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Viva Pinata: Trouble in Paradise (Xbox 360)

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7 Reviews

Genre: Simulation - Life / Video Game for Xbox 360 / Universal, suitable for all / Release Date: 2008-09-05 / Published by Microsoft

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      21.04.2011 15:20
      Very helpful



      The best Xbox 360 game kids will love, absolutely loads of Piñatas to collect and interact with!

      == Viva Piñata: Trouble In Paradise ==
      Viva Piñata: Trouble In Paradise is the sequel to the 2006 game entitled Viva Piñata. The game was created by Microsoft Studios and was released in 2008. The games setting is the same island as the first and its called the magical Piñata Island. The game is a life simulation game and you don't play as a character or anything else and all you do is control a cursor and do things (explained in the gameplay section). Now your back at magical island and your role is to make another huge successful garden for all the Piñatas to visit and stay. However all isn't so simple on the island as Professor Pester and his group of ruffians have completely destroyed Piñata central's records and stopped all Piñata deliveries to parties. Now its your job to build up a whole garden full of different Piñata's and restore peace to the island.

      === Gameplay ===
      The gameplay to Viva Piñata: Trouble In Paradise is actually really good but I do feel its very similar to the first game and there isn't much new added to it. There a few new places you can goto where in the first you cant. One being the dessert desert and the other being the Piñartic. Each one of these have their own unique Piñatas there that you can acquire if you do certain things. Most have to be caught with traps, you then can take them to your garden but this doesn't mean the Piñata is yours because you still have to do certain requirements to have them join fully. Most Piñatas that visit your garden have to have certain things for them to want to stay. Some of these things can be things like other Piñatas, certain items for example a bee needs to eat some honey in your garden. Also the more rare the Piñata the more things you need to do and also the harder they are to accomplish. There are well over 100 different species of Piñatas on the game and there are also many sour Piñatas which enter your garden to try and kill the ones you have. However these sour Piñatas can also be recruited. In the game menu before starting the game is really simple to navigate and it gives you a list of what you can do like start a new game etc etc. When your in the game itself there is also another menu that can be brought up by pressing a button. On this menu there are almost endless amount of options you can choose from. There is the watering can to water the plants you grow or other things. Different types of soil because some Piñatas prefer different soils. For an example a crab would like sand. There is a journal on this menu that tells you all you need to know about the game, the Piñatas and quests you can do. Also one of my favourite tools is the shovel as you can use it to destroy Piñatas that are trying to eat other Piñatas and also you can tap them to stop Piñatas from fighting each other. You can also visit shops on the menu and buy absolutely loads of things from homes for your Piñatas, clothes for them, seeds, display items like signs and other things and you can also buy Piñatas. The limits to buying new items are endless as new items keep on showing up.

      The basic controls are very simple to the game and if your struggling in the game people will help you. These people live in the village close by and are called Garden Personalities. With each Viva Piñata: Trouble in Paradise game a card comes with it. This card can be shown to your Xbox Live vision camera if you have one and this enables you to interact with your Piñatas more freely with new bits. Also whilst playing the game you can go into photo mode and take photos of your Piñatas. There is also the ability to send Piñatas to a party, this makes the Piñatas more happy and worth better value. However to send them to a party you have to get their candiosity meter to the fullest. To do this all you need to do is make that Piñata happy by eating things it likes or doing things it likes, its really simple. One of my favourite parts to the gameplay is the ability to buy houses for each different Piñata and also the fact you can romance them in their respected homes. Doing this makes one of the Piñatas pregnant but for this to happen you have to be able to complete the mini game that your required to complete. Also after two Piñatas have had a fight one or both of them may become ill, if this does happen you have to call a doctor out before a certain Piñata comes and claims the life of your Piñata. Thats all the basics about the game and overall there is plenty to do and accomplish.

      === Xbox Live Features ===
      There is a fair few options that you can do if your connected to Xbox Live via an internet connection and a gold membership. In the game there is a shop called the post office and at the post office you can trade things such as seeds, plants, accessories and even Piñatas with all your Xbox Live friends. The trading facility on the game and also the post office both become available when you reach a certain level in the game. All you have to do to trade items is simply follow the easy instructions that appear when playing the game, simple as that. Also new to this game is the ability to play co-op in a garden over Xbox Live. You can share a garden with three other players and do basically everything you would do on a one player game. I found this a fantastic mode, however it is much better played with friends over Xbox Live and not random people. Some people may want to ruin your experience and just mess your game up. Overall I feel the online multiplayer options are really good. You can also do multiplayer offline with one friend.

