Yay! Go Pinatas! Viva Pinata 2: Trouble in Paradise is the sequel to one of my favorite games on the Xbox 360. The first one I believe surprised many people in how colorful and fun it was so I’m excited that we’ll be revisiting the land of pinata. And the best part is that it’s being developed by the same people who brought you the first one, Rare Ltd.
An exciting, new “Just for Fun” setting makes getting into the game fast and easy. For the first time, players will be able to collaborate together on a garden through a rich co-op experience, connect and play with others online via Xbox LIVE as well as instantly introduce new piñata species to their garden through an innovative new feature utilizing the Xbox LIVE Vision Camera.
Screenshots: Viva Pinata: Trouble in Paradise
There are other games on tap for Microsoft’s showcase event today that I’m sure a few of you are already excited about. Banjo-Kazooie: Nuts & Bolts is finally in play and more information about Too Human, Gears of War 2, Fable 2 and Ninja Gaiden 2 will be given as well.
Viva Pinata: Trouble in Paradise is scheduled for release this September.
Welcome to Sequel Town. In Sequel Town you’ll find a list of games that I’d like to see sequels to. Sequel Town has an open door policy for any publisher and developer so feel free to walk right in and make your sequel of choice happen! This list surely doesn’t cover all of the titles I’d like to see sequels to but I sat down thinking of the games I’d like to revisit for various reasons and these are what I came up with.
Crackdown 2 - Realtime Worlds had an awesome showing with Crackdown. Screw the Halo 3 Beta hype that surrounded it because it was a damn good game. And I want a sequel dammit! Crackdown 2: City Arrested. Visually it was incredible and it really brought something new to the sandbox genre and it deserves another round.
Who doesn’t want to hunt down more of those whacky orbs? And if my 9.2 overall review score isn’t enough to convince you, then I don’t know what is. Bring in more gangs this time…make it five to handle. The Shyne. The Boik. The Gai Republic. The Ladyz (a collection of hard core women gangsters). And last but not least, The Agenzy. It would be the toughest of the gangs made up of agents who defected from the real Agency.
Bullet Witch 2 - Okay, I’m probably reaching on this one but the original had so much potential that I feel like Cavia and Atari owe me a do-over. If you’ve read my review, you’ll understand what I mean by potential. It had a sexy central character (Alicia Claus), it had a new, very interesting weapon and a story. And let’s face it, who doesn’t like a woman in skimpy clothing with a big gun kicking plenty of ass?
It felt short in a few ways but for its potential alone, I think Cavia and Atari should offer a sequel to truly represent what Bullet Witch should’ve been. Give me my Bullet Witch 2: Pandora Seize.
There are some goodies hitting store shelves this week so get your paychecks and lunch money ready. Pinatas, Bees and time-bending soldiers are at your disposal.
TimeShift - Developed by Saber Interactive and published by Sierra Entertainment, TimeShift, allows players to control time and use it as the ultimate weapon in a fierce battle against the neo-fascist regime of Dr. Krone. $59.99
Bee Movie Game - Bee Movie Game offers a one-of-a-kind gameplay experience with more than 15 levels, compelling side-quests, amusing multi-player mini-games and a wide variety of never-before-seen content co-created by DreamWorks Animation and Activision exclusively for the game. $49.99
Viva Pinata Party Animals - Microsoft Game Studios and Krome Studios present the latest party gaming extravaganza developed exclusively for Xbox 360. $49.99
Rock Band
Developer: Harmonix
Publisher: EA
Release date: Nov 2007
If lines for miles are any indication, I’d say that Rock Band was a highly sought after title during the show. Hundreds of fans stood in line for a chance to rock out on stage with the game. I had a few sessions of rockitude myself so I know why they stood there.
The Rock Band team put on an exclusive show for Unscripted 360 fans that even had the CEO of Harmonix rockin’ the stage. If you missed that, you can check it out here. I had my doubts about the “band” element in Rock Band but after trying it, it was clear that those doubts were pointless.
This game turns everyone into a rockstar! Click the next number to find out which other title made it into U360’s Best of PAX.
Are you the type who thought you were too manly to try Viva Pinata and you didn’t want it showing up on your Gamercard? Well, relax and enjoy a demo instead. I know there are some of you who decided not to give this game a try. This demo will hopefully help change your mind about Viva. (this time it’s playable) It’s available to Xbox Live Gold members for one week and then available to all subscribers afterward.
If you missed Unscripted 360’s coverage on the game, then head over to the Viva Pinata review as well as the ultimate Viva Pinata collection kit. This is a pretty good game and I’m happy to see a demo out so that others may find that out as well now. It’s a US only demo for now with localized versions of this demo coming soon in Japan, France, Germany, Italy, Spain and the U.K.
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.
Viva Piñata wins Game of the Year! Don’t think so? Well, after playing last night I can safely say that I wouldn’t be surprised if it does…not from numbers but for sheer addictiveness. I managed to score the collector’s edition of Viva Piñata due to some well-timed trash talking at the Lost Planet event. (that’s another story I’ll get into later) The collector’s edition is packaged very nicely. I mean it’s just so cute really. It has Horstachio, one of the characters in the game, on the cover in all his vibrant beauty. I really like the way it was designed. It comes with a bonus disk that I haven’t looked into yet.
