Surprisingly deep, gleefully subversive. Out of nowhere comes one of the most wonderful 360 games to date.
Making elaborate gardens from scratch, luring, taming, breeding, and sacrificing the Pinatas, exploring and experimenting with the ecosystem and earning a substantial income is only the surface of what makes this game great. It's children cheering when you're notified that a Pinata is about to be eaten. It's Seedos examining your gardening skills as he tosses you free seeds. Booting up at nighttime to be greeted with a chorus of expressive snores and whimpers as your zoo rests. The awe inspiring overhead view during a nasty rainstorm. The way your night watcher deals with sour Pinatas. The anguish of losing your precious herd to disease and death, and the joy of finally getting that Cinnamonkey to change from black and white and become one of your own.
People may be concerned Viva Pinata is made for kids. The marketing people did a bad job handling the title to be sure, and the packaging is downright embarrassing. Yes it's adorable and the tutorial seem geared towards young'uns, but this game is just as much for fully grown men and women as it is for children. Perfect for families too. The K-6 crowd would probably have a rough time with Viva alone anyway, it gets complex and rather stressful at times. The game looks brilliant, it's innovative and fun, sound effects are inspired and the orchestral score is stirring. There's nothing else like it on the 360 or any other platform for that matter.
Of course there's some problems like the tricky targeting system, underdeveloped online options, the rare stuck pinata, hiccups during autosaves and the lack of space to see everything offered in a single garden. It's nothing game breaking though - after a week under its spell I'm convinced Viva Pinata would earn a place in the heart of most anyone that loves well crafted games. Now if you'll excuse me I've got to get back to it right now. I've just bred my first Horstachio and there's a particularly nasty Macaracoon that needs to be dealt with.