      === Viva Piñatas & Garden Personalities ===
      As stated above there are well over 100 different species of Piñatas and there are also many different sour Piñatas. All the Piñatas can join your garden as long as you do what they want. Some of the different species of Piñatas include things like a Fox, Spider, Gorilla, Horse, Pigeon, Frog, Penguin, Crab, Worm, Bee, Squirrel, Rabbit, Scorpion and loads more. However when acquiring these Piñatas you have to take note of certain things like a fox eats rabbits so don't put them to close together or they are going to be in trouble. Also with these Piñatas you can give them names, I always used to do things like naming a rabbit Roger or naming a mouse Mickey, weird things like that. As your progressing through the game and gain levels you receive visits from these people known as Garden Personalities. Each one do different things, some good and some bad. There is one called Seedos and he visits your garden everyday. The best thing about him is the fact that every time you talk to him he throws you some seeds which you can plants and sell to make some coins. Leafos is good hearted and always willing to help you. She tends to give you information on things such as Piñatas but some of her info is incorrect it all depends if your friendly towards her. Storkos is a female that every time your Piñatas romance she is the one that brings your new Piñata egg which has your brand new Piñata inside. Dastardos is one of the worst personalities to enter your garden. He only comes when one of your Piñatas is ill and you haven't done anything to cure them. One touch from him and your Piñata thats ill will be destroyed. Jardiniero offers tips and upgrades to gifted gardeners. Finally Professor Pester, he is the bad news. Professor Pester is the hardest one of them all, if hes there you need to find a way of getting rid of him. He starts sucking up your Piñatas using a hoover if your not quick enough.

      === Graphics ===
      The basic graphics are pretty good to the game. I was very pleased with the design and colouring of the Piñatas. When they first appear in your garden they're black and white. After recruiting them they then turn into a rainbow like colour which is really impressive. You can also change the colour of them in different ways. Also all of the Piñatas actually look like cartoon characters and this works to the games advantage. I was very impressed with the look of the Piñatas. I do feel there isn't much variety in the graphics for the garden you own. It is exactly the same as the one in the first game without all the rubbish you start with. Also the design of the desert and Piñartic is brilliantly designed and does make up for the shoddy graphics of your own garden. However as you progress to a higher level your garden gets bigger and you can change it to make it look a lot better. The design of the characters that you can interact with is pretty good, but they do look a bit deformed and strange. Overall I was impressed with the scenery and overall graphics to the game.

      === Sound ===
      The sound to the game is really impressive. The music is brilliant and brings the game fully to life. The intro movie has some smashing sound effects and also the menu itself has some quality sound. The in game sounds are great. They vary incredibly, from each Piñata having there own unique sounds and also each of the characters being voice activated, even though some only speak their language. The sound effects really are one of the best points to the game as you can hear almost everything from a fix snoring to a bee buzzing. I was also very impressed with the sound effects to the weather, especially when it changes. Also the sound the ruffians make is unique and you can always tell when they are around. Overall there is so much to the sound that make this game stand out to its fullest. Simply brilliant sound effects.

      === Difficulty & Longevity ===
      Now the difficulty of the game does slightly vary. However the game overall is very simple and most definitely suitable for any gamer. The getting to know process at the start of the game can be quite mind boggling but don't threat because as you progress further into the game you do pick up the hang of it because very simple. Some of the mini games may become a little tricky for the younger gamers but to be fair I am positive they will just enjoy them. The ruffians and Professor Pester are probably the hardest part to the game but when you know what to do its simple. As for the longevity to the game. Viva Piñata: Trouble In Paradise is like the first game and pretty much endless. There is so much you can do on it and so much you can do differently. Each play through has different variety and I can promise you that each time you do go through it there is tons of difference. With trading online and also over 100 Piñatas the game last forever. This is mainly due to the fact you cant own all the Piñatas and each time you go through it you may find different ones. Also the design of your garden needs to be changed every time to get new Piñatas. Overall I was very pleased with both aspects to the game.

