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Viva Piñata - The Official Thread

Fjord said:
Please fill in the blank:

If you liked _______ you'll love Viva Piniata.
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Yeah, Harvest Moon is a good example but also think of Animal Crossing because there are characters you interact with on a day-to-day basis. But really, it's much deeper than either of those games if you really add up all the different stuff. In other words, you're constantly multitasking.
 
You know what I hated about Viva Pinata? How every time I think I'm about to put it down, something happens that starts a chain of events that gets me going again.

For example, I just spent the past almost two hours trying to coax a Quackberry to finally join my garden. The moment I'm about to just give up and finally play some Gears of War today, one waddles right up, chomps on some bread and joins my garden.

. . .

So now I have to get another so I can get breeding so the foxes will have something to eat and and and. .
 
Ahhh, I got home from work and decided to try it for 15-20 minutes while my dogs ate before I was going to go take them for a walk.. Anyways, 90 minutes later I'm still playing and it felt like I just started. I wouldn't have even noticed if my dogs didn't start going nuts trying to go outside..

I love the game so far. Amazingly fun and cute.
 
Those damn hedgehogs won't stop fighting my pretty duckies! Bastards... I sold the first one, then another one showed up.
 
The art direction at Rare in the last few years has been awful, or maybe it always has. But this game just looks like vomit. Bright, colorful vomit.

But if the gameplay is great I might still give it a look.
 
Kodiak said:
The art direction at Rare in the last few years has been awful, or maybe it always has. But this game just looks like vomit. Bright, colorful vomit.
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Um...what? This game is absolutely stunning, both artistically and in several ways technically.
 
Kodiak said:
The art direction at Rare in the last few years has been awful, or maybe it always has. But this game just looks like vomit. Bright, colorful vomit.

But if the gameplay is great I might still give it a look.
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I'd agree with their last games looking awful, but the art style works. It's amazingly consistent, and Rare's "give everything big eyes" style works well for pinatas. The detail is astounding in the game. This and Gears are both the most consistently HD-looking games I've played so far.

Is there a game clock? I swear I should have the ten hours achievement by now.
 
Kodiak said:
The art direction at Rare in the last few years has been awful, or maybe it always has. But this game just looks like vomit. Bright, colorful vomit.

But if the gameplay is great I might still give it a look.
Click to expand...


I like the art direction because it is bright and colorful. I'm tired of xbox games that are too dark looking.
 
god this game is awesome. I'm probably going to hold off on getting gears for another couple weeks because i'll be too busy with this.

Q: how do I check what level i'm at? you gain a level everytime the blue petals around your clock all light up, right?
 
Does anyone know if the background village, mountain range, etc. are rendered in real time? Because if so, Kameo am cry.

These are things I've spotted about the game. The lighting is unified. Every single object, garden helper, and pinata, even while they're in "placement" states is affected by both self-shadowing and environmental shadowing. I don't think the game uses HDR, but there are tons of cool effects in the background. The water in this game reflects not only every species of pinata in the game, but every object and building as well.

It's just so amazingly clean that once they update (and believe me, they have to update) an option to turn off the autosave, I can't think of a single complaint about this game's visuals.
 
Wow! I love this game. It looks sooo good. Sometimes I wish I could freeze the lighting at dusk and just stare at the screen. Also try this, when it rains, point the camera up at the sky for a cool water droplet effect. The voice work is great, the music is very well produced, every single pinata I've seen so far is extremely cute, and the game as a whole is just amazing to look at. It's so easy to lose 2 to 3 hours in a blink playing this game.

One of the best games I've played in years.
 
I'd say that this is some of the best most unique art direction of the year. Everything in this game reminds me of something Pixar would do with the same premise and delivered at the same quality level.
 
Speevy said:
Does anyone know if the background village, mountain range, etc. are rendered in real time? Because if so, Kameo am cry.

These are things I've spotted about the game. The lighting is unified. Every single object, garden helper, and pinata, even while they're in "placement" states is affected by both self-shadowing and environmental shadowing. I don't think the game uses HDR, but there are tons of cool effects in the background. The water in this game reflects not only every species of pinata in the game, but every object and building as well.

