Harvest Moon: Island of Happiness (Nintendo DS)

I felt that the 1 star review was a little bit harsh. However, I can appreciate that if a controls system annoys a person then it's hard to get to grips with.
I don't like the way Harvest Moon has changed the controls; I still feel there should have been an option to toggle between Stylus movement and D-pad movement.

This does not mean the game is total trash.

There are a lot of good points to Harvest Moon: Island of Happiness. I like the fact that you can earn a 'living' in a variety of ways. At the beginning you can run around grabbing flowers and chopping up logs / smashing stones and sell the bi-products from that. Or you can buy some seeds and start growing plants.

Gradually more options open up; you can deal in livestock, start fishing or make a trade selling ores / minerals from the mines.

There are a bunch of ways to play and in the middle of this difficult life of toil there is the chance to make friends and maybe a lover.

This is not the kind of game that everyone will like, however if you liked previous Harvest Moons or enjoy games such as Animal Crossing and possibly the SIMS then this is a good one to have a go at.

It's a portable little world that you can play briefly or for a long while.

I've had this game for a few weeks now and still find myself working my way through the years, steadily building up my farming empire.

It's not quite as in depth as some simulation games, but that is a charm in itself.

The controls are tricky at first and as another reviewer pointed out, the music can get tedious. But the game is still solid and enjoyable.

I think it's worth a try if you like alternative lifestyle games, farming or just trying something a bit different.

This game is excellent, addictive and extensive. I hesitated buying it (despite playing Harvest Moon on the PS2) because of the reviews stating the control system was frustrating and off-putting. I can understand how some might dislike them, but they are easy to get used to. The stylus is used to control the character, including what you pick up and where you place items. From time to time (moreso towards the start of the game) I picked up incorrect items, tilled the wrong patch of soil or missed the crop I wanted to water. But I can safely say that this is DOES NOT damage the gameplay whatsoever.

When I pick up a game, I tend to play a lot of it throughout the day. This means I finish them quite quickly. I cannot foresee this happening with IOH.

Other than planting crops (the options for which expand for the first few years), raising cattle or chickens (which you also have to unlock over time) and fishing/mining, IOH gives you the option to marry one of several boys/girls (after a decent period of courting them) and then have a child. Even this, however, does not spell the end of gameplay, no matter how religiously you play it.
There are also festivals to attend, prizes to win and dozens of characters to meet. You also experience weddings of others on the island, then they eventually have children too. Developing friendships will also unlock new items, livestock or features. There are also a multitude of extras you can buy/discover which make the game easier to play (including friendship bangles or teleportation gems). I am so pleased with this game because it is easy to get used to, I don't have to worry about finishing it quickly, the story is compelling and it has so many features I have yet to discover.

Overall, this game is fantastic. I was never much of a DS fan, but love IOH and now cannot put the console down. For fans of the Harvest Moon franchise, it is an excellent edition, and for newcomers it is a lovely, fun experience and well worth the money. Don't be put off by those who hate the control system, because it is not as bad as it seems.

Ten years ago I picked up the remake of the original for the gameboy. I then forgot about this great series until recently when I decided to pick it up. This game copies a farmer's life perfectly but with a more childish look.

Controls-10/10- IoH uses touch screen controls with the D-pad or A/B/X/Y buttons to use equipped items. Some people complain about not using the D- pad to move but I find them quite charming. Touch and hold in the direction you want to move in and your character will move in that direction. Tap an item to pick it up and so on. For those who don't like to hold down the stylus all day long then holding the L/R button will cause your character to run.

Graphics-10/10- This game uses the DS's graphics to a good extent. Everything is crisp and clear; the top screen is used as a map to tell where everyone is on the island and it is a good map as far as maps could be. You can tell who is who easily. The bottom screen is where your person is along with his/her environment and everything has a 3-D look.

Gameplay-10/10- The real meat of the game, in IoH there is so much to do. Fish, mine, woo a male or female partner for life, get along with the villagers, take care of animals, and of course farm all you want! When you start out you have nothing but some seeds and a couple hundred bucks so there isn't much to do. But after a little bit if you befriend certain people then you can do much more. With this game comes a new bar to the series: the Full bar. After a bit of time your character will become hungry and if you do not feed them regularly then you can pass out. With the Full bar comes the Stamina bar. As you use tools your character will tire from doing physical work and will need rest. If one of the two bars empties completely, then your character will pass out and will wake up later. Maintaining the bars takes a while to get used to but when you do it becomes easier.

Farming has a new system in this game. Depending on the weather your crops will grow differently with each type of crop needing a certain amount of sunlight and water. Because of this you will want to watch what the weather is or else you crops could die. When you obtain the fishing rod you can start to fish. Fishing helps because you can do it at any body of water during any weather that you can go outside. Fishing becomes a necessity for beginners. After you unlock some areas, mining becomes available.

Animals are very interesting in this game. They have a stress bar and will not produce good products if they are too stressed out. There are also a variety of mini games to play when dealing with them but they appear at random. Like Nintendogs, you can pet your animal to make them happier. When milking cows, there is a timing game. Sheep run across the touch screen and you shear the wool off. You can ride a horse for a quick way of transportation or keep your dog outside at night to defend your farm.

Music-9/10- The music is nice and relaxing, changing is certain areas and seasons. The only bad thing about the music is that by the time you get halfway through a season it gets tiresome and boring.

Story-10/10- This game has a great story because you control it all. You determine what you do, when you do it, and how you do it. You decide who you want to marry, where you spend your time and if you want to watch others find their love. The basic story is that you go on a boat to move a new island to start a fresh life, unfortunately your ship sinks and you end up on an island. You decide to take over the farm.

Replayability-9/10- There is so much to do, but you can't do it all on one file. From wooing different marriage candidates to beginning with a different method, you have to use the second file to "100%" the game. You have two files to use but it may have been better to have more.

Overall-9.6- A great game to add to any collection. If you are interested at all then buy it. It would be hard to rent the game because of all the things to do. I am very happy to own this game and think of it as one of the best games that I have ever played. I recommend this to anyone who owns a DS