Before I get into the review, I’d just like to show you the amazing media kit from Viva Piñata.  (what an outstanding media push with this title!)  Ok, now that you’ve seen it, let’s get on with the show.

Developer: Rare Ltd.
Publisher: Microsoft Game Studios
Screenshots: Available here
Rating Guide: How I Review Games

Review: 

There comes a time in every man or woman’s life in which they have to settle down, find a home, and attract some darn Piñatas!  I’ve found the game that will allow you to do just that.  Viva Piñata.  Rare Ltd. and Microsoft Game Studios present the most unlikely hero of the holiday season and they present it only on the Xbox 360.

Viva Piñata is a very unique game in which players can create and customize their very own Piñata-filled garden.  It may not sound interesting at first but after staying up until 3AM during my first time with the game, I can assure you that it is indeed interesting.  I can’t recall how much time I’ve spent worrying about the next Piñata I’ll attract or worrying about which of my Piñatas is set for some romance.  These little scenarios are but a small taste of what Viva Piñata is and that’s what makes this the single most addictive title on the Xbox 360 so far…at least in my opinion.

So without any further delay, let’s dig right into the latest from Rare Ltd. and Microsoft Game Studios.

Gameplay, Graphics and Sound

When you start Viva Piñata, you’ll be introduced to a much needed and exciting tutorial.  You can’t just start up a garden without knowing the story and proper way to cultivate it right?  You’ll meet Leafos, a young girl with a mask who essentially becomes your guide to learning the ways of building your own garden.  She’ll hand you a pretty simple shovel at which point your journey begins.

You’ll have to use the shovel to clean up your garden.  Initially, it’s filled with a bunch of junk and hard soil which you’ll have to get rid of before anything else.  When you clear the junk, you’ll receive some chocolate coins which is the currency of Viva Piñata for buying things.  Why can’t you leave the junk there?  Well, who wants to live in a junky garden?  That’s the main challenge you’re presented with in Viva Piñata.  You have to attract Piñatas to your garden and make them a home they’ll love.  During this ofcourse, you’ll come across many other challenges. 

After getting your shovel and clearing out the junk, Leafos will present you with a Grass Seed Packet that you’ll use to plant your grass.  You select the grass from the “Petal Menu” as I call it. (the menu is designed as petals…how cool is that)  Each time you accomplish something or a new action occurs, an alert will pop up in the lower right of the screen.  Things like gaining a new visitor to your garden, gaining a level or reaching a new goal are all things you may be alerted on.  You select the X button to bring up the menu and select whatever action from there…be that the shovel, grass seeds or any of the other tools/options you’ll get along the way.  You can also simply use the D-pad for a quick shortcut to your tools and accessing any alerts.  (if the controls seem challenging to younger players, an option for simple controls is available)

Quick Control List
Left trigger – Zoom in
Right trigger – Zoom out
Left stick – Move cursor
Right stick – Move camera (click – top view)
Back – Cancel all menus
Start – Save game/Adjust controls
Y button – Information (Highlight Piñata)
X button – Main Menu
B button – Discard/Cancel
A button – Action/Select
D-pad – Tools shortcuts/Alerts

You’ll continue to get updates throughout the game on things you’ve accomplished.  A journal is kept on everything that you do and there’s an encyclopedia of everything in your garden as well.  You can even access your garden details to find out if the majority of your garden is land, soil or water.  This is essential to know because the makeup of your garden dictates the types of Piñatas you have.  Some of them will only come to check your garden out if you have a certain percentage of water/ponds.  You can select details on each of them with the Y button so you’re always aware of what you need to do in order to make them residents, romance them, and other various things. 

The game isn’t all about Piñatas.  You have to maintain an entire social network that consists of helpers, builders, flowers, trees and food as well.  I found myself monitoring the water levels of my sunflowers and apple trees all the time just to make sure they grow properly.  You can easily have a dead tree in your garden if you don’t keep it watered while it grows.  All of these things get you experience points that lead to different chapters and experiences inside Viva Piñata.  The higher you go in experience, the better tools you’ll get as well…like a better shovel.  The scope of it all is just really amazing.  From the number of characters to the decisions you must make to control the harmony of your garden, it’s an interesting world.  Harmony?  That’s right.  Often times you’ll find yourself in the middle of controlling a fight between rival Piñatas or making sure you have no ill Piñatas who may have come across some sour candy from a resident Sour Piñata.  You also have to keep the romance going.  I’ll leave that one for discovering.  (peek inside one of the homes you build from time to time)

Going higher in levels and experience will also bring a chance to see your Piñatas evolve into different creatures.  Try feeding certain Piñatas a different item or sprinkling water on a certain Piñata and see what happens.  One example is with the first of your visitors, the Whirlm.  If you feed this little guy a turnip, it’ll change colors.  Changing colors isn’t the only part of evolution as some Piñatas will change into a new species of Piñata.  Oh the fun this game has! 

Visually, the game is just a vivid work of art.  The colors and design of Viva Piñata create the perfect mix between fun and fantasy.  The Piñata animations are interesting at times but then again where is the reference for perfect Piñata behavior?  The navigation menu, as I mentioned above, is very well done.  I loved navigating through the menu system with its petals and huge icons.  Some of the characters will entertain you when you interact with them.  Seedos, your resident seed deliverer, has some interesting things to say as well as the young lady you buy your items from.  The voice work done is mixed with some clever humor and entertainment!  The characters aren’t boring that’s for sure.

Xbox Live Extras

This is perhaps the most interesting element of Viva Piñata.  You have to gain access so to speak to use the Xbox Live element of Viva Piñata.  You have to unlock the Post Office before you can share your garden with your friends across Xbox Live.  Once you do this, you’ll be able to build a crate in your garden that you’ll use to share your custom Piñatas or any other item in your garden with friends.

Each item is customized with your very own tag as well to identify it.  I can see some interesting tags being made out there as well as some interesting Piñatas.  Please don’t send me any sours!
 
Conclusion

I’ve been really enjoying Viva Piñata.  There are so many things to do and so many ways to do them that it’s almost unfair to call this a game.  Viva Piñata is more than just a game…it’s an experience.  There has been some speculation about the quality that Rare Ltd. has brought to the Xbox.  You can speculate no more after this.  Rare Ltd. has delivered an exciting adventure that you’ll find is an addictive journey all the way to the end.  This experience is one that the entire family can sit down and enjoy together.  “Don’t beat ‘em, Join ‘em”.  Long live the piñata!