      === Good Bits ===
      *Over 100+ Piñatas to attract to your garden.
      *Lots of variety in the gameplay keeps you playing for hours.
      *The ability to trade almost everything over Xbox Live.
      *The sound effects are brilliant its almost like being in a jungle.
      *The game is pretty much endless.

      === Bad Bits ===
      *The game can become fairly simple when you acquire all th controls.
      *There isn't much of a storyline, its just do what you want.
      *The ruffians can become really annoying as they all come after your Piñatas at once.
      *Can become boring if your playing the game for too long.
      *The price!

      === Other Bits & Final Thought ===
      Viva Piñata: Trouble In Paradise does include Piñata Vision, however you do need an Xbox Live vision camera for that option and you also need a card that comes with the game. The game has a rating of 3+ and I do feel this is perfect because it is an easy game and can be enjoyed by any gamer. Kids especially will love this game because all of the animals are very cute and cuddly but obviously cant be cuddled. There isn't any downloadable content for the game on Xbox Live but there are leaderboards. The game is only available on the Xbox 360 console. The instruction manual is very simple to read and understand and it is also really well designed with little pictures in it. The cover of the manual is a bit plain. The cover to the case is also nicely designed and does suit the game really well. With all the colours it also makes it stand out from others. I would recommend this game to absolutely anyone. Its a fun game and even the whole family can join in and help. Its funny, cute and kids will definitely love it. Viva Piñata: Trouble In Paradise is a game that can last a lifetime, there is just that much you can do on it. I bought my copy of the game from my local Gamestation store for £9.99 which I feel is brilliant value for money. The game however is now selling for brand new on Amazon at an incredible £24.50 but I still would say its value for money. Its a great game with animals, what more can you ask for? I would give Viva Piñata: Trouble In Paradise a strong 8/10!

      Review also on Ciao under the username: MrBrightside1987!


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        10.04.2010 23:54
        Very helpful



        great game for all ages

        My husband it not happy that a second viva pinata game has been released. I was so addicted to the first one I commandeered the X box in the lounge that was actually his christmas present and I neglected the housework until I had completed the game (which took me a year).

        *The basics*
        The game is all about attracting cute animal pinatas to your garden. Pinatas are papier-mache objects in various shapes that children take turns in hitting until sweets fall out as a party game. Once you have attracted them and they become residents you then start romancing them. There are a couple of animals that turn into different species once they have eaten certain items or romanced 2 different species together. Then you can turn them 3 different colours discovering which combination of food to feed them. I won't spoil it by listing what does what, if you want cheats there are plenty of web sites out there that do walk throughs of the games.

        Pinata 2 steps it up to include 2 new environments. There you attract various pinatas and bring them to your main garden. One is a desert with new animals like crabs, the other is the artic with new animals like penguins. Another new feature is called a trick stick that means you train your animals by getting them to eat certain items them using the trick stick they perform there own party pieces.

        This is an extremely addictive game and very good value for money. My husband has completed several combat games while I have only done pinata one and I'm not even half way through pinata 2. I have also introduced this game to my nieces and nephews who love it so it is for all ages. Gamers call it an open game, that means it can continue for as long as you want, there is no final point where the game stops even once you have done all there is to achieve.

        I highly recommend this game to anyone who can put their life on hold until it's completed!


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        11.02.2010 14:04
        Very helpful



        Something for Everyone!

        I bought this for my Girlfriend who often had nothing to do when she came round to my house and I had to do work - good job she loves it then!!

        The premise of the game is to build a garden and get 'pinatas' to start living in it. To get the pinatas to live in your garden, your garden must have certain items in it or have objectives met. For example, if you want a bunny pinata to live in your garden, all you have to do is have a carrot in there.

        Sounds simple... right? The challenge comes from trying to get pinatas to co-exist togethr (certain pinatas eat other pinatas) and you have to try and stop the 'evil' pinatas coming into your garden and destroying it! (To do this, you just hit them with your spade, so it's not too bad).

        The game starts off slowly but quickly gathers pace, and before long, you have a truly beautiful garden full of pinatas and plants. It is a very overwhelming, rewarding experience.

        The controls are pretty simple - but users new to controller based video games (like my girlfriend) will probably struggle for a while.

        Overall, a fantastic, building-based game with enough in it for any type of gamer.


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        19.03.2009 01:46
        Very helpful



        fun for all ages.