So I trash talk, win the game, finish the event, and head home to play some Piñata. I couldn’t believe how much fun I was having simply going through the tutorial process. You start the game with Leafos, your guide, telling you the basics as you prepare to create your very own Piñata garden. The controls are very easy to learn. The selection menu is made of petals…how cute is that. After you learn some things, you’re given this crusty shovel to prepare your garden for your very own Piñatas. The shovel cuts the grass, gets rid of junk and hammers out unnecessary dry soil. You can gather a host of items to make your garden beautiful and filled with different Piñatas.
You can name them, put labels on them, and even lead them to romance to make baby Piñatas! Addictive? Yes it is. If not for having company at my house wanting to play some Gears of War, I would’ve been in my garden all night. My very first Piñata to show some love to my garden was a Whirlm…I named it Deacawhirlm1. It was my first visitor and resident so I wanted it to be special. You can even share your own Piñatas with your friends across Xbox Live. I’m sure there are going to be some wild creations out there.
I’ll get an official Unscripted review of this game up very soon after I play more…both on the show and one for you guys to read. I love this game! This game is everything I knew it would be and more. I am a Piñatatan!
Who ya gonna trust? Me, that’s who…because I’m trustworthy.
In light of all the media on Gears of War coming out next week, I thought I’d share some light on the ‘other’ hot title set to debut as well next week. It’s in my Starting Lineup and it’s already gone “Gold”…join me in a little celebration for Rare’s Viva Piñata!
I’ve had my eyes on this title for a while. I wasn’t always impressed with it but as with most things, once you dig deeper into a title…there’s a chance you can find something you like. And that’s exactly what happened as I looked closer into the game. I realized that it’s the perfect game for some family fun if not for the gameplay, then for its presentation alone.
What is Viva Piñata?
Viva Piñata™ is a window to another world where wild-roaming, living piñata animals inhabit a growing, changing garden world. Take control of this environment and the piñata within it, influencing its contents to create your very own pet paradise.
Once you have resident piñatas, begin to personalize your loyal community. Piñatas can be individually named and given their own personally designed tag to put on display as a declaration of their home turf. The customization doesn’t end there. Make the colorful critters more distinctive by customizing them with all kinds of costumes and accessories.
There are a host of colorful characters for you to build your own Piñata land. Can’t you just see the wild characters now? And the wild names? I know I’ll have a few interesting entries from my little brother and other kids who come to play my Xbox 360 from time to time.
How can I become a Piñatatan?
Well, buy the game and build your own Piñata island! That was easy wasn’t it? The Xbox 360 needs a game like this for the holidays to show parents out there that Nintendo isn’t the only console with a younger audience in mind.
When can I become a Piñatatan?
November 9th is when Viva Piñata is set to hit store shelves.
The holiday season is fast approaching as well as the end of the year so I thought I’d unveil Unscripted’s Starting Lineup. My ‘Starting Lineup’ in the Games category are the five titles that I think should be in everyone’s starting lineup of games this holiday season…your must-buy games.
I’ll be introducing more of my ‘Starting Lineup’ categories soon. Look for categories dealing with the hottest stories, community shine and others. But first to debut is the Games category. (yes you know I’ll design a fancy image to represent the ‘Starting Lineup’)
Viva Piñata - Is there any surprise that this has made its way to my lineup? You know my mission is to turn you all into Piñatatans! The Xbox 360 has been in need of a solid title to appeal to the young adults and parents alike. I think this is it. Viva Piñata mixes some very colorful environments and characters with a fun theme. It sizzles for sure!
Star Trek: Legacy - I have a mission. To boldly go where no gamer has gone before. This title is ambitious. It combines every Star Trek saga you can think of from TV to film. It has my favorite captains, Picard and Kirk, in it so I’m set for its release. I’ll be in the skies commanding the Enterprise and any of the other ships I can manage to navigate. The only question is, who will I be dominating?
Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six Vegas - I’ve never been into the Rainbow Six series but having seen what I’ve seen from this game…I’ll be into it now. The squad feel is seemingly back and to top it off, this game features the DigiMask technology so you all will be receiving head shots from the real DeaconBlade and not some default character. What more can I say or ask for?
Gears of War - Does this game need any reason? I didn’t think so. The way that this game has been displayed visually alone warrants an entry into the Starting Lineup.
Fuzion Frenzy 2 - If you were like me with Fuzion Frenzy on the original Xbox, then you know how much fun it was to play the first Fuzion Frenzy with family and friends. I anticipate that Fuzion Frenzy 2 will be just as much fun.
I wanted to round out my Stating Lineup with some quality reserves who are key coming off the bench to add to your holiday lists. Every Starting Lineup needs key players coming off the bench to fill in for the starters from time to time. They include Superman Returns, Call of Duty 3, Marvel Ultimate Alliance and FIFA Soccer 07.
There you have it. Unscripted’s Starting Lineup and a few bench players as well to hopefully give you an enjoyable holiday season. Stay tuned for more!
Yes that’s right…I have more ammo in my quest to make you all Piñatatans! You can head out to the Xbox Live Marketplace and download an interactive video for Viva Piñata. Are you ready to dive into Piñata land this November? I know that I am!
Thanks greekGeek for the head’s up on this as I’m sure he knows I’m a certified Piñatatan. Are you?
