Okay. I'll admit it. When Viva Piñata first came out on the Xbox 360, I didn't think there would be much to it. Then I started playing the game and it quickly became my guilty gaming pleasure. I couldn't stop obsessing over these candy-filled critters.
So, when E3 rolled around and Microsoft announced a new Viva Piñata game on the horizon, an inner voice squeaked with joy. Then I heard that the game wasn't being developed by Rare, and that the game was going to be a new party game title cashing in on the franchise's popularity. It was about that time, my inner child cried and started to throw a tantrum.
Here we are now, months later, and Krome Studios' Viva Piñata Party Animals is finally hitting store shelves. While the game isn't a proper sequel to the addictive original, I've got to admit my inner child is happy once again.
First off, it needs to be said that Viva Piñata Party Animals isn't actually based on the original Viva Piñata game. Instead, it's based on the Saturday morning animated show that was based on the video game. Instead of random pretztails, fudgehogs, fizzlybears and horstachios, we've got Paulie, Fergy, Franklin and Hudson taking the spotlight. These stars of the animated series, along with their various female counterparts, are competing against one another in the biggest show on Piñata Island, the Party Animals Championship Challenge. Billed as the most unpredictably exciting--and not to mention uninsured--sporting event ever created, the Challenge pits contestants against one another in a series of chaotic races and minigames in the quest to be named top piñata.
Viva Piñata Party Animals can be played with up to four players, either on the same system via split screen or over Xbox Live with other piñata pioneers around the world. Players choose one of the eight selectable characters to take through a gauntlet of minigames. There are multiple rounds of competition, each beginning with a Mario Kart-style racing game. Races are single-lap free-for-alls, complete with hidden shortcuts and an arsenal of wacky firepower ranging from beehives (which litter the track with sticky honey) to water bombs (which soak the opponents' screens and obscure their vision for a time). These races prove to be extremely important throughout the rest of the rounds' minigames, as the winners get bonus candy points tacked on to their scores after each minigame event. The racing aspect of the game is a lot of fun, and something which I can see fans itching to see get the full video game treatment. C'mon Krome. Where's our Viva Piñata "Kart"y Animals?
...And I must admit that the online version of this game is one of the funnest online multiplayer games I have played on xBox 360!
Aside from some minor gripes here and there, it's hard not to like Viva Piñata Party Animals. Whether you're a kid or just a kid at heart, there's something special about the franchise that is almost as addicting as the sugary goodness that packs every one of these creatures. The wide range of minigames almost guarantees everyone will find at least something they like in the title, and I've yet to find anyone who didn't get a thrill out of the game's fast paced racing. Despite the fact I'm still waiting for a true sequel to Viva Piñata, in order to feed my gaming sweet tooth, Viva Piñata Party Animals does an excellent job of filling in as a between-meal snack.
The International Themed Mario Party Gem That Was A Reward To Find!
BUY THIS GAME!
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