        Theres trouble in Pinata Paradise, in the newest edition of the hit series : Viva Pinata.
        After spending countless hours on the first, cultivating my garden, and tending to my pinata's every need, i heard about the second instalment on the Xbox 360, and knew i had to buy it!

        From the smallest pinata's like the "Whirlm", to the huge "Eliphanilla", theres over 50+ different species this time round. Each with their own unique and funny little quirks.

        So you start with the smallest plot of land available, its basically a patch covered in hard soil, in which you have to turn into lush green grass in which will first of all attract the small easy to handle Pinata's.

        Each Pinata has its own requirements that you must meet before it wants to become resident in your garden. When you have certain items in your garden, pinata's come to visit, you can venture outside the garden perimeter, and click on the pinata to see what it wants to become resident.

        Once a pinata is resident in your garden, it turns into its bright colourful state, and is yours to keep, as long as you keep it happy that is :)
        When a Pinata is completely happy, its at "maximum candiosity" which means when you send it off to parties etc, it will get you more money, and the more parties you send it to, the more famous your pinata becomes, and increases in value.

        As you progress through the early stages of the game, various tools and tricks are handed to you, like the spade, watering can etc. All of which you will need to make your garden lush.
        The village has Costa'lots store, where you can purchase seeds, food for pinatas, various garden items like lamps, bird baths, fountains etc, some of these you will need to attract new pinata's to your garden.

        One of the most important things once a Pinata has become resident in your garden, is it will need somewhere to live, this is where "Willy Builder" comes to your aid, you can choose him through the village menu, and he will build any Pinata house for you, or even a Special House! :)
        Once the Pinata's have a house, its time to "romance". You can breed your Pinata's, as many times as you like, you gain awards for becoming master romancers of different species, and you can always sell them for cash. There are romance requirements you need to forfill before Pinata's will "romance". So be sure to keep checking what the requirements are for the different Pinata's you have.

        You meet various different characters throughout the game, 90% of them will help you, but the others, well, thats where the trouble in Paradise comes from.

        Theres a bad guy in town, and his name is Proffesor Pester. He will come in your garden and try and steal your Pinatas, sometimes your most valuable ones, he's very hard to get rid of, unless you have enough coins to bribe him to go away, or you have a certain special Pinata, that will scare him off.

        You can seriously spend hours at a time on this game without realising it, I have done myself hehe.

        A great new addition to the game, is the option to be able to send your Pinata's to shows, with is a bit like the X Factor, although its called "The P Factor" your pinata's are judged on a variety of things, and if you win, your Pinata becomes more famous.
        Another new add-on is online playability. The ability to play with other people, in their own gardens, or you can host your own garden on Xbox Live, to show off your best Pinata's or just mingle with somebody to learn skills, and see how they garden, you never know you might learn something, especially from the more experienced gardeners.
        Also there is the ability to have 2 player CO-OP on the same Xbox, so if you've got 2 kids, or maybe a friend round, and you need some help with your garden, just plug in a second controller and your ready to go, they have the ability to help you water plants, feed pinata's etc, most of the same tools and tricks you will already have.

        So overall, this game is a must have, for kids, and adults alike, anybody ANY age can play this game. It's easy on the brain, and fun to play whenever.
        There's no limit, and endless possibilitys, when it comes to customising your garden, and bringing in new Pinatas.

        Graphics are lovely, the colours and brightness of the game, is easy on the eyes, and fun.
        The longegivity of the game is endless, you can spend hours at a time playing the game, there's no limits.

        Thanks for reading, and enjoy the game :)


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        24.02.2009 21:02
        Very helpful



        Secretly a strategy game in the guise of a childrens game. Relaxing and enjoyable

        Viva Piñata: TiP marks the return of RARE's surprise gardening hit and boy, are they are happy to be back. Seriously, they just can't wait to show you.

        From the moment you're handed the shovel the adoration begins. Plant and grow a carrot - alright! Here's a carrot badge! Hey, you've attracted a visiting piñata; let me take you to him with a dynamic sweep of the camera. You know, if you satisfy his simple needs, well he might just take up residence here. Huh? What's that sound? Why that little fanfare of trumpets signals his decision to stay and live in your garden. Congratulations! Here's a new watering can.

        One good turn deserves another; and each successive step you make is matched with some sort of reward. The game is just brimming with positive reinforcement for your actions while convincing you that it is not just empty praise.