It's just so amazingly clean that once they update (and believe me, they have to update) an option to turn off the autosave, I can't think of a single complaint about this game's visuals.
Click to expand...

I wouldn't mind the autosave if it were just once an hour or so, but it seems like it happens like every ten minutes.
 
briefcasemanx said:
Q: how do I check what level i'm at? you gain a level everytime the blue petals around your clock all light up, right?
Click to expand...
There are at least two ways:

1. Press the X button. You should see your level appear on the left side of the screen.
2. In the player status menu, which also displays your garden's total value.
 
So is this the first Rare game to be completely built from the ground up for the 360?

I'm thinking PD0 and Kameo both started as Gamecube projects.
 
I picked it up tonight. Played it for the last 2 hours.

My short review - its fun and addictive.

It comes fast and furious and you've always got something to do. It was kind of frustrating at the beginning because you keep getting hit with new stuff to do, before you even figure out the previous thing you were supposed to be doing.

I think this is the kind of game the Xbox 360 needs. Someone asked above to compare it to something, and I'd say Harvest Moon and Animal Crossing. I haven't played a ton of either of these games firsthand but I've watched my 10 year old play them a lot.

I hope the game sells well because we need more games like this. Unfortunately, it probably won't sell that well because of everything else that's been released this month.

Do I think everyone will like this game? No. But I'm 32 years old and enjoying the hell out of it. If you're a 20 year-old testosterone laden male who's still trying to prove a badass identity to the rest of the world, then you'll think it sucks. (i.e. typical Xbox fan).

The game looks stunning on my 48" Widescreen in 1080i. One of the best for the 360 so far. I'm loving the bright colors, especially after playing Gears of War all week.
 
bill0527 said:
I picked it up tonight. Played it for the last 2 hours.

My short review - its fun and addictive.

It comes fast and furious and you've always got something to do. It was kind of frustrating at the beginning because you keep getting hit with new stuff to do, before you even figure out the previous thing you were supposed to be doing.

I think this is the kind of game the Xbox 360 needs. Someone asked above to compare it to something, and I'd say Harvest Moon and Animal Crossing. I haven't played a ton of either of these games firsthand but I've watched my 10 year old play them a lot.

I hope the game sells well because we need more games like this. Unfortunately, it probably won't sell that well because of everything else that's been released this month.

Do I think everyone will like this game? No. But I'm 32 years old and enjoying the hell out of it. If you're a 20 year-old testosterone laden male who's still trying to prove a badass identity to the rest of the world, then you'll think it sucks. (i.e. typical Xbox fan).

The game looks stunning on my 48" Widescreen in 1080i. One of the best for the 360 so far. I'm loving the bright colors, especially after playing Gears of War all week.
Click to expand...


What it needs is good word of mouth. And , no the typical Xbot won't enjoy this game. This more of a game you show your PS2 and Gamecube owning friends.
 
Good job on the packaging for this and certainly its cheap retail price. It was 49.99cdn at Futureshop. Should bring the target market in with that.
 
Warm Machine said:
Is there any way to stop pinatas from going on a fighting tear? My fiancee just had all her pinatas go nuts and try to kill each other.
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Find the problem pinata, try to pen him up, or kill him. Some pinata species DO NOT get along with each other, and sometimes it's better to just put off dealing with them.

I am trying my hardest to get one of those duck things.
 
White Man said:
Find the problem pinata, try to pen him up, or kill him. Some pinata species DO NOT get along with each other, and sometimes it's better to just put off dealing with them.

I am trying my hardest to get one of those duck things.
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A fox ****ing ate one of my rabbits and I was all "Sorry baby, I need these residents"

But seriously, my birds won't eat romance candy and I don't want to see my worms eaten after I named them :(
 
White Man said:
Find the problem pinata, try to pen him up, or kill him. Some pinata species DO NOT get along with each other, and sometimes it's better to just put off dealing with them.

I am trying my hardest to get one of those duck things.
Click to expand...

Haha... the ducks are adorable. Just create a big enough pond, and when they show up, feed them bread (300/each.) Just beware the damn hedgehog, because they don't get along.

