G-pinions

Nick and I talked about Viva Pinata quite a bit before it came out. It's a new Rare game. I was brimming with delight just thinking about it. But I had one major concern that I thought, no matter how good the game turned out, Viva would never be able to overcome. It was a casual, simulation experience on a console. I don't play sims on a console. It's so restrictive. Consoles are meant for real video games. First person shooter and adventure games. Epic adventures that can suck you in for five hours at a time. These are the type of games I expect to play on my consoles. I figured a sim like Viva Pinata would never be engaging enough to draw my attention to a TV for more than a half hour at a time. It should have been the first Rare game on the Nintendo DS. It should have been something I could play while traveling or when watching sports. Obviously, things didn't work out that way.

I am still playing Viva Pinata over Zelda. I can't explain it. Every second I spend with Zelda is incredible. The pacing is as good as I have ever seen in a game. Every half hour you are doing something completely different. From herding goats to fishing to playing as a wolf to sumo wrestling, every aspect of this epic adventure is broken down into bite-sized chunks. There is never a dull moment because you are constantly doing something completely new. If Nintendo can keep this up throughout the entire adventure, and keep the quality of the puzzles and combat equally as high, this really may be the best game ever made. But I am still spending most of my free time in my garden.

You can doubt my words because I am an admitted Rare fanboy, but Viva Pinata is the best game on the X360. It is also the best thing Rare has made since the original Perfect Dark. It is the most fun and the most engrossing experience on the system by quite a wide margin. I have hardly thought of Gears of War since I opened Viva Pinata. How can I worry about a sub par matchmaking system when I'm trying to lure another stubborn pinata into my garden? Honestly, GoW is merely a good game. A damn fun game in an established genre. Viva Pinata is unlike anything I have ever played. Whereas Sim City and Animal Crossing act as passive rest stops in a hobby that sometimes requires more energy and dexterity than I can willingly muster, VP is both intense and serene. You can spend time just watching your residents interact. You can casually try to feed various foods to the trusting beasts in the hopes of trying to produce a new variant. Or you can actively shape and mold your garden to the exact specifications that are demanded of you. The game constantly introduces both long-term and short term goals for you, and it is up to you whether you want to tax yourself to attract that extra fussy little guy, or if you want to just relax and hang out in your garden for a bit. Rare has found a perfect mix between a casual experience and one that will leave you on the edge of your seat.

If you are a new X360 owner and want something fun to show off your fancy new system, you cannot do better than Viva Pinata. It is far more fun and in-depth than Gears of War and Dead Rising. It is more focused and rewarding than Oblivion. Simply put, this is one of the best games I have played in a long time. You know I'll be back in a few days with even more to say about this gem. Whereas Bully and Okami were able to offer amazing, though singular gaming experiences, VP is the game that just keeps on giving. This is probably the first time Nintendo has kicked themselves since selling Rare four years ago. I'm sure every company wishes they could have created something this engaging and unique.