E3 09: Natsume announces new Harvest Moon games for DS, Wii @ Gaming Target

Written by John Scalzo on May 21, 2009

News: Harvest Moon: Sunshine Islands on the DS and Harvest Moon: Animal Parade on the Wii.

E3 (that's the Electronic Entertainment Expo) is less than two weeks away. The 2009 edition of the ultimate video game trade show runs from June 2 through June 4 and companies putting the finishing touches on the demos and details of the new projects they'll have on hand. Such as this announcement from Natsume about the future of the Harvest Moon series.

The farming simulation series has been very popular on the DS and the Wii since those two systems launched and Natsume plans to give the people what they want as they've announced that Harvest Moon: Animal Parade will be released on the Wii this Fall while Harvest Moon: Sunshine Islands will comes to the DS sometime this summer.

Both games will be demoed for the first time at E3. To get an idea of what the company has in store for the next two entries in the Harvest Moon franchise, check out the game summaries below.

Harvest Moon: Animal Parade (Wii)
In Harvest Moon: Animal Parade, the divine tree which once stood in the middle of the Harvest Goddess' pond is weakening, the creatures are beginning to leave the land, and the five bells have lost their power.

The Harvest Goddess believes that only the strength of the Harvest King can help revive the earth and bring the tree back to life. It's up to the player to help the Harvest Sprites ring the five mystical bells, summon the Harvest King, and revive the Harvest Goddess' tree and the land.

Players will find plenty of activities in Harvest Moon: Animal Parade, including cultivating crops and caring for wild and exotic animals such as penguins, pandas, and monkeys. Players can take their exotic animals out for walks, teach them tricks, and even ride some of them around town! When the circus rolls into town, players will also need to help the ringmaster find the escaped animals. Befriend the lion, giraffe, and hippopotamus to save the show!

The game also lets players take and share pictures over WiiConnect24. Players can take pictures of their farm, their family, or their village and show them off online!

Harvest Moon: Sunshine Islands (DS)
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 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 will 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.