My opening thoughts would have to be - I wonder what PETA thinks of this game. Seriously. I mean, they're pinatas, but they do look like animals. You can smack them around, but they'll eventually break. Then, to make matters even more fun, you can sell their candy (the equivalent of internal organs for a pinata?) for money, or you can allow your other pinatas to eat them. If it's the same species, I guess that classifies as pinata cannibalism.

I've gotten addicted to this game, which is hilarious for me to say because I was formerly on a team that was headed to MLG Dallas a year ago until I moved back home and no longer had the money. I went from being a huge competitive gamer to being a casual one. Don't get me wrong, I still play an FPS once in a while. Halo and CoD primarily. However, I have to say that I've made a full transition to casual status on gaming, and this game takes most of my casual gaming time.

I don't know what it is, but it's f**king addicting. You build your garden, and attract different types of pinatas. Once they become inhabitants of your garden, you can sell them to get different pinatas (if you've attracted that species) or you can keep them and buy houses and crap for them.

When your pinata starts a fight with a different species, you can smack them around. Smack them too much or too hard, and they'll break.

And then of course there are the sour pinatas, which I always smack when they come into my garden. Either that or try to turn them 'sweet'.

There are several options as far as what you can do to your garden. Everything you do makes a difference as certain things attract different pinata species. You have to keep this in mind as you modify your garden.

The only downfall that I see so far is that you're limited on garden space, therefore you have to get rid of stuff in order to make new things.

Cruel? Yes. Fun? You better believe it. Addicting? Oh my god, yes.

I give it 4/5.

Who else has played it, and what say you?

I'm sure they're not too happy about it :P

As for the game, I still haven't played it or at least I don't remember doing so...I keep forgetting to download the demo, I'll give it a DL tomorrow. Also, how's the online play on it?

Well, the most that you can do online for Viva Pinata (I've only played the first one, but I want the second one) is that you can trade pinatas with other users. It's how I've gotten a few of my pinatas that I needed. It's actually pretty effective.

I finally played the demo, it was alright.

The most I got out of it was that apparently attacking a person with a shovel will just lead them to take the shovel from you for about 30 seconds and then promptly hand it back to you so you can continue practicing your candy stuffed animal whacking skills.

i actualy like the game me and my ex used to have fun on the demo =]

Hah! Great job, Malicious. I laughed out loud when I read your review, and yet it is also useful and makes me want to try Viva. Cannibalism--classic.