Viva Piñata: Pocket Paradise (DS)

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Romance is in the air

I love Viva Piñata. The Xbox 360 original is a game I recommended to everyone over a period of about six months, hoping they'd believe me when I told them that it wasn't a game made just for kids. Beneath the gorgeously cute visuals lied an incredibly in-depth ecosystem simulation capable of holding your attention for months and a collect-em-all compulsion that most people only associate with Pokemon and Football cards. On the Xbox 360 Rare delivered the goods big time.

There was always this feeling at the back of my mind, though, that Viva Piñata belonged elsewhere - that it could find a better home, where people are generally more loving and willing to try out new things, no matter how cute. It was with great delight then that I grasped the chance to play Rare's Nintendo DS spin-off, Viva Piñata: Pocket Paradise. I was more than a little sceptical, expecting at best a game able to mimic the basics of the classic 360 game, but what I played for an afternoon is shaping up to be one of the best DS titles of 2008.

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Things have been slightly simplified for this DS release, but not nearly to the extent I had expected. You still use tools to cultivate the land, lay down grass, plant seeds, water plants and dig ponds. You still have the goal of attracting new and exciting Piñatas to your garden, and the complex inter-species behaviour is still in place. Although undeniably child-friendly in its appearance, Pocket Paradise will have great appeal to children and adults alike.

Romancing is one of the most important aspects of the game, as this is how new Piñatas are born into your garden. For two Piñatas to romance they need to be happy, and this usually requires a few conditions to be met. You'll have to make sure they've eaten the right food, got the right house etc. It's easier said than done. Getting these Piñatas to live as residents in the first place is tricky enough, often requiring you to have a certain Piñata type already living there, which in turn requires you to have two romancing Piñatas of another type. It's a vicious cycle and one that will keep you hooked for a very long time. It's worth noting that the romancing mini-games from the 360 game have been removed here. Some fans might see that as a disappointment, but I didn't miss them at all.

All Piñatas need a home

It's hard not to become attached too. The game encourages you to name the Piñata offspring, making them happier if you do so. I've fallen into this trap before, giving my lovely Piñatas names in the original Xbox 360 game (Wormo, Wormalot, Wormolio, Wormster, Wormmonger, The Worm, Wormaniser...), only to find one being slaughtered by a bigger, badder Piñata. There weren't tears, but things got a little hairy. I resisted the temptation to name them during my hands-on with the DS game, but I doubt I'll be able to do the same when it's mine to keep.

Rare was keen to point out that the game has been designed to be playable using only the DS' stylus. Optional button controls are included, such as the ability to scroll around your garden using the d-pad or face buttons, but it's just as easy to use the stylus, either dragging around the screen or by touching the directional icon in the lower right corner. Interacting with things is equally simple. Simply tap the item or Piñata you want to interact with or gain more information about and it'll be selected. Job done.

Despite the DS' small touch screen a fairly complex set of controls has been re-worked to fit as if it was designed for the handheld all along. Take directing a Piñata to an object or area on the map for example. Simply select the cute little guy, drag your stylus over to the desired location and release. Related information to what's selected is displayed in your journal on the top screen. At any time you can flip the screens so the journal takes the touch screen, giving you easy access to all the information you'll ever need about Piñatas, plants, tools and everything else in the game.

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