        And there's always something to do. Be it tending to general gardening duties to fulfilling the needs of your piñata pals by creating their ideal home away from home, filling them with joy and candy, until they are maxed out and ready to be sent away to children's parties all around the world.

        The inclusion of a guide who issues challenges helps stave of the feeling that you are aimlessly gardening with no end in sight. Coupled with the easily attainable nature of these challenges, the game quickly fosters a 'one-more-go' mentality - something that you should be scared of.

        I quite depressingly found myself awake at 4am staring glassy eyed at the screen, carefully landscaping my garden - which doesn't exist - in order to attract more Mousemallows - which don't exist - as I had spent all my chocolate coins building them a hickory-dickory-dock clock tower to sleep in. Still, at least there is not a zombie in sight. Ah shit.


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        02.02.2009 18:16
        Very helpful



        don't pass this up!

        This is the sequel to the first Viva Pinata. Although many of the characters are still the same, this latest installment includes many more pinatas for you to tame for your garden. Seedos, leefos, and all the rest of the garden gang are back, offering new seeds, advice, and products. Even Professor Pester and his horde of evil doers make a reappearance. This game is a lot of fun and resembles that of a collection game. You must do different tasks in order to make pinatas appear, visit your garden, and become a resident of your garden (the overall goal). This game also added unblock requirements since some of the pinatas will be caught by Ruffians and weeds. Find as many plants, pinatas, variants, and secret objects as you can to become the greatest gardener ever. The Pinatas are absolutely adorable and come with names that are a combination of their species and food. It's a fun and addicting game that anyone would enjoy playing.


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        05.12.2008 23:50
        Very helpful



        Great game for children and adults alike..

        When it comes to money now its hard pushed to get any extra to spend on yourself I am more than aware of the fact myself as I'm sure is the same for most people.. Especially now that dreaded season is underway.. Christmas drains you financially, this recession just piles on the problems..
        Anyway so looking more on the bright side, when we do get a bit extra it is nice to be able to treat ourselves to something we enjoy.. Whether it be an extra night out with your friends or some expensive perfume you have wanted for ages.. For me it has to be a game for my Xbox 360.. I only had two games so I decided to treat myself to something different to play..

        Considering the previous three games I had played had a lot of story behind them and more action than my brain could take the afternoon I bought this game.. So I bought this, 'Viva Piñata : Trouble In Paradise.' It just jumped out at me being brightly coloured and pretty with cute animals on the front..

        Why did I buy it?

        Other than the fact that it has a very cute cover with lots of piñata's and evil piñata's and the fact it was half price also attracted me to it.. At just £17.49, who could turn it down, well even better when I got to the till it was actually £17.13 due to VAT reduction.. Which is another bonus for the consumer, well a little bonus anyway..
        It main thing that attracted me to it is that I had seen the original game played by my boyfriend and I did think it was quite fun even though it is a child's game..!
        Who says you can't have a little child fun every now and again..!

        History of the Viva Piñata game(s)

        Made by 'Microsoft Game Studios,' this company has an expansive history, a company that since 2002 has been a fully owned subsidiary of the Microsoft corporation, has acquired many companies over its time.. Having obtained Bungie Studios into the 'Microsoft Game Studio' Microsoft then had the chance to alter Halo onto the Xbox platform.. (Which immensely pleased me and a lot of other people!)
        However not only did they acquire Halo properly for the Xbox they also took over Rare Ltd in August of 2002 therefore allowing the 'Viva Piñata,' franchise to begin and for them to sell the games in mass amounts, to children and adults alike..
        The original game 'Viva Piñata' was released on Xbox on the 9th of November 2006, to the mass market. The game was developed by Rare Ltd, based on an idea by creator Tim Stamper.. There were rumours about the first game for months before a release date was announced, and after being given a 'everyone' rating it was possible, to be played by children and casual game players alike.. The brightly coloured packaging was made for this attraction.. Well it seriously worked on me!

        The game is similar to Sims and other creator based games, in that there is no real win or loose situation the game is totally dependant upon you to choose which tasks to undertake and which piñata's you want to mate and build houses for to keep in your garden..
        The original game released initially for Xbox 360 was later released onto PC and onto Nintendo DS, with the new sequel on Xbox 360.. 'Viva Piñata : Trouble In Paradise,' which is the reason I am writing this review!

