Nintendo DS

Harvest Moon: Island of Happiness

Name: Harvest Moon: Island of Happiness
Brand: Natsume
Rating: 6.16 (323 reviews)

Released 9/6/08

Genre

: RPG

GameFly Members Save More

Save 5-10% more with Member Rewards

Content Descriptors

Comic Mischief

Interactive Elements

No Interactive Elements

6.2

GameFly

from 323 users

tbd

metacritic

Set sail for a new life and get ready for an experience you've never imagined! Harvest Moon: Island of Happiness takes the farming franchise out to sea. When the ship you're aboard is destroyed by a powerful storm, you'll start a whole new life - just not the one you set out to find! With a family of four fellow castaways, you'll turn the island into your own paradise. Grow crops, tend to your animals, and watch others come to share your new home. You'll interact with a hundred characters as you try to uncover the mystery of the seemingly deserted island.

Similar to this Title

Released 9/19/11

Harvest Moon: Tale of Two Towns

Released 5/24/10

Witch's Wish

Released 11/9/10

Rune Factory 3: A Fantasy Harvest Moon

Released 8/24/10

Harvest Moon: Grand Bazaar

Released 11/12/08

Pokemon Ranger: Shadows of Almia

Released 10/24/06

Magical Starsign

Released 3/22/10

Cheer We Go!

Released 9/23/08

Hi! Hamtaro: Ham-Ham Challenge

Released 10/3/08

Princess Debut

Released 4/25/08

River King: Mystic Valley

Released 9/21/07

Math Play

Released 2/1/14

Disney Frozen: Olaf's Quest

Released 7/15/13

Turbo: Super Stunt Squad

Released 6/12/12

iCarly: Groovy Foodie

Released 10/29/12

Trash Pack

Released 10/29/12

Moshi Monsters Moshlings Theme Park

Released 7/26/12

To-Fu Collection

Released 11/5/12

Poptropica Adventures

Released 9/13/11

Camping Mama: Outdoor Adventures

Released 11/8/11

Moshi Monsters: Moshling Zoo

Released 12/16/11

I Heart Geeks

Released 4/12/11

Rio

Released 11/19/10

Wizards of Waverly Place: Spellbound

Released 6/24/10

Wipeout

Released 11/16/10

Minute to Win it

User Ratings (323)

6.2

9-10

7-8

5-6

3-4

1-2

User Reviews (8)

Most Helpful

Most Recent

Same old same old + more tediousness

Controls: The games uses the DS stylus, it doesn't let you use the d-pad for movement AT ALL. I didn't like watering my crops 2-3 times or missing them completely, and IT IS VERY COMMON TO DO. Stamina is hard to gain starting off, it makes growing crops a lot harder. The controls are BAD, VERY BAD. Why can't you play the game with the d-pad also? WHY!? Game Play: Same Old Harvest Moon, but you have to spend tons and tons of money on almost useless upgrades. They should have renamed the game "Harvest Moon: Useless upgrade edition. The amount of wood and money that you need for this game really does it in, which makes the game 98% about gaining money. I'd much rather play a remake of Harvest Moon Back to Nature, Harvest Moon Friends of Mineral town, the N64 version, or even the snes version. The interaction with the citizens is the same old, which you'd think they could improve it by now, it isn't 1997 anymore. Grafx: The graphics were good, but the placing of the buildings, and the placing of other houses were horribly bad. The outside of houses are also very bland, no fences, or other stuff. Sound: The music isn't noticeable, and it doesn't stand out. The Sound EFX are the same old, doesn't matter, they get the job done. Story: Like other Harvest Moons, it doesn't really have much of a story to even be concerned with. Not that it takes away from the game, but some sort of story progression would be nice, again this isn't 1997. Final Thought: This is not really worth renting. Look for Harvest Moon Friends of Mineral Town on ebay, it is worth buying. It is x10 better than this game.

fnf101 (member since 2009)

reviewed on 4/22/09

3 agree

Best HM game ever!

I have played almost every HM title out there and have been disappointed ever since the first game for PS2. I give HMIOH an 8 because it feels like the first time I played this series. It's not hard at all to get use to the touch screen and I think they did a great job using the full potential of the DS. Sometimes it can get tedious moving items in the rucksack but you get over it. The characters aren't emotionally detailed, but most HM are that way. It does take a long time in the beginning of the game to get things like animals and lumber, but that makes it more challenging than other HM's. Not to mention its neat to see the people unlocked. I played HMCute and liked it at first but quickly hated it, it's so boring. So if you want a new DS game or a new HM game, Harvest Moon: Island of Happiness would surly be the best descion.

