Viva Pinata

[Lebron]

Has anyone else had a chance to play this title? I picked it up earlier today, and have been playing it nonstop for hours. Its pretty much similar to and is as addicting as Animal Crossing, Nintendo Dogs, or Harvest Moon. One of those games that from looking at the box art and what not, you would assume it would be "too kiddy" or "stupid". Then you finally give it a play, and it just owns your original thought all together. It really is an fun, enjoyable game, that has a lot more hidden depth to it than one might think. It's also a nice break from some of the more mature based games that have been rolling out this fall.

to sum up the game, heres a quick description from IGN:
A wild and easy-to-control kids' game by famed developer Rare. Designed together with the "Viva Piñata" Saturday morning 3-D animated TV series, this Xbox 360 game is a customizable, social and spontaneous game that invites players of all ages and skills to explore an immersive world where they are challenged to create and maintain a living garden ecosystem that grows in realtime.

Beginning with a few basic tools, players build and take control of their environment to attract and host more than 60 species of wild piñata, utilizing hundreds of customizable elements to create their very own, distinctively unique, thriving paradise.

Viva Piñata gameplay continues to evolve with new content available via the Xbox Live service and the ability to play, trade and interact with Viva Piñata players everywhere

and some images
http://images.xboxyde.com/gallery/public/4116/993_0011.jpg
http://images.xboxyde.com/gallery/public/4451/993_0003.jpg
http://images.xboxyde.com/gallery/public/4451/993_0004.jpg

http://media.xbox360.ign.com/media/817/817355/imgs_1.html

[V-Slasher]

I am looking forward this title too. It's very different from any other 360 game. It also got good scores (even if I don't really care too much about reviews)

[Lebron]

Yea it indeed is. I hate to say it, but this game has actually made me put Gears of War aside for now. Everytime I think I'm done with it, I find something else to do, and keep on playing.

Really I find it hard that this was designed as a kids game. After playing through it for a good week almost, its easily a game for all ages. When you get further along the game gets pretty hard with all the multi-tasking you have to do. I just find it hard for a kid to be able to all of that, w/o maybe some help here and there. But w/e the fact, this game is great, and is easily one of Rare's Best Games.

Also I consider this their first real Next-Gen game, and can't wait to see how amazing Banjo K. will be. Although I did love Kameo, and thought some of the reviews it got were unjust. But both Kameo and PDZ were first developed on the Gamecube, then when MS bought Rare, they started developing it for the Xbox. Then they scrapped that and decided to bring them out to the 360 as 2 of its launch titles. So I consider those 2 just ports, and also rushed ports. However the DLC Rare has added to Kameo over the months easily makes it a great game.

I'm really glad that Rare is back to making truly great games. I recommend this game to anyone

[Papaya]

Meh. Rare's always made superb games.
The only problem is that they're not an evolving company.
They don't have very good marketing.

Their focus group is Rare fans; they don't make many attempts to garner new fans.

People like you, and others who have played their SNES and N64 classics know what to expect. But let's face it, most gamers will look at the game and glance right by it. That's really going to hurt sales.

[Lebron]

Actually they have been doing some marketing for a while now. With the Fox Kids show they started airing probably 3 or 4 months back on Saturday Mournings.So they are trying to market in a wider and newer audience. But then again, it isn't Rare's job, its MS. MS right now is in Gears of War and Halo 3 mode mostly it seems, and also trying to come up with cheap bundles to steal some potiential PS3/Wii buyers who aren't lucky to get a system this year. I've probably seen the Viva Pinata commercial 4 times , and the GOW like over 40 on TV. Not to mention the few magazine ads, pretty much none existant. Then again like I said, my love for the game was pretty much nonexistant untill I actually played it.

Owellz, can't be helped.