Candy Pun... I'm Very Tired

Who wants to place bets on whether I'll have something for you tomorrow or not? Do I hear $5? $5? Do I hear $10!?

Make-Up Sets:
Viva Pinata: Trouble in Paradise
This game comes in a very deceptive package. On the outside it's all cutesy animals (technically, pinatas) and gardening. BUT! The game borrows a lot from Animal Crossing and Pokemon. The premise is: you have a garden. A real piece of work at first, but as you start clearing out the debre and planting different flowers and vegetables you attract various wild pinatas to your plot of land. There's a HUGE variety of pinatas to encounter (a bunny, a horse, a snake, some birds, a bear, some bugs... you get the idea), get to know and learn about and each of those species has different needs too. Some require specific plant life to be present in your garden, some need a certain amount of water or sand, some need other pinatas as friends or food. As you capture pinatas you may name them whatever you like, build homes for them, dress them up and then breed them! Once you establish yourself you may go into town and visit the shops, the pinata hunters, the builders and start selling your garden. Give it a name and a symbol so people know about it. The point of the game is to discover. Attract all the varying pinata life to your garden, grow delicious harvests and accept challenges from the locals (these run the gamut from "Capture me this pinata!" to "Breed me a few of those pinatas!"). As co-op partners, you're both able to plant seeds, water the plants, and care for the pinatas. I can't speak for co-op over Live but same screen co-op limits player two's interactions by not allowing them to access the stores, so no buying or building. But they have other abilities, one called "Magic" which I still don't understand that seems to make whatever you use it on... better. Yeah, better. ...it's fun. Check it out!

Here's a clip of someone visiting various gardens. You'll get a chance to see the different ways players set up their gardens and the many pinatas they've tamed. Unfortunately, I couldn't find any of the farming aspects or purchasing new seeds or equipment:



This game's a bit harder to find but you can purchase this virtual, candy-filled Eden on Amazon.com for $20
or Buy.com for $15. If you're still unsure of a purchase there's a free demo you can download through your Xbox Dashboard or on Xbox.com. Enjoy!