? What parts did you dislike?
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AGE
Perfect for Kids 6+
I liked and disliked it. It wasn't like any normal harvest moon I've played were you are able to use the D-pad. You can't use it. I bought it thinking it would be fun and it is but it's a little difficult because your hand gets tired pointing and tapping the DS screen over and over again. I liked the older versions where you could use the D-pad to do something now it is just Tap this Tap that. But other than that this game is fun. It tells children work is fun and you should take responsibility in your crops. You should care for the land. No littering and such things like that, etc. In my opinion it teaches you to respect the earth and all that it does. There is not any violence in this game. It is as I would put it "Child Friendly". So that will be a plus among parents. If your child buys this game warn them it will be hard work to play and they may not want to buy it, at this moment! It gets tiring after awhile and then you tend to wish you had bought a different game but then you start playing again and realize actually this is fun. . .Its a really big cycle but the outcome, just keep playing. Eventually you will be enjoying the game so much you can't even put it down, hehe like me. I'm playing it now!
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AGE
I LOVE IT!!!!
Harvest Moon is my favorite game brand. This one is cool because, its the only one on DS that lets you chose to be a boy or a girl. All and all, ITS AWESOME!
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AGE
Good for all ages
Now 2 year olds might not be able to understand how to play but it basicly is a kid friendly game.
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AGE
Boring. Period.
Well it may LOOK like a great game for kids my kiddos got bored really fast. Sometimes they say it feels like a endless loop. It can be fun at times but overall it's a waste of your time and money.
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| Platforms: | Nintendo DS |
| Available online? | Available online |
| Genre: | Simulation |
| Developer: | Natsume |
| Release date: | August 26, 2008 |
| Price: | $29.99 |
| ESRB rating: | E for (No Descriptors) |
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