A boring game that will have you asking yourself... when will this end?
a pet simulation.
Who's it for?
the kids. but, this viva pinata game, any viva pinata game, would also make a good game for a gigglish girlfriend, the type that awe in fondness at trademarks such as hello kitty.
What is it like?
watching grass grow.
__________
Foreword:
it was called the "suicide note" for game developer rare but has actually done well overall. however, i sometimes regret adding this game to my system but it is too late now. viva pinata: trouble in paradise will require the analyst in you to break out of its skin as it involves ALOT of reading which i imagine, would be a big ask for a kid of about ten years old.
Gameplay:
you begin with a small garden but as the game goes on, your garden will grow more and more which does take time. pets will find your garden when you begin to attract them with flowers and food then could decide to settle and live there. you can also create gardens in different terrain such as a snow, arctic landscape for instance. another important aspect of the game that should be noted is you can teach your pinatas tricks. one can play viva pinata: trouble in paradise on xbox live and is promoted on the case, front and back.
Visuals:
cute pinatas. the water in the game does look polished and instilled me in a moment of wonder. the evil pinata boss, professor pester, has a headquarters that looks, coincidently, very much like one of the superweapon structures from one of the final soviet missions at easter island of command and conquer red alert 3. really, you've got to check that out somehow because the likeness is incredible. your pinatas look exactly like how a pinata should.
Audio:
your pinatas squeal, chirp... make all kinds of funny noises which are so annoying they should use them to interrogate a taleban enemy combatant at camp delta, guantanamo bay. as one could expect in a game aimed at the younger target market, characters who can talk have humourous voices that sound as if the people doing the voiceovers have inhaled helium. there is no music to speak of in viva pinata: trouble in paradise.
__________
if you have a kid with an xbox 360... then by all means, ignore all the negative things i have said about this game and get him or her this. also available, is viva pinata: party animals which consist of mini-games but called "dull" by official xbox magazine some months ago. blue dragon could be another option for your boy or girl that likely whines at you and has tantrums at the shopping mall when they don't get something such as a computer game, so bad. you can probably still find viva pinata: trouble in paradise in the bargain bins. i did.
this is a game that i am not singing its praises as it deserves none. viva pinata!? nope!