Parents Video Game Reviews for Families

Viva Piñata
Publisher: Microsoft Game Studios
Official Site: vivapinata.com

ESRB Rating: E
Reviewed Platform: Xbox
Available Platforms: Xbox
For 1 player (although adults may assist with 2nd controller).

Overall: A
Violence: A-
Sexual Content: A-
Language: A
Alcohol/Drug Use: A

What is this game about?

Based on a popular animated kids show in the 4kids entertainment block on Fox, you live on Piñata Island where you have a very special garden. At first, the ground is hard and dry, but after you dig up the crusty earth and plant some nice green grass, little piñatas of every description begin to arrive. If you do everything just right, the little creatures will "romance" and create candy-filled offspring.

While your population is expanding and diversifying, there is an economic aspect as well. Chocolate coins are the accepted currency on Piñata Island, and having a few to spend is important. The local town offers a store and other outlets where you can purchase items that will make life on the farm even more efficient and interesting.

An overall goal doesn't seem to be evident, other than collecting "Achievement Points" (there are 50 achievements worth 20 points each) and finding as many piñata species as possible. This allows players to be more creative and freeform in what they desire to do within the game.

Is it fun to play?

The best answer comes from the Internet, where I have found many messages from hardened male gamers who say they bought this game along with some hard core titles like Call of Duty 3 and Gears of War. Now they are saying Viva Pinata is so engaging, they haven't even broken the seal on the other games yet.

It certainly looks like a game for children, but this simulation has great depth and is incredibly fun and interesting. There are dozens of piñata species (I'm not sure if anyone knows how many are available) and as you read about each type, you can alter your garden to attract them.

At first, piñata show up easily, starting with "whirums," little worm-like creatures. Then you discover there is a piñata food chain, and as the garden grows in popularity, the little creatures become food for other species. So even though you get off to a fast, satisfying start, things get tougher as you seek more extravagant guests to your garden.

What do parents need to know about Viva Piñata?

This may be an Xbox game moms and dads will want to try out for themselves. Don't let the colorful characters and seemingly simplistic game fool you. Viva Pinata has many levels of complexities, perhaps making it even a little addictive. In a short amount of time, you become quite attached to your little virtual critters, and it's tough to "put them to bed" for the night.

For your children, this game offers a very well designed interface and instructions. There are some humanoid characters, the main one being Leafos. She talks you through all the beginning aspects of the game by using both spoken words and speech balloons, which can help promote reading comprehension. In many other areas of the game, reading is a necessity -- which I personally think is a good quality.

Very young players can still give it a try because mom or dad can use the other controller to help them maneuver through the game. It's like having a second steering wheel in the same car -- both of you drive the on-screen action together. So if your child has a hard time moving the joysticks, you can do that for her and she can push the buttons.

The game promotes caring and responsibility and offers reasonable consequences for anti-social behavior. When I used my shovel to hit Leafos, she warned me not to do that. I did it again and she took my shovel away for a few minutes. When I hit Seedos, another humanoid who plants nice flowers, he finally left and warned me he would be back with weed seeds. He made good on his punishment.

And have no fears about the "romancing." The critters sprout hearts above their heads when they are about to mate. Then they head into their home and do a "romance dance" which is much more boogie than bedroom. Finally, the player has to navigate a short maze game to bring the creatures together. At last, Storkos -- another character -- arrives with an egg from which your new piñata will hatch.

There is an Xbox Live component on which players can trade their piñatas. I did not try this feature out, but the instruction manual gives parents some great tips on how to protect their children in the "Live" environment, and the game was certainly playable without this feature.

Viva Piñata is a high quality game for children offering fun and education along with rewarding good behavior. It's a great addition to an Xbox 360 library in a home with younger siblings of the regular Xbox 360 users. I would love to see Microsoft release this for the PC platform as well, for families who are not in the Xbox 360 market, but still want a wonderful game for their kids. But don't be surprised if your teens (or maybe even you) are growing their own gardens as well.