Oh, and don't kill the pinata, just sell it. I sold the hedgehog that was bugging my duckies for 1000.

But seriously, my birds won't eat romance candy and I don't want to see my worms eaten after I named them :(
Click to expand...

My worms are baby making machines. They essentially support my entire farm.
 
I think it would be hilarious to make a video in which you've completely eradicated all species of animal except one, and have as many of those as possible.
 
IJoel said:
Haha... the ducks are adorable. Just create a big enough pond, and when they show up, feed them bread (300/each.) Just beware the damn hedgehog, because they don't get along.
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I've given up on breeding the fudgehog for now. It's agressive towards like everything and I can't keep it penned in effectively.

Oh, and don't kill the pinata, just sell it. I sold the hedgehog that was bugging my duckies for 1000.
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But it's so much more satisfying to kill them!
 
Does anyone think Rare will actually include in their downloadable content a new species of pinata? Or do you think that would be too much trouble for them?
 
like some others in this thread, i'm totally amazed by this game. visually, one of the best games graphically on the 360. technically, it's up there and even surpasses some of the best of breed 360 games. holy shit @ how many pinatas you can have on the screen at once while day & night cycles and various environmental effects are going -- without a hitch in framerate. seeing past videos and hearing impressions got me worried about this game graphically and how it would hold up... it has exceeded and suprassed my expectations which are extremely high (almost dark10x high). this is a great showcase for the 360's power.

the gameplay is nothing short of entertaining. there's tons to do. the pace scales with your skill level and if you love collect-a-thons, you're in for hours upon hours of game time. lots of variety with accessories, species, garden supplements, services, tools, etc. variety is the name of the game and no two play throughs will ever be the same. i love the idea of gaining experience and increasing levels like an RPG, especially the rewards associated with it: increased real estate, upgraded tools, access to new things. this game reeks variety and the amount of freedom you have allows you to play the game in so many different ways.

the user interface is easy to use as well. tools are mapped to the d-pad for quick swapping, typical left-right analog sticks function to move your cursor and adjust your camera. you'd think that a game like this would suffer with a gamepad as opposed to kb & mouse but that's hardly the case. everything is easily accessible and makes sense. kudos to rare on the controls. no camera issues at all.

i'm also overwhelmed by the amount of species in the game. like the ign review mentioned, "discovery" is one of the best aspects of this game. playing it the first time and experiencing the cut-scenes when new pinatas are introduced is like visiting the zoo for the first time as a kid. "ooh mommy look at that!! wowww! what is that?!" my wife and i found ourselves squealing like little children when a new cool looking pinata was interested in becoming a resident of one of our gardens. and you can't help but become attached to some of your pinatas. you feel like an asshole by killing certain ones off or bonking them on the head with a shovel if they act up. at the same time, you'll laugh your pants off! rare gave these pinatas some "soul" and the animations really bring them to life. lots of comedy to be found just by observation (digital ant farm ftw). if MS plays their cards right and prices new packs of additional species decently, this could really help take away some of the sour microtransaction sentiment as of late.

honestly i could go on and on. animal crossing is the game that made me want to buy a gamecube (believe it or not) and after playing something like viva, it feels extremely dated. viva sets the next-gen bar for the "endless time wasting" genre. my wife and i are taking turns playing so i expect to be playing less of anything else :lol. not a bad thing though, but it has definitely cut into my gears & PSU time. it's nice to finally have a game we can both enjoy while sharing different experiences. family friendly ftw. aside from the cute and cuddly "facade" there's some seriously f*cked up shit that goes on in the game. for you sadists out there, you'll have a blast. it's easy to write this one off just by looking at screenshots, but it's another thing to actually play it and understand the game mechanics. i'll admit, i wrote it off before even doing my research. if you're open minded, by all means get this f*cking masterpiece NOW.


Speevy said:
It's just so amazingly clean that once they update (and believe me, they have to update) an option to turn off the autosave, I can't think of a single complaint about this game's visuals.
Click to expand...

is there any word on a future ability to turn off autosave? that would rock, especially if you ****ed up at certain spots.
 
