Viva Pinata in stores ?

[MacRumorUser]

Well its been confirmed USA version is region free, and Ireland has been delayed till december, so i'm gonig to order this tonight from ebay.

Anyone bought this ?

[SpankyPenzaanz]

no but it is on my watch list let us know how it is

[2nyRiggz]

Its out...cool, I might have to pick it up...damn I'm spending too much money on the 360...gotta save some for that extra PS3 control;)


Bless

[Cromulent]

Region free? Sweet I might have to get this, been reading a lot about this game :).

[MacRumorUser]

Well reviews are in and it's everything i wanted it to be....

If you've played The Sims or Animal Crossing and enjoyed them, Viva Pinata is a safe bet. The gameplay is more interactive and hectic, and facing the consequences of your actions, be they good or bad, is enjoyable gaming. Viva Piñata may have been designed with children in mind, but Rare has created a game that anybody with an open mind can get into and have fun with. The characters are endearing and the abounding sense of discovery can't be denied. Despite the slim interpersonal Xbox Live interaction we would hope for in a game like this, Viva Piñata has enough to explore and keep you busy that it makes for a solid purchase.

looking good. Exactly what i wanted. Animal crossing meets the Sims. What does Doug Perry have to say ?



Another Takefrom Douglass C. Perry
For many years now, Microsoft and Rare have wanted to create game for all ages, including games for kids. Viva Pinata is definitely a kids’ game. That may put you off. But as opposed to the dozens of crappy kids games churned out by other publishers each year, Microsoft and Rare have made an engaging and surprisingly refreshing title. It's deep in the way that old Nintendo kids games used be, like The Legend of Zelda, Super Mario Brothers, even Pokemon.
Viva Pinata isn't a platformer or an RPG though. It's really a very conscious blend of The Sims, Animal Crossing and Pokemon. I like to call it a garden sim, or jokingly, a shovel simulator. But it's more than that. And the only way to really convey the gameplay of Rare's new gem is to play it. It never plays the same way twice, and it's filled with surprising AI behavior, so if you and a friend each started games simultaneously, you'd have completely different gardens within a few hours. The gameplay is deep with choices, it's very well explained (though there is an overabundance of text for a kid), and it's never slow.

Loving it....

To me this is the game I've wanted more that GOW, and a next gen animal crossing - prepare for my life to be eaten away. Sending presents to friends online - somthing i wanted so badly in AC on the DS but never happened...

really excited for this one...

[Cromulent]

Just need to find a decent site to buy it from now. Any tips for getting games shipped from the US to the UK?

[MacRumorUser]

if you dont want to go ebay route, you could try

www.dvdboxoffice.com

Based in canada and free shipping internationally

http://www.dvdboxoffice.com/889-2339989-11339994/games/xbox360/products/90213263

Our Price: £32.17gbp
Shipping: FREE

[viccles]

I've seen the game. I don't really understand what its about? :confused:

[Abulia]

Has anyone played this? I'm hearing good things about it but the "demo" on XBL was really just an interactive trailer. I'm not entirely sure what the gameplay and "depth" of the game is like.

[MacRumorUser]

Theres a video review over on ign. Tells you pretty much everything you need to know :)

http://media.xbox360.ign.com/media/817/817355/vids_1.html

[viccles]

2 weeks to go till its out here :(

[XNine]

It's really too bad there isn't a vomit emoticon on this board. I can't believe people actually want to buy this game, let alone play it.

[viccles]

It's really too bad there isn't a vomit emoticon on this board. I can't believe people actually want to buy this game, let alone play it.

What on earth is wrong with wanting to play it?

[XNine]

What on earth is wrong with wanting to play it?

Nothing, I guess, if you're into colorful paper mache donkeys copulating and eating chocolate coins....?

[viccles]

Nothing, I guess, if you're into colorful paper mache donkeys copulating and eating chocolate coins....?

It looks cute :D I'm going to get Saints Row too

[MacRumorUser]

Nothing, I guess, if you're into colorful paper mache donkeys copulating and eating chocolate coins....?

If I handt played the two animal crossings to death I would agree with you. But behind the cutesy exterior is a sold micro managment sim with some very interesting AI.

I hope a demo becomes available on marketplace (not the interactive video one) so that others can see there is more to the game.

Also as cuteness goes, Viva to me is an absolutely stunning looking game, as to me as visually as accomplished as GoW.

I also suspect in 6-12 months time I'll still be playing it, unlike GoW...

[2nyRiggz]

Anybody got it yet..I hate animal crossing but this seems a little better than that...let me know if its an exact clone of AC...I'll pass if it is.



Bless

[MacRumorUser]

mine came 2 days ago - expedited courier shipping :) Havent touched COD3 since.. It's great fun and extrememly addictive. I have about 16 pinata in my village at the mo.

It is like animal crossing, but different in the sense your not controlling anyone, your more like the hand of god (like the hand in black and white) as it were and just trying to micromanage your residents.

It's quite tricky too and when a fight breaks out really quite hectic.

Its AC in inspiration and sense of village inhabited my Animals. Its sims like in the sense of micro managment and having to cater for your residents needs (not just hunt around for sea shells and bells ala AC) and Black & White like in the sense of its just your not in overall charge of any paticlular person.

I love it to be honest, it hasnt dissapointed and it just looks and plays so beatufully on my 1080i 42" LCD, when night / day cycles or morning due or rain hits your screen, its a true memsorising visceral experience...

As for being for kids, maybe the overall aesthetic is cutesy, but I dont think the game really is for kids. Is the Sims on pc for kids... ? Theres a lot of things to learn and memorise and menu screens, I really dont think a kid would have the patience or inclination to stick it out.