Amiona (member since 2008)

reviewed on 10/26/08

8 agree

Harvest Moon: Island of Disappointment

When I was young I used to spend hours on my Super Nintendo playing a simple farming game. Years later, and tons of sequels as well, Harvest Moon became the definitive console simulator for not just farms, but for economics as well. But the newest Harvest Moon brings the franchise down a notch. Story: Harvest Moon games never have been very strong on story, and IOH (Island of Happiness) is no different. It does add a bit more drama to the classic "Oh, I just got a farm" cliché. Gameplay: Wake up, do farm work, go to bed. Its classic Harvest Moon we all love. You choose boy or girl this time around, which is nice. You can pursue a love interest as well. Upgrades for tools are more about combining items than random luck or knowing where they are. All in all, the game plays really smooth and is a lot of fun. Controls: The is the weakest aspect of the game by FAR. Dpad and face buttons let you access 4 different tool slots and the movement is handled by stylus alone. Which wouldn't be bad, but farming the right block of land is frustrating at best, constantly wasting precious energy on taking care of the same spot. Movement doesn't work that great as well, as your hand easily gets in the way of things you need to see. Sound: The music is calm and soothing and the sound effects are nice. Nothing amazing, but it wont bore you to tears. Final Impressions: This game would be a LOT better if the controls were fixed and they let you do more before passing out, but its still not horrible. Harvest Moon fans should play this game, otherwise I would recommend avoiding this one.

Guiltl3ss (member since 2008)

reviewed on 9/30/08

7 agree

Island of Happiness or Sadness?

I've been a loyal fan of Harvest Moon since the 64, but I have to say, it's really thinning in excitement. I surprised that Natsume took the Friends of Mineral Town route, rather than the Save the Homeland or A Wonderful Life route. IoH has the same principles as Magic Melody, Friends of Mineral Town. The days are short with little to do, and it takes nearly forever to get characters. Everything you build is considerately expensive, unless of course, you cut all your own lumber which becomes a nuisance later. But overall the game is long and the days get very repetitive. With no added features, this game is another Magic Melody nearly completely. So, unless you like this game play of the Harvest Moon series, it's not that great of a game. 6/10 at best.

NinjaZee (member since 2008)

reviewed on 9/13/08

10 agree

Awkward Controls

I rented this game after playing Harvest Moon DS Cute. I was hoping this game would have better graphics. While the graphics and overall look and feel of the game, maps and menus are definitely better than it's predecessor, HM Island of Happiness falls short. This game has Touch-Screen ONLY controls, which I found to be very awkward and difficult to use. The map doesn't show your exact location, so finding different spots on the map is tedious and frustrating. I played through 5 days of this game and I'm already sending it back.

DebLee (member since 2006)

reviewed on 1/25/10

2 agree

Harvest moon" island of happiness

I played this game for maybe 4-5 hours. Its a good harvest moon game but it calls for heavy use of the stylus. i didn't like using it for everything... it got annoying. but you do get the hang of it.

zero098 (member since 2009)

reviewed on 6/19/09

2 agree

Not as bad as some have said.

I like the fact that alot of the things that people complain about in this game are corrected in the Sunshine Islands version. I think that the touch screen controls are pretty good even though I prefer to use the controller when possible(holding the DS in one hand tends to give me tennis elbow). I like the challenge of this version but can understand that those who want instant gratification probably won't like it. I thought this would be exactly like the SI world but the island layout is nothing alike(although the characters are). I like that new characters and shops move in as you progress through the seasons. If you liked the challenge of the original Dragon Warrior for the NES but prefer more updated graphics and a farming theme, you should enjoy this game.

tiloho (member since 2005)

reviewed on 8/31/10

0 agree

An island of sadness.

It is not an happy island! It's very depressing to me. You completely start out with nothing, and you have to spend your time talking to your little castaway friends! I hated having to listen to that awful music! I had to turn the volume WAY down on my DS! I had like zero money starting out and I couldn't buy anything! I had the most littleist farm in the UNIVERSE!

BULLY123 (member since 2008)

reviewed on 6/8/09

0 agree