The online aspect of Viva Piñata is pretty limited. Most likely because this is a child’s game and children and Xbox Live certainly do not mix well when it comes to profanity and vulgarity. You are able to ship any of your piñatas, via a crate, to anyone on your friends list. Got a bad piñata with a bad attitude? Ship it to your friend and make it his or her problem. However it is not that easy as there is the ability to return to sender or forward mail to other players, so your plan may not go as expected every time. In addition, you can also just be nice and send money or good piñatas as well. Overall, this is certainly a nice addition to the game, but I wonder what other possibilities online play could have brought to Viva Piñata. It’s a disappointment, but perhaps we will see improvement in a sequel?
Also, for all you achievement-hounds out there, there are 50 of them, many of which you will obtain just by playing the game as you should. However there are ones that will take more effort to receive.
Simply put, this game is a pleaser. It’s surprisingly fun for any age and things stay fresh and exciting through and through. The replayability is pretty decent as there is much to do and find. I smile at the thought of Rare giving Banjo-Threeie as much care and attention to detail as they did with Viva Piñata. This could only be a plus for Xbox 360 gamers in the future. It’s games like this that make Microsoft’s acquisition of Rare a very, very good move. Now, the lack of online options is disappointing but it’s certainly an improvement to look forward to, if there ever is a sequel.
To put it bluntly, I recommend you go out and buy this game. If you are any fan of The Sims, Animal Crossing, top-notch graphics, or gameplay that provides freedom of choice and reward for progress, you should not be disappointed. If your pockets are empty because of the recent releases of Gears of War or Rainbow Six Vegas, or you are still on the fence, then you owe it to yourself to at least rent Viva Piñata. It’s a great game with fantastic style and quality, no matter what age. Don’t miss out on it.
