A bright and colourful shell that, when cracked open, contains sweet gameplay.
User Rating: 8 | Viva Pinata X360
You may feel mean for watching poor little animals get cracked open with a shovel, but when you find out they are full of sweet candy, you wont care. On Pinata Island you are given the task of rejuvenating a once beautiful Pinata garden to its former glory. To fulfil your goal you must attract Paper Mache animals called pinata to your garden. What pinata's you attract depends on what you have in your garden. Eg. If you have a pond you will attract water pinata's such at frogs. Each pinata has different requirements and therefore managing your garden to attract certain pinata's is where the challenge lies. When a new pinata finally makes its residence in your garden you may be able to romance them. Your pinata will need a house and certain other requirements and offcourse another pinata. When your pinata have romanced and egg will be delivered and a new pinata born. This is the essence of Viva Pinata: managing a garden. While it won't get your adrenaline pumping, I can assure you it's not as boring as it sounds.
Viva pinata has a huge amount of scope. There are so many pinata you can attract and tree's you can grow, the variety is in abundance. Just when it starts to feel old, something new comes along that you have to try and once you get hooked you'll find it hard to put your controller down. Anyone who has played Kameo or Banjo Kazooie will recognize Rare's visual style that is wrought throughout Viva Pinata. Bright colours and well designed creatures and characters will constantly make you smile. It also earnt Rare the much deserved 'Outstanding Character Performance - Female' at this years DICE awards. Released around the same time is the children's TV series, also called Viva Pinata. I am yet to see the show, though somehow I can't imagine it sharing too many similarities with the game. It might just be me but managing a garden doesn't sound like it would make a good show. It may not be the most exciting game out there but it sure is one of the most compelling. 
