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.