I'm just happy it lived up to what i hoped for. The best rare game I've played in so so many years, even when they were still owned by Nintendo.

Like i said in previous post I hope a proper demo is released so people can try it, the interactive video one was just useless. It's a game you cant appreciate until you play, but I acknowledge if your not into this style of game, I do not think Viva Pinata is going to change your opinion.

A really refreshing game and somthing so completely different on the console. I hope this does well for them in Japan - it certainly has a very japanesey wierdness about it.

[takao]

A really refreshing game and somthing so completely different on the console. I hope this does well for them in Japan - it certainly has a very japanesey wierdness about it.

i second that ... i really hope it becomes succcesfull enough to bring forward more original games for the 360
actually besides rainbow six las vegas (and perfect dark) it's the only 360 title i'm interested in


the only problem i see with the game is that the focus on pinatas ... personally i think that might hinder the world wide sales quite a bit since that concept isn't something world wide known

i know what a pinata is, but i only know it because of american movies, my 15 year old brother on the other side has no idea

[MacRumorUser]

i know what a pinata is, but i only know it because of american movies, my 15 year old brother on the other side has no idea

Yeah i know what you mean, strange choice. I mean what's a pinata in Europe? Nothing....

It wuld have worked just as well if they had just made somthing up...

[Haoshiro]

And it's not actually American at all either. Everyone knows what they are simply because we are so close to Mexico, where they originate.

[viccles]

Its out here in 2 weeks I have to wait :( I have it on preorder too and its only $69 here compared to 110-120 for most games here so I'm happy :D

[MacRumorUser]

Its out here in 2 weeks I have to wait :( I have it on preorder too and its only $69 here compared to 110-120 for most games here so I'm happy :D

most games are 110-120 sounds huge but thats €65-72 (give or take) and thats what we pay here too. How come Viva is so cheap - its still €75 ($122) here :confused: Hence I ordered an american copy of ebay, even with expedited shipping it cost me less than I would have had to pay here.

[viccles]

I'm surprised its so cheap here. And happy :D

[Abulia]

Picked this up on a whim. Not sure what to make of it.

It's a little annoying getting started -- the pace of the game is quick. Within a few minutes you're garden is seemingly overflowing with animals, trees, flowers, etc. Plus the frequent interruptions by the tutorial is annoying, too.

However...once you get past that it's pretty interesting. I'm very much on the fence on this one. It's too hard for a child to play, IMO, so this is pretty much geared for adults.

Money seems to be a HUGE problem in the game, though. I only have enough to buy 1 or 2 houses for the pets and then I'm broke. There's no way to generate income that I can see. :confused: I must be missing something.

Micro-managing watering plants and whatnot is tiring after a few hours. You can purchase someone to do it for you but that costs money. See previous paragraph for the problem with that.

Pinata's attack each other but I'm not sure how to break up a fight or if that's even possible. I think I'm currently level 12.

I think I need to start a new garden and try again but to be honest I'm not quite sure what I'd do differently a second go around. My daughter enjoys watching me play, though. :)

[MacRumorUser]

It's a little annoying getting started -- the pace of the game is quick. Within a few minutes you're garden is seemingly overflowing with animals, trees, flowers, etc. Plus the frequent interruptions by the tutorial is annoying, too.

Yeah tutorial is a bit grating, but at least its only that and not throughout the game


However...once you get past that it's pretty interesting. I'm very much on the fence on this one. It's too hard for a child to play, IMO, so this is pretty much geared for adults.

Totaly. How it's 'for kids' I will never know. There's no way they would keep up with it. It definetly an adult game in that sense


Pinata's attack each other but I'm not sure how to break up a fight or if that's even possible. I think I'm currently level 12.

I think I need to start a new garden and try again but to be honest I'm not quite sure what I'd do differently a second go around. My daughter enjoys watching me play, though. :)

I restarted a couple of times (or when things got massivley out of hand I just whacked the annoying pinata to death) ;)

[Abulia]

It sounds like you earn money by selling your unusued produce. How do you do this?

[MacRumorUser]

It sounds like you earn money by selling your unusued produce. How do you do this?

general tips

1. You make money by selling things plants/seeds/piñatas/fruit quick and easy way to make money is to mass produce the whirlms, since I'm assuming you're still early in the game, you can sell them for 100 chocolate coins a piece

2. Only way I know of to make a sick piñata healthy is to have the Doc come take a look at them. If he's not available yet, just whack it with your shovel and put it out of its misery

Your other option is to keep talking to Seedos, he drops a seed every time youy talk to him, then you can either sell the seeds or take the time to grow the plants and sell them..

If you don't sell pinata you will eventually run out of space and will not beable to have anymore enter your garden, so no higher level/better pinata for you.

If you scroll onto the sick pinata there should be a call doctor petal, it will be green, it's the A button.

[Abulia]

general tips

1. You make money by selling things plants/seeds/piñatas/fruit quick and easy way to make money is to mass produce the whirlms, since I'm assuming you're still early in the game, you can sell them for 100 chocolate coins a pieceHow?

[SilentPanda]

2. Only way I know of to make a sick piñata healthy is to have the Doc come take a look at them. If he's not available yet, just whack it with your shovel and put it out of its misery

It's kinda wrong that this actually makes me want to buy the game...

[MacRumorUser]

How?

you need to talk to seedos some more ;)

(seedos - reminds me of that nerdy t'shirt)

It's kinda wrong that this actually makes me want to buy the game...

Kind of makes me squirm in game, but it's actually a part of the game. Sometime you have to feed one pinata to another in order to get them in the mood for some loving... It's very strange...