Rare\u2019s Viva Pi\u00f1ata<\/em> franchise has probably been the most under appreciated great new franchise of the current console generation. It\u2019s a shame, but it\u2019s understandable considering how much the franchise is marketed for the kid\/casual audience. Viva Pi\u00f1ata<\/em> games are cute, cuddly and kid-friendly, descriptors sure to scare off the hardcore crowd who can\u2019t get enough of their Halo<\/em> and Grand Theft Auto<\/em>. Under that saccharine-sweet exterior though, the Viva Pi\u00f1ata<\/em> games are deceptively deep and complex, enough so to please even the most hardcore of gamers. Case in point, I\u2019m a hardcore gamer in my mid-20s and I absolutely adore Viva Pi\u00f1ata<\/em>!<\/p>\n

After two fantastic Xbox 360 installments and a PC port of the original game (there was that Party Animals<\/em> mini-game spin-off as well, but it wasn\u2019t developed by Rare and completely sucked so I don\u2019t count it as part of the series), Rare\u2019s pi\u00f1ata raising garden simulation has finally made the portable transition to the DS in Viva Pi\u00f1ata: Pocket Paradise<\/em>, and low and behold the DS proves to be the perfect platform to showcase the accessibility and depth the Viva Pi\u00f1ata<\/em> experience has to offer. <\/p>\n

Pocket Paradise<\/em> doesn\u2019t do anything differently than its bigger console brothers. It\u2019s a simulation game in which you manage a garden of adorable pi\u00f1ata animals, building habitats and planting and growing flowers, trees and vegetables in order to attract new species and get new residents in the mood to do their \u201cromance dance\u201d and make little pi\u00f1ata babies. Each species of pi\u00f1ata has specific requirements that need to be met so that they\u2019ll even visit your garden (typically growing a certain type of plant), and additional requirements from there to get them to become official residents and become ready to mate. <\/p>\n

If you raise them properly, pi\u00f1atas will grow up and fulfill their duty of providing entertainment at birthday parties, at which point you ship them off and await their successful return. Not all pi\u00f1atas get along either, so like any simulation game you have to tend to the needs of your residents and ensure that your garden really does blossom into a pocket paradise, and by doing so properly you are regularly recognized for your efforts with a variety of awards, like improved tools, new plant types and expanded garden terrain. <\/p>\n

This formula worked well on console and PC, but it works even better on the DS thanks to the greater control offered by the touch-screen interface and two-screen display. Browsing menus, using tools, placing objects, directing pi\u00f1atas and all other managerial tasks are so much more quick and intuitive with a stylus in hand. Rare also did a wonderful job utilizing the two screens. By tapping the right shoulder button you can swap the gameplay and status views back and forth between screens in an instant without losing sight of either view. Attention to details like this just show that the developers focused on making a great game rather than shoveling out a gimped portable port to make a quick buck off the casual audience.<\/p>\n

What\u2019s impressed me even more is how well the graphical fidelity of the Xbox 360 titles translates over to the DS. Obviously Pocket Paradise<\/em> can\u2019t compare directly to the previous games, but for a DS game it truly is a technical showpiece for 3D graphics on the platform. The environments and pi\u00f1atas are rendered in great detail and with a vibrant, colorful charm that literally pop off the screen and puts a smile on your face. Even subtle elements like weather effects and a day-night cycle are nailed here. The audio is splendid too, from the adorable snoring of your sleeping pi\u00f1atas to the alert chime you get when you\u2019ve unlocked a reward or a new pi\u00f1ata visits your garden.<\/p>\n

Viva Pi\u00f1ata: Pocket Paradise<\/em> is a gem of a game, definitely one of the more fulfilling experiences to be found on the DS. Young or old, casual or hardcore, this is a game you simply have to play.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Pros:<\/strong>
\n+ Excellent use of the DS’s unique interface features
\n+ Gameplay balances simplicity and complexity well; it’s accessible yet deceptively deep
\n+ Bright, colorful 3D graphics<\/p>\n

Cons:<\/strong>
\n– Some form of multiplayer beyond item trading would’ve been great<\/p>\n

Game Info:<\/strong>
\nPlatform: DS
\nPublisher: THQ
\nDeveloper: Rare
\nRelease Date: 9\/8\/08
\nGenre: Simulation
\nESRB Rating: Everyone
\nPlayers: 1-2 (trading items only)
\nSource: Review copy provided by publisher<\/p>\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Rare\u2019s Viva Pi\u00f1ata franchise has probably been the most under appreciated great new franchise of the current console generation. It\u2019s a shame, but it\u2019s understandable considering how much the franchise is marketed for the kid\/casual audience. Viva Pi\u00f1ata games are cute, cuddly and kid-friendly, descriptors […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[40,3,132,800],"tags":[6091,699,6124,1129],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.vgblogger.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4086"}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.vgblogger.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.vgblogger.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.vgblogger.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.vgblogger.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=4086"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"http:\/\/www.vgblogger.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4086\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":8808,"href":"http:\/\/www.vgblogger.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4086\/revisions\/8808"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.vgblogger.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=4086"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.vgblogger.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=4086"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.vgblogger.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=4086"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}