        Plot of 'Viva Piñata : Trouble In Paradise'
        I am going to give you a general idea of the plot of the game without ruining it for any of you that may be thinking of buying it..

        For those of you who know the original game, then we have a friendly face visiting.. Well not so friendly actually.. For those of you who don't know the original game we have someone lovely called Professor Pester come again to reek havoc amongst the little piñata's of Piñata island..! Upon his return Professor Pester managed to ruin things for the little piñata's and all the files went missing therefore leading to the player having to rebuild them by, completing challenges and filling the piñata's with sweets and sending them to parties.. (Don't worry they return!!)

        'Viva Piñata' controls

        Sorry to bored you but everyone needs to know what the controls are before you play a game or things could go horribly wrong..
        Y ... Information about a piñata when you have highlighted it, so you can find out about what it likes to eat and how to get little ones in your garden..

        X ... Brings up your main menu, where you have a mixture of things to choose from such as the village, seeds and watering your plants.. (Essential thing I may add!!)
        A ... Select and action.. Basically if you have an option as with most games you use the A button to confirm it..

        B ... Discard or Cancel.. To take the highlight off something, when you have a seed for example, it can be dropped by pressing B or planted by pressing A..
        Left Analogue Stick ... Moves you around your garden..

        Right Analogue Stick ... Moves the camera around so you can see the whole of your garden..
        Left and Right Bumper ... Find a specific Piñata..

        Left Trigger ... Zoom out..
        Right Trigger ... Zoom In..

        Your Garden Helpers

        Your first helper when you first arrive on the island with your new patch of garden and a penned animal.. This little lady is there to help you on your way with your new garden and is there when you upgrade a level in your garden.. She is always there to show you the way with your little piñata's especially when it comes to 'Romancing' your animals..

        A frequent visitor to your garden, you will see this little character popping up every now and again, usually with new seeds for you to take a peak at and plant in your garden.. Though he usually has seeds even before the islands shops so he is a good little character to befriend!! Even though he can be a little grumpy..


        A one time great gardener on Piñata Island, he is not willing to let anyone forget, and you will find him bouncing in onto your screen every once in a while.. Sometimes with a gift and other times just with a few tips for you.. Don't worry though you will know he's coming, the controller vibrates like mad when he does arrive..!

        The lady that brings your Piñata's their new little bundle of joy.. Well I say bundle I mean an egg delivered to you Piñata, from her safe hands.. You will see her flying over in her strange looking hot air balloon type vehicle..


        An evil and feared figure from Piñata Island history, watch out if one of your Piñata's gets sick and is left without care, he will be around and once he has had his way with the Piñata (No pun intended!!), there is no going back.. Poor Piñata..!

        Professor Pester
        The evil one is back not satisfied with wiping the islands memory of all its animals but he and his Ruffians and out to ruin your time as a gardener, by blocking your animals and just make your life as difficult as possible..!

        Game play and Menu's
        When you open up your main screen there are a number of options.. If you do not have Xbox Live.. As I don't at the moment which is a pain, the options are somewhat limited.. However do not despair my Piñata lovers.. It is just as much fun playing your new own garden and visiting the other gardens across the island..

        The options when you first put the disc in:..
        Standard Mode - Which means you can play your own garden, creature your own families, and accept challenges from Langston to capture certain Piñata for parties..!

        Just For Fun Mode - Which means users can literally jump into a garden and create, feed and look after Piñata's without having to look after the money.. However the actual game play means there is nothing for you to unlock, or any Xbox live features..
        Contests - Meaning you can enter your Piñata's into X-factor style competitions, races and beauty competitions.. I warn you now watch out for crying Piñata's..!

        The Piñata's
        There are a quite a few different species of animals in Piñata Island, and the good thing is that they are all named different to the names we know them as, which is an added appeal.. They are all different colours to how they would be in the wild.. Despite this though they are really really cute..

        In this new game there is around a 100 different Piñata's with normal animals and the sour ones, in the original game there was just 60 characters, the new game adds around another 30, including 4 new sour animals, which are mean and evil to your tame Piñata's..
        The Piñata's, were meant in the original to eat everything, but in this game they are more suited to eating particular things which can be a reason they do tricks and you can make them learn the tricks so they can perform it on cue later on in the game..
        I'll give you the names of a few.. See if you can work out what they are.. (Answers at the end..)


