Second Viva Pinata bash starts Sept. 2

From the first day Microsoft unveiled Viva Pinata as a Rare-developed Xbox 360 game and a Saturday morning cartoon, it made its intentions to expand the brand undeniably clear. Since then, Microsoft has ported the original to the PC, produced a spin-off in Viva Pinata Party Animals, and is following that up with a THQ-published DS port, Viva Pinata Pocket Party.

Now, two years later, the first proper sequel to the game has a release date. Microsoft today announced the official North American and UK release dates for Viva Pinata: Trouble in Paradise. Gamers in the New World will be able to get back to breeding Sparrowmints and Bunnycombs beginning September 2, while their cross-Pacific counterparts will have to wait a bit longer for the planned September 5 UK launch.

Trouble in Paradise expands the world of Viva Pinata beyond the garden of the first game, allowing users to cultivate the festive fauna in both sandy and snowy locales. Other additions include a host of new pinatas to collect, two-player cooperative action, and Xbox Live Vision camera support to read special bar codes and import additional pinatas into the game.

For more on Trouble in Paradise, check out GameSpot's hands-on impressions.