Harvest Moon: Island of Happiness

Release Dates

Just five short months after Harvest Moon DS Cute released in North America, another game in the series launched on the same platform. Harvest Moon: Island of Happiness featured an entirely new cast of characters, a new story, and a whole lot of touchscreen usage! Setting a precedent for later games in the series, this new entry launched with both a male and female character, breaking from the pattern of releasing a special female-oriented version separately.

Regardless of your choice between Mark and Chelsea, the player character sailed off on a ship in search of a faraway island where they could become a farmer. After you shipwrecked on an island, a helpful character named Taro led you to a ranch atop the island’s mountain. And thus began the latest entry in the farming simulation.

Unlike the prior games to release on the Nintendo DS, Harvest Moon: Island of Happiness really stressed the system’s unique abilities. All movement and actions were performed using the stylus on the touchscreen, while the D-Pad was used exclusively for switching between tools and equipment. An online leaderboard system allowed farmers to rank their ranches against other players. Additionally, it was possible to conduct online voice chat sessions using the built-in microphone.

Fun Facts

• Unlike many other games in the series, where characters were always happy to receive gifts, the player had to talk to a character for at least three days before they accepted any gifts.
• Harvest Moon: Island of Happiness introduced more than thirty new characters to the series, including the new playable characters, Chelsea and Mark.
• Although it had become common to contend with rival bachelors and bachelorettes, this was the first time other couples married and, in certain instances, had a child. Those who played long enough could see multiple new children in town!
• Though there was only one mine on the island, players who plumbed the depths of the mine often earned a new recipe for every second trip to the bottom they endured. There were 195 recipes in the game!
• Tools in Harvest Moon: Island of Happiness contained what was known as Wonderful Stone Slots, which could be equipped with mysterious items called Wonderfuls that granted myriad bonuses. Wonderfuls were obtained by winning various festival events.