        Ok so I didn't say it would be too difficult to guess!!!

        Romancing Piñata's

        Providing you have two of the same species of the same animal, and all of the requirements for Romancing, including the Piñata houses, built by Willy the Builder..! Once you have a house it is time to start romancing your animals.. Then you have Piñata's born in your garden rather than being attracted to your garden..! If you spot a pink heart over the Piñata's head, there is soon to be romance in the air.. Just as long as you have lots of space for the new arrivals, once Storkos arrives with the egg for your Piñata and your garden..!
        The mini games that lead to your romancing tend to be a maze leading one of your Piñata's to the other and making them collect hearts proving to one another that they want each other.. The more hearts you collect, the more they love them.. Although there is problems along the way, in the space of Loathers, that Professor Pester has put in place to make romancing just that little bit more difficult..

        When you first start your own garden every garden is small but the more you work at your garden the bigger it gets.. The more animals you can get to your garden the more petals you can get the quicker you can 'level up' and get extras for your garden.. For the start you get a penned animal which is not a happy one because it is cooped up.. There are other garden types you can visit for challenges and you to bring in different animals to feed up their Candiosity so you can send them to parties across the world..!
        Plus if it rains in your garden, you can see your garden become watered a lot, it also runs down the screen of the 'camera' where it just used to fade away on the original game..

        You get plenty of garden tools for your garden, including a Shovel, which can be used for a manner of things, including digging holes, smashing the building work around your Piñata's houses, after your upgrade you can also dig a pond..!
        In your menu there is also a Watering can, so you can water all your plants, and flowers, and seeds when they arrive.. However be careful you can over-water your plants..!
        Surface packets.. Basically you can change the surface in which the majority of your Piñata's live in, you can get sand, grass and all sorts of different ones like water and ice so you can import some animals from the other worlds to keep them alive, fill them up and send them to Piñata parties..!

        Services for your Garden

        There are a bunch of local services you can use, to help your garden become more attractive to other species of Piñata.. So you can get more in your garden, increasing your level and different awards you can get for being a good gardener..
        There are these services:..
        Costolots Store - A place to pick up seeds and other goods for your garden.. Owner Lottie is happy to buy as well as sell. Highlight the items you wish to sell and sell them to Lottie, and make yourself some extra coins..

        Paper Pets - Miss Petula stocks a range of Piñata's and accessories for them, to keep them happy and maybe even fill them up with candy.. For a party, anywhere across the planet..!
        Post Office - Fanny is a helpful little shop keeper, who helps crate and transfer animals from place to place.. Especially over Xbox live where you can swap animals, to make your garden more full..

        Willy Builder - The builder of all the houses for your Piñata and their babies, he is the only one that can build a private and comfortable home..
        Bart's Exchange - Bart the tinker is around and happily turning one thing into another, however he is almost essential because his tinkered items are what some Piñata's must have, to romance..!

        Trouble In Your Garden
        Sour Piñata's - these Piñata's are evil, they come into your garden and cause no end of problems for your other Piñata's..! However they can be tamed, and maybe in the process you can gain yourself a new Piñata.. Even with sweets the sour Piñata's can be calmed down for a while, but you must find a way to get rid of them as soon as possible because they end up eating your plants and flowers!!

        Professor Pester and his Ruffians - The Professor decides once again to cause havoc on the island with his merry little hooligans by his side.. Not satisfied with wiping the whole of the Piñata records, he and his merry men are out to make gardening on Piñata island as difficult as possible.. The Ruffians are little men in red masks.. Watch out for them as they come looking into your garden..!
        Piñata's fight.. It shows a more volatile nature to the creatures but there is always going to be fights, but you can see eventually which species are liable to fight with each other, so you can look into separating them to prevent further fights.. If they do end up fighting however, there is always the option of a shovel or watering can to try and break it up!!

        As always there are weeds, thistles and ivy to name two.. These are all potentially dangerous to your garden and your Piñata's.. Weeds can be useful for tinkering but don't let them over-run your garden just in case you need them!!

        Other Lands

        There are two other lands in amongst the island that you can visit.. To enable you trap and move Piñata's to your garden and therefore make sure you have more awards and level up your garden sooner..
        We have two different lands, they are..

