Viva Pi�ata

$50, Xbox 360, Windows

Teaches: creativity

CTR Rating: 80%

CTR Review

Note: See also the Nintendo DS version.Beautifully illustrated but too complex for younger children, Microsoft's Viva Pinata is part of a larger strategy to bring kids into the world of Xbox Live and Xbox 360. Unfortunately, reading is required, and the unique interface is thick with instructions which are needed in order to make it work. As a result, this game is better suited to older children (10-up), which is important to note given the target audience of the TV show. You start out in a beautiful garden on a spring day, with subtle ambient sounds. The garden resides on the Xbox's hard drive. Children can then explore using tools to clear ground and plant eggs that may grow into plants or one of 60 varieties of Pi�atas. At the early stages, a tutor named Leavos provides hints, and there are frequent cut scenes from the Fox television show, which looks a lot like this game.The anamorphic creatures look like they were inspired by Pok�mon or perhaps Animal Crossing. Like a pet, each has its own personality and it must be tamed by the player. You grow the Pi�atas by getting them to dance, but the fun is limited because the dances are already preprogrammed. Why not let the children control the moves? Sometimes a nasty creature comes in the garden, and it must be chased away by whacking it with a shovel, a strange process for an E-rated children's game.If you have the time and patience to master the interface, this is a good title � one to borrow at the very least. Created for Microsoft by Rare. Tom (age 12) play this game for 22 hours (pretty much every day). He found it to be "fun and entertaining, with good graphics, and a lot of open-ended play." Drawbacks he noted include the need to read the instructions -- a lot, even though the game looks like it is designed for younger children. There was no worrisome content. He'd recommend buying it. Note that the Windows version, released Fall 2007 and created by Climax Studios, requires Windows XP SP2 or Vista and 10 GB of free hard drive space, plus an NVIDIA 5900 or ATI 9600 graphics card or better. It comes on two DVDs and takes about an hour to install. You also are required to register for Windows Live in order to save games.