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Viva Piñata is the creation of several years of
clever planning from Microsoft. Originally designed for release on
the Xbox, as all of RARE’s releases so far
 have been, the title is
backed by a heavy merchandising campaign and a Television Show
scheduled to start early next year in Europe. While Microsoft are
keeping the faith that the title will be their other
Christmas big-hitter, the safe-money is on the title having a
passable sales peak over the winter period, and gathering major
interest early into next year when the kids pick-up on the title.
Viva Piñata thus far has been quite a conundrum.
Every serious gamer knows about the title now, has seen the
screenshots and probably even have downloaded the interactive video
available on the XboxLIVE! Marketplace, yet, little remains
known as to how the title actually plays. However, having had
hands-on time with the title at the Microsoft UK Roadshow,
Electronic
Articles is now in the unique position of filling you in on
all the details.
The easiest, and possibly actually the most accurate,
way to describe Viva Piñata would be that the game is a
straight cross between two of Nintendo’s most treasured series;
Animal Crossing and Pokemon. Players must create and
maintain a habitat worthy of the Piñata’s attention, whilst caring
for those currently under their possession. The basic premise is
dished-out through a series of Menu’s, with the player acting as a
God-Hand similar to titles such as Black And White and
Lord Of The Rings: Battle For MiddleEarth II, in that the
player’s avatar does not actually interact with the creatures
on-screen. Using the Cursor, beating dry, cracked land into fertile
soil is a case of simply selecting the Shovel Tool, and whacking the
area of ground with the X Button. Once a small area of land is
habitable, your very first Piñatas will begin to arrive.
In the Preview Version played, we were treated to a
couple of Wurlms. Once the Wurlms had arrived, we then had to set
about creating a home for them – simply a matter of smashing the box
delivered with the Shovel Tool, and making minor decisions about the
placement and facing of the piece. Once the Wurlms are inside, it’s
time for the most touted set-piece in the game; the Mating Dance.
The Mating Dance is purely an animated sequence – which can be
wholly ignored in favour of continued play – from which the birth of
a new Piñata occurs. Once the Wurlm offspring is ready, the Stork
arrives with the little bundle of joy.
Viva Piñata, even in this limited form, shows a
great deal of promise. The hugely expandable basic idea of
protecting your garden is conceived as a title in-line with the
likes of Animal Crossing and even Management Sims such as
Theme Park, whilst the idea of nurturing the Piñata’s is clearly
borne straight from a love of Pokemon. With the gameplay seen
so far, it’s a given that
Viva Piñata will be an enjoyable
game experience, yet that which will excel it to the dizzy heights
of innovation that the Animal Crossing series is accredited
with is the XboxLIVE! connectivity, an area which we still
know very little about, yet which holds a great, great deal of
promise. |
