On Screen / Aimee Green

New 'Viva Pinata' makes some nice changes

By Aimee Green/Lincoln Journal Star | Saturday, September 06, 2008 | () comments

I adored the first ''Viva Pinata.'' It seemed like a kids' game, but it was much more than that: a deep simulation game with a kooky sense of humor that would appeal to adults and children alike.

The goal: create a garden that will attract and retain all kinds of wild, brightly colored pinatas.

For the most part, ''Viva Pinata: Trouble in Paradise'' is the same game, but it does make some welcome additions. Most importantly are challenges, which create objectives to meet. This is great for people who like a little more direction with their sandbox games.

Also new is the ability to go to other areas, such as a desert or a snowy land, to trap pinatas that wouldn't normally show up in your garden. You then can send them back to your garden.

Pinatas also can be entered into minigames, such as races, against friends. And friends can come visit your garden, or even help you work in your garden.

If you have a Vision camera, there are cards containing pinatas and items that can sent into the game via the camera.

Still, the core gameplay and most of the pinatas are pretty much the same. If you didn't care for the original or grew tired of it, ''Trouble in Paradise'' might not bring enough new to the table to interest you.

However, if you've never played ''Viva Pinata,'' or if you really, really liked it, then the new additions make for a great game.

Viva Pinata: Trouble in Paradise

Microsoft, for Xbox 360

Rated: Everyone

Cost: $39.99

Score: 8/10

Scores based on an evaluation of gameplay (4 points), visuals (2), sound (2) and replayability/value (2).