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Whistle Stopper - Harvest Moon: Island of Happiness
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List Price: $29.99
Our Price: $29.99
Your Save: $ ( % )
Availability: Usually ships in 3 to 5 weeks
Manufacturer: Natsume, Inc.
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Average Customer Rating:  
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Amazon Maximum Age: 20
Amazon Minimum Age: 60
Batteries Included: 0
Binding: Video Game
Brand: Natsume, Inc.
EAN: 0719593100072
ESRB Age Rating: Everyone
Feature: Play as a boy or a girl
Label: Natsume, Inc.
Manufacturer: Natsume, Inc.
Model: NDS10007
Platform: Nintendo DS
Publisher: Natsume, Inc.
Release Date: 2008-08-26
Studio: Natsume, Inc.
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Features
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Play as a boy or a girl
Attract settlers by building your farm
Fall in love and start a family
Explore the biggest portable Harvest Moon ever
Compete against other ranchers via online with Nintendo Wi-Fi
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Spotlight customer reviews:
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Customer Rating:
Summary: Completely New Format; Loads of Fun
Comment: Harvest Moon Island is the real, long-awaited remake of the series for the Nintendo DS. All the graphics are fully 3D, there are nice 2D portraits of the characters with a variety of facial expressions, and the overall environment is very nice. This game is much more challenging than some of the original Harvest Moons, especially due to the difficult sun/rain crop system and the hard to obtain wonderful stones. The game forces the player to befriend many of the villagers, and the main objective is to build up Sunny Island and get more people to move in, some of them being the bachelors/bachelorettes. (The island itself is also very large and fun to explore.)
Considering that you can play as either a male OR female, and the fact that there are 2 save files, this is indeed a very good game--it's like 2 in 1. No more waiting for the girl's version, etc. The only main trouble, besides the challenge (which im sure many players will enjoy), is that the exclusive touch controls can get a bit annoying, especially when it comes to watering crops. However, it takes only a couple of hours to get used to, and after that, many players may find this option more immersive and intuitive. You can conveniently tap on characters from across the screen to give them gifts, and there's almost no chance of accidentally "littering."
All in all, Harvest Moon Island of Happiness is a wonderful step forward in the series, and avid fans will not be disappointed.
Customer Rating:
Summary: What happened to my d-pad??
Comment: I have been waiting for this game to come out for many many months. After numerous setbacks with the release dates I was very excited when it finally arrived on my doorstep last week.
Once I started the game however I was sorely disappointed to find out the game only allows your character to move around via the "Stylus" and the d-pad works like the button pad. I am all for implementing the use of the Stylus in DS games, but it should be an option...not a requirement.
Everything in this game just seems to take forever. Moving with the stylus and only being to activate your tools with the buttons is just a pain. The character tires out quickly and is constantly having to forage for food. The whole thing is just awkward to me and I lose interest in the game very quickly. I played Zelda's Phantom Hourglass with the Stylus method of moving around, but in that game it just worked better.
IMO the biggest challenge about this game is using the controls while the game itself isn't very challenging. A lot of features seem stripped out of the game and it's just kinda boring. It doesn't even measure up to HM DS Cute. I am sure some people will enjoy this game and possibly will not be bothered by the Stylus interface, but Natsume missed the mark for me.
I am really disappointed and hope the D-pad issues are addressed in future releases or I will not even consider another HM ds game.
Customer Rating:
Summary: Can be a great game and great concepts, but the controls are terrible.
Comment: I have this game and bought it at Gamestop, but I played this game for 2 hours now and seems like a really fun game so far. But all I have to tell you is that Natsume made a big mistake of the concept of using the stylus for the entire game which makes the controls really annoying.
Graphics
Typical Harvest moon graphics, you pretty much the same as the other Harvest Moon for DS
Sounds
I love the music in the Spring time pretty good and upbeating. I pretty much like all the Harvest moon music.
Gameplay
Great concepts, you have to get money to buy a new bridge and get more people on the island. The more you plant and gain more money and get more shippments, the more people will come.
Controls
By far the worst part, but yet the most important part. I know I complained about the stylus, but you use it for your tools, moving around shipping and pretty much everything. The Control pad and Buttons are only good to select crops or your weapons, but it is easy at this point to use the stylus. L and R buttons are pointless, it makes your character run, but you have your stylus do it for your automatically.
Maybe I have not got use to the stylus or controls part, but I like using the D-pad to move and the buttons to farm. It is sort of annoying because you farm much slower. Meaning you have to go to the square and tap the stylus and then move again and do it again. Now it was easy just using the D-pad, but it is a pain with the style because the character does not move where you tell him/her to do.
Also, you can not use the cheating method of getting something out of your rugsack easily you have to go tap the menu and then put it in your read box and then ship it. Then it asks you the question do you really want to ship it. I am not so sure if you loose friendship points if you litter or not.
Overall:
Natsume would have hit the mark if they implemented the controls like the other Harvest Moon games. If I known the controls were bad, I would have not bought the game nor the game guide because I loved every Harvest moon game I bought from them for the DS and gameboy, N64, Gamecube and etc..
Customer Rating:
Summary: A fun new take on the Harvest Moon games!
Comment: At first I didn't like the controls being completely stylus-based, but after I got used to it, the game was a blast! If you love all the other Harvest Moon games, I'm sure you'll like this one as well.
Customer Rating:
Summary: Island of Happiness^^
Comment: This is offically the best harvest moon for the ds ever! Of course you all know the story, you get shipwreked on a deserted island. Only one family is there with you. You must work together to attract more people to your island. Yes, you have to work to get people to come, but some come in your first month of playing. You also have to build bridges to access other parts of the island. You do not start with a dog or a horse. You get a horse by befriending Chen and Charlie and you get a dog by befriending Mirabelle.
This game is actually pretty hard but fun. I reccomend giving Taro a blue grass (looks like a blue heart) everyday. If you do this, you will receive a fishing rod quicker. Don't forget, always talk to the villigers! If you don't talk to them for 30 days they will move out!! (but you can bring them back by doing certain things) Talk to every villiger at least everyother day. This also raises affection. Here are the gifts to give people in spring (on your fist year)
Taro: Blue or Purple Grass or a turnip
Felecia: Flowers
Elliot: Chocolate
Natalie: Chocolate
Charlie: Blue or purple grass
Chen: Chocolate or turnip
Oh and the only way to move is using the stylus. You can not use the control pad to move. I found that a bit frustrating.
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Editorial Reviews:
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You're shipwrecked! Luckily no one was hurt and most of the passengers set sail for their destinations, but you found an abandoned homestead on a remote island. With hard work and skillful farming, you will prosper and help your adventurous shipmates establish a new village with roads, bridges and exciting places to visit. There's a lot of farming to do, people to date and animals to care for. It's a new beginning and a chance to raise a farming family of your own.
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