Well hiya there! Listen, I know you're probably busy out there with your day to day routine of blasting crooked baddies with your Lancer, or tactically picking off terrorists from a distance with a PSG, but I've got an offer for you. What if I told you that I could take your Xbox 360 to places it's never gone before? What if I could take you to a land with no guns and minimal violence; a happy place, where gamers can use their wits and creativity in a way that's fun for both children and adults. Don't believe me? Heck, I don't blame you these days - but believe it! And what do you have to do to visit this land, you ask? What's the catch? There isn't one! All you need to do is slip a shiny little disc into your Xbox 360 that reads "Viva Pinata" and you're off!

Well now, I see you're interested, otherwise you wouldn't be reading the second paragraph! Good, I'm glad I have your attention, because you're not going to want to miss out. In the world of Viva Pinata, you're the master. Well, perhaps gardener is a better way of putting it, but master fits the bill and it's intimidating, so that's what we're going with! As the master, you gain control of a plot of land, but this isn't a plot of land to be proud of - it's just a cruddy ol' dirt patch junkyard! But that's where you come in! You see, we're giving you the chance to turn this patch of land into a beautiful, lush, verdant garden full of colorful Pinatas just living their lives! You're confused? About what? I'm sure I've made it perfectly clear thus far! Shh! Don't say that! Do you have any idea how angry a Pinata would be if he heard you say they're inanimate!? That's the biggest insult you could bestow on a cute little Pinata, next to smacking them in the head with a steel pipe of course... now get your act together so we can finish this tour!

As I was saying, with a shovel, grass seeds, watering can and a whole lot of love, your garden will soon be filled with Pinatas of all shapes and sizes, and it's up to you to encourage them to mate and give you even more beautiful Pinata babies. Of course, this is a strictly family game, so when we say mate, we obviously mean that they dance around in their living room after you complete a maze-like mini-game that varies in difficulty depending on the rarity of your Pinatas! But wait a second - you can't just go hog wild and make all your Pinatas do the nasty dance! No no no NO! You've got to make sure that they want to do the dance of champions, and to do that you have to satisfy their needs, by purchasing a house for them - a house that's tailored to their own personality and characteristics. You need to make sure they eat their favorite foods too - but be careful, as some Pinatas will gobble up other Pinatas; the food chain exists in all cultures my friend (but lets refer to it as the Donut of Life, shall we?)

Mating is a key part of your stay in Viva Pinata, but not the only one, because just getting these lovely creatures to visit your garden, and then live there, is a task in itself. You'll need to make sure that the living conditions are up to scratch, or perhaps they won't move in until another breed has inhabited your garden first! Every Pinata is different, but luckily you're provided with a handy interface that allows you to easily see what each Pinata wants - and needs - to sustain a healthy lifestyle in your garden.

You won't be on your own, either, as your garden is surrounded by friendly locals who love nothing more than to help you out, be it by providing items and supplies (at a cost of course, hoho!), seeking out Pinatas for you, or even helping you fulfill those rather tedious tasks like watering all your plants (a mandatory task, as those Pinatas can't live without their favorite flower!) But be warned fellow homo sapiens, these gardens aren't just filled with cheerful creatures; sour Pinatas lurk outside the confines of your new domicile. These fellers aren't full of love and sweet, sweet candy, and they'll stop at nothing to make sure that you, your Pinatas and your garden suffer! Well, they do stop at something, but it's your job to figure out what and make these red devils into colorful creatures!

So, how's about it lucky reader? Are you ready to take a trip to Pinata Land? Well, before you do, I'm inclined (more like duty bound!) to tell you about some other special features of the garden. You see, as fun as setting up your own little community of Pinatas is, that's just it - it's little. You'll likely run out of room quickly, even after fully upgrading your land space, and you simply won't be able to fit all the Pinatas, trees, houses and items you want in there. Furthermore, once you do fit them in, turning back isn't an option. That house looks good where it is, but you say it would look even better across on the other side? Well then you've got to destroy it, buy it again and rebuild it my friend! I know, it's a pain, but moving placed items just isn't possible. We're sorry if it really dampens the experience and creativity! JUST LET IT GO!

Also, as addicting as this Pinata garden stuff is, you might find yourself wondering what else there is to do here. We do our best to try to throw new items, toys, characters and challenges at you on a regular basis, right when you need it, and for the most part we succeed, but sometimes it just seems like there should be more to do. How many times can you mate Pinatas and make sure they get all their necessities constantly before you get a little weary of it? Oh, and you might find that getting Pinatas to do what you need them to do is a bit tricky at times, mainly when you get your garden really brimming with activity. It's not a big deal most of the time, but you may lose a Pinatas because he just wouldn't listen to you, or you couldn't actually command him correctly due to other items getting in the way. But enough of that, back to the good stuff!

Did I mention that you can interact with your other garden buddies? That's right, here in Viva Pinata we've got a full mailing system setup so that you can send off packages to your best of friends right over the Interweb! On top of that there's a whole wide assortment of Achievements to earn, each worth 20 points, so there's always a new one to strive for right up until the end!

But wait a moment, I haven't even told you how great our Pinata land looks yet! Each creature is full of individually crafted pieces of colored paper that react to their every movement, and their animations are so wonderfully charming and smooth that you'll be dying to replace your own house cat with your very own Kittyfloss! This is also the most colorful place your 360 will ever go, bar none! Not to mention we've got some of the most pleasing things your ears will ever hear, such as the adorable noises of our Pinatas, or the quirky voices that guide you along your way to becoming a Master Gardener!

Yes, here at Viva Pinata we invite you and your 360 to enjoy one of the most unique experiences anyone has ever had the joy of, well, experiencing! No other place offers this kind of strategy, brimming with one of a kind characters and creatures, and the actual work you'll be doing is so different that we should get it patented! For instance, have you taken a trip to the magical land of Harvest Moon, or the world of Animal Crossing? Well, imagine if the two came together for one flurry of magical excitement that entertains young and old in only a way that Rare - er, I mean that we can! Is this all too much for you? Maybe you'd best not step aboard the ferry to Pinata Island then, because only those willing to try new experiences or with a taste for creativity and strategy should take this journey!

Reviewed by Christopher Martin for AceGamez (All Rights Reserved).