        Desert Island,
        Both areas are full of new species that you haven't got in your own garden.. However the only thing you can do in these lands is trap and bait animals it is not possible to cultivate the land like you can your own garden.. Both the bait and traps can be bought from Langston, depending on the strength of your animals you may need a stronger and more expensive trap..
        once set a trap you can wander off and leave your trap or you can wait and spring the trap yourself.. Either way the crate your animal may or may not be in is shipped to the post office where you can smash and release your animal into the garden.. To start its new life!!

        Xbox Live Co-op
        By using the Post office you can send Piñata's and seeds to your friends across live, from one Post Office to the next, although you do have to reach a certain level before you can trade animals and seeds through your Xbox Live..

        You can also share gardens through Xbox Live, you can have up to four people raising a garden at a time, each player has a cursor and a set of tools, the experience level depends how many different Piñata's you get attracted to your garden.. Whoever owns the garden, can set the limit of who can and cannot enter their garden, visiting other peoples gardens gives you new levels of experience and gives you tips.. Also enabling you to keep up with friends!!

        My Opinion

        My actual plot itself is fairly simple, which I think is to do with the fact the game is made for little ones as well as us adults looking for something a little simpler to play, that doesn't tax too many brain cells at a time.. Which I know its definitely my downfall at the moment.. However the simplicity doesn't make it any less interesting, especially as you have the chance to be green fingered without getting your hands dirty.. I know games are meant to be bad for children but this saves Mum's and Dad's having to wash muddy clothes as much..!
        The controls are easy to use, I didn't actually look at the booklet before I had a go with the game, having played Fable, Dead Space, Fallout, and Halo recently I figured the controls would be pretty easy to conquer! They are fairly basic although depending upon the age of your controller you may struggle to get round all the little petals on the flower of the menu, as my other halves controller is fairly old, so he tended to struggle a little bit, but with mine being fairly new I had no issue.. The fact that you can use the left and right bumper to find a specific Piñata is a great idea saves you hunting around your garden looking for it!

        The little personalities which take a residence in your garden from time to time can be a mixture of a blessing and a curse.. Seedos I have found is pretty annoying at times because he gets in the way.. Unlike the Piñata's you cannot select him and direct him somewhere else.. Therefore you must wait for him to get out of the way..! Leafos is an average little person she is handy to have around when you first start but like Seedos, she can get in the way while you are trying to feed your Piñata's!

        I play the standard mode the most because I really enjoy making myself a bigger garden, but the just for fun mode is funny because you don't need to worry about the money you have, you can just make your garden and ruin it in the same day if you want to, just because it is there to do so.. The contests are really funny , but the judges you pick can make your Piñata's cry..
        The different Piñata's appear from everywhere, they pop up from the corners of your garden and wander in, making themselves at home.. Some of the names they have which some of them are similar to what we actually call them, but they are so sweet, even with their multi-coloured outsides, however they all look the same that's why you have to highlight them to find out which animal is which..

        The gardens, change in size every few levels which is interesting as the larger your garden is the bigger amount of animals you can attract.. The garden can have so many animals at one time, with lots of plants and flowers however I made the fatal mistake of not watering one of my flowers.. So it died.. Whoops.. Leafos wasn't very happy with me!!
        The Services in general are good, except the voice of the woman Lottie in the Costolot store is highly American and very annoying.. The only bad thing about these stores is the voices of the people that own them.. Even Storkos annoys me! The prices are always reasonable though.. Or at least I think they are.. Not sure of the exchange rate between out currency and Chocolate coins!!

        The other lands are sooooooooo cute.. (Excuse the extra o's) there are penguins and robins.. I'm just going to ramble about how cute they are if I carry on.. So I won't..!
        I haven't played the Xbox live but I have heard it is not too different to the normal game play, but still it is more interesting that you can share animals and seeds..!

        Answers to my little Quiz

        Bunny comb - bunny rabbit
        Candary - canary
        Elepanilla - elephant
        Flutter scotch - butterfly
        Mouse mallow - Mouse


        Game station - £17.13..
        Game - £24.99
        Play.com - £24.99
        Amazon - £24.99


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      • Product Details

        A never-before-seen feature called Piñata Vision allows players to plug in an Xbox LIVE Vision camera and interact with the game through the use of printed cards that feature a unique barcode. With Piñata Vision, gamers can simply flash a piñata card up to the Vision camera, and the content will drop directly into the game. Live Vision accessory sold separately.