1UP: Harvest Moon: Island of Happiness Review

The Animal Crossing-like touch-screen controls (drag the stylus in the direction you want to move and pick up items by tapping the screen) are hard to get used to in their slightly imprecise implementation here -- but they're definitely a step up from Harvest Moon DS' awkward setup, even though selecting and using tools is clumsy. Upgrading your house and farm costs quite a bit of money, which takes considerable time to earn early in the game...but opening up and populating the different sections of the island as your farm's exports rejuvenate the local economy makes spending your hard-earned cash rewarding.

The paper-thin storyline (you're shipwrecked on a remote island and decide to put down roots there) may be an inconsequential excuse for you to repeat the same core game of the past 11 years, but some small lessons learned along the way manage to shine through.