Speevy said:
Does anyone think Rare will actually include in their downloadable content a new species of pinata? Or do you think that would be too much trouble for them?
Click to expand...

this would be a great thing for them to do... i don't think it would be hard since the cut scenes don't seem linear in any way. i'm crossing my fingers that they added hooks for this!
 
Hey chespace, do you have any idea if that gorgeous background in this game (the mountains, village, etc.) is 3d or if it's just an image?
 
Speevy said:
Hey chespace, do you have any idea if that gorgeous background in this game (the mountains, village, etc.) is 3d or if it's just an image?
Click to expand...

It appears to be rendered in 3d, but I suppose it could be some sort of trickery. THe perspective changes too correctly for it to be faked.
 
So GAF, is this totally worth it? I hated Animal Crossing, but am a Harvest Moon whore.

I don't think I'll be picking up a Wii until next year, so I was thinking of picking this up tomorrow morning.

So guys. Make me want this game. Because it looks amazing, but I just don't have that urge to pay for it yet.
 
Mr. Spinnington said:
A fox ****ing ate one of my rabbits and I was all "Sorry baby, I need these residents"

But seriously, my birds won't eat romance candy and I don't want to see my worms eaten after I named them :(
Click to expand...

If I'm not mistaken they won't eat the romance candy until they've met the requirements at least once.
 
Captain N said:
If I'm not mistaken they won't eat the romance candy until they've met the requirements at least once.
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Yep. The game would be so much easier if not for that requirement. I really wish there was a way to skip the minigame (but only after you do it so many times).
 
EvaPlusMinus said:
So GAF, is this totally worth it? I hated Animal Crossing, but am a Harvest Moon whore.

I don't think I'll be picking up a Wii until next year, so I was thinking of picking this up tomorrow morning.

So guys. Make me want this game. Because it looks amazing, but I just don't have that urge to pay for it yet.
Click to expand...


It's completely worth it.

Tell me if this sounds good to you.

-Having control over the lives and deaths of pinata animals
-Being able to breed these creatures at your will
-Customizing their names and appearances, as well as the appearance of your garden, which in turn affects how these creatures live, die, and breed with each other.
-Multitasking and managing the relationships between hostile creatures
-Utilizing villagers and helpers to purchase goods and services and accomplish goals
-Breeding, gardening, and building for awards, experience, money, and achievements.
-Beautiful graphics
-Great soundtrack
-Very complex and challenging, lets you both be creative AND strategic


Basically, you decide whether your animal society just sits there and does nothing, whether it exists peacefully in harmony with your customized surroundings, or everything gets out of hand and creatures end up killing each other.

You can develop attachments to your favorite creatures and keep them around, trade them with others, kill them, sell them, whatever.

These pinatas are there for your profit and entertainment. You control their world.
 
Speevy said:
It's completely worth it.

Tell me if this sounds good to you.

-Having control over the lives and deaths of pinata animals
-Being able to breed these creatures at your will
-Customizing their names and appearances, as well as the appearance of your garden, which in turn affects how these creatures live, die, and breed with each other.
-Multitasking and managing the relationships between hostile creatures
-Utilizing villagers and helpers to purchase goods and services and accomplish goals
-Breeding, gardening, and building for awards, experience, money, and achievements.
-Beautiful graphics
-Great soundtrack
-Very complex and challenging, lets you both be creative AND strategic


Basically, you decide whether your animal society just sits there and does nothing, whether it exists peacefully in harmony with your customized surroundings, or everything gets out of hand and creatures end up killing each other.

You can develop attachments to your favorite creatures and keep them around, trade them with others, kill them, sell them, whatever.

These pinatas are there for your profit and entertainment. You control their world.
Click to expand...


Sold!

Thanks! That helps a ton, mate.
 
White Man said:
Yep. The game would be so much easier if not for that requirement. I really wish there was a way to skip the minigame (but only after you do it so many times).
Click to expand...

Yeah, well once you're a master Romancer for that pinata it should let you skip the mini game. That wouldn't been fine with me, but I don't mind it too bad.
 
It reminds me of the security thing in Sly 2 or the digger thing in Okami. I don't know who thinks of these weird minigames. :p
 
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