The bottom line is this: Harvest Moon, in its purest form, hasn't lived up to its glory days for years on end now. The top-tier team over at Natsume has moved on to Rune Factory, and just like Harvest Moon DS, Harvest Moon Cute, and River King DS (another Natsume property), Harvest Moon: Island of Happiness just doesn't deliver. Stick to Rune Factory, or Rune Factory 2 in a few short weeks, as it delivers beautifully in nearly every element of design. Harvest Moon: Island of Happiness lacks the control, attention to style and detail on the visual front, and overall drive and ambition that needs to come with such a historic series, and as much as IGN would like to, they can't recommend it. They just don't make them like they used to.
Josh from Controller Crusade writes "Anyone who has followed the Harvest Moon franchise since it burst on the scene in 1997 (1996 in Japan) knows the many ups and downs it has endured. The odd thing about Harvest Moon games is that even when they’re not that great they are still incredibly addicting. Depending on what aspect of the games you like to focus on, you’ll enjoy certain titles more than others. Personally I like to mix it up and do a little bit of everything, not pigeon hole myself into one type of task or chore. Here are my personal highs and lows for the Harvest Moon series."
Russ looks at the RPGs heading to North American retailers in November.
411mania talks about this week's game releases. Highlights include Dissidia: Final Fantasy, Mana Khemia 2: Fall of Alchemy, Metroid Prime Trilogy, Cursed Mountain, and Harvest Moon: Magical Melody.
