Viva Pinata: Trouble in Paradise

The grass surrounding the enclosure is a bright green and the stalks sway with the breeze while the daisies that grow in a semi-circle bounce up and down like heads bobbing to some unheard music. A wooden fence houses a small donkey-like creature that bucks wildly when a bumble bee-like creature whizzes past it and, oh, does that mud look inviting to the adorable long-eared critter. In Viva Pi�ata: Trouble in Paradise for the Xbox 360, we can once again design our own garden to attract the colorful candy-filled creatures that make up this charming and enjoyable universe.

“Do you see what I see, dude? Oh man, this is the last time we do Red Bull and tequila shots.”

When the first Viva Pi�ata was released, it introduced a world filled with vibrant colors where you could try your hand at gardening and enticing the unique wildlife of Pi�ata Island. It was a surprisingly fun open-ended game that had a lot to offer gamers of all ages. Trouble in Paradise might be a sequel but it certainly doesn’t feel like it even with the new pi�atas or the game’s setup. You see, this time around, Pi�ata Island finds in a bit of a pickle since the dastardly Professor Pester attempted to steal all the pi�ata-related records from the Pi�ata Central database. Of course, he fails and the data becomes unavailable to anyone … including you! So you are tasked with finding new pi�ata on your own as you cultivate your garden to fit the needs of these new creatures.

Nothing much has changed from the first game. In fact, Trouble in Paradise feels more like an add-on rather than a completely new game. This isn’t a complaint seeing as the original was addictively enjoyable and why stray away from a winning formula? Aside from fixing a few of the problems that showed up in the original, Trouble in Paradise’s new content adds even more goodies that also include online multiplayer and the ability to use the Xbox Live Vision Camera in an inventive manner (but more on that later). There is also a Just For Fun Mode that allows you to play in a new garden without having to worry about game objectives.

You start with a rather plain-looking garden you will have to shape on your own using available tools and ones you can purchase in the village in Costalot’s store. The tools range from shovels to parts to build a fence when you want an enclosure for the feistier pi�ata that likes to wander off. You can also plant various different flowers as well as grow grass in areas that are muddy or barren. Growing grass and watering flowers might sound like a dull gardening simulator but somehow Viva Pi�ata makes it oddly enjoyable and you have the freedom to design it anyway you see fit so no garden is ever the same.

Oh, and the new pi�atas are downright adorable, too, so collecting now has become a bit more challenging and a lot more fun this time around. Figuring out what each pi�ata comes out and what lures them is half of the fun and setting up the traps to capture them is what makes this such an appealing game. Different pi�atas respond differently to treats that would lure them into a trap you can set up around an area. Speaking of areas, there are two new locales such as the artic landscape that is Pinartic and the desert flatlands of Dessert Desert. In these new locations, various different pi�atas roam and some even come out at different times of the day.

Pictured above: Professor Pester … so darn evil but so darn cute!

Aside from trying to catch everything from a Whirlm to a Pengum, you will have to deal with Professor Pester’s army of bad pi�atas that want nothing more than to ruin your garden and break open your pi�ata critters to get to the sweet candy. Neglect your garden and both Professor Pester and the fearsome Dastardos will appear. You must care for your pi�atas as well as encourage them to mate and eventually breed new pi�atas. Thankfully, you will have help in the form of villagers such as the sometimes helpful Leafos and Jardiniero.

New to the game is multiplayer co-op offline as well as online. Cooperative play allows a friend to lend a hand tending to the garden and this could be helpful for those like to concentrate on catching new pi�atas rather than digging up holes and planting flowers. The same can be done online, although I felt strange planting daisies in someone else’s garden. The good news is that you can pack up pi�atas and send them to a friend via Xbox Live. Using the Xbox Live Vision Camera, you can hold up cards to the camera and automatically send it to a friend who will receive the card on-screen that will transform it into an actual pi�ata.

Trouble in Paradise also retains the same look from the first game so expect a colorful world that matches the colorfully cute pi�atas that stroll around your garden or other environments. Close up, the pi�atas are actually wonderfully detailed and it’s surreal to see their different behaviors around each another or their surroundings. The backgrounds are rendered nicely as well, although the backdrops simply don’t have the some loving attention to details as the various characters and pi�atas. Still, the flashy cut scenes and nice visual effects will certainly catch your eye.

Real Estate Agent: “Oh and it has a lovely backyard. All it needs is some Miracle Gro and an exorcist.”

The sound of nature is everywhere and you’ll immediately know when a species of pi�ata comes into contact with your garden or your current location because you will most definitely hear it. The wonderful attention to detail in the sound also feels like you’re in a garden surrounded by nature and life. There’s a soundtrack and it’s mellow, soothing and way too repetitive. The voice acting in the game is also a tad annoying, though. Some of the residents of Pi�ata Island have grating voices that you will want to lower the volume when they speak.

Viva Pi�ata: Trouble in Paradise is still just as sweet as the candy that fill these papier-m�ché critters and this one certainly has enough depth to keep you playing this Xbox 360 game again and again. It’s hard not to love the fun options and critter-catching elements that make this simulation game such a genuine joy for young and old. Then again, if you bought Viva Pi�ata the first time you will find that this is not a true sequel but rather a really good update of the original. If you didn’t buy it, then Trouble in Paradise is well worth your money.

Review Scoring Details for Viva Pinata: Trouble in Paradise

Gameplay: 8.6
There are enough options to make your garden just as unique as the player is but if you’re expecting a whole new game then you will be disappointed by this sequel. The two new territories offer a variety of other creatures to catch and this alone will have you playing for a really long time.

Graphics: 8.5
On a visual level, Trouble in Paradise looks exactly like the original and that’s not a bad thing at all seeing as the graphics in the original were just plain beautiful. The various pi�ata creatures range from hilarious to really darn cute.

Sound: 8.0
Apart from the occasionally irritating voices in the game, the soundtrack and incredibly detailed environmental noises are excellent. You’ll have a blast hearing every different pi�ata in your garden and outside it.

Difficulty: Medium
If you fancy having a Chewnicorn or a delightful Flutterscotch in your garden, you’ll have your hands full trying to attract them, lay out a trap that would appeal to them and then rearrange your garden to fit their needs. It’s actually somewhat challenging for all ages.

Concept: 8.5
Trouble in Paradise looks, feels, and plays like the original Viva Pi�ata only now there’s online multiplayer and there are new colorful critters to catch and watch run free in your garden. The zany characters are back and you’re free to create your own unique garden. This one also makes use of the Xbox Live Vision camera.

Multiplayer: 7.5
Being able to add pictures to your own garden via the Xbox Live Vision is intriguing but online co-op might be a tad on the awkward side seeing as you’ll be messing around in somebody else’s garden. Some younger gamers might appreciate having a friend lend a hand using the same console, though.

Overall: 8.6
Like the first game, Viva Pi�ata: Trouble in Paradise is utterly charming, downright cute and one seriously enjoyable game that players of all ages can enjoy. As far as sequels go, this one doesn’t reinvent but the new content is worth the purchase price and even more so if you missed it the first time around.