July 6th, 2008 by Daniel Duncan

Viva Pinata: Pocket Paradise was first announced by Rare’s James Thomas (BIGsheep) and Justin Cook at the 2007 Comic-Con convention in San Francisco, CA — see James’ blog for more details on the announcement. It’s the first entry of the Viva franchise to release on a non-microsoft platform (excluding the PC version port of the orginal) and remains true to the franchise’s roots. The game will play very similar to the original Xbox 360 version where players will once again start off with a ruined Garden that must first be cleared of debris. Afterwards, it’s time to start meeting requirements to get those Pinata to reside in the Garden.

Now don’t be mistaken. Though it may play similar and seem very familiar, it’s far from being a direct port. In this preview, I’m going to detail what’s coming back, what has been removed, what’s new, and why you’ll want this game in your Rare/DS collection.

Classic Gameplay-As I briefly mentioned above, the gameplay aspect of Pocket Paradise is very similar to that of Viva Pinata and the upcoming Trouble in Paradise. You play through the game meeting certain requirements in order to get pinata to reside in the Garden. It all ranges from the planting of trees, digging ponds, and so forth–everything that any true Viva fan should be familiar with. Just as before, there can only be two at any given time unless you Romance them. Of course, due to the significant decrease in horsepower because of the hardware, there can’t be as many pinata in your Garden at a time as before.

Simplified Controls-The biggest problem with Viva Pinata was probably the control scheme. Even though it isn’t bad, it can be difficult to really get a grasp on them. The DS solves this problem thanks to the touchscreen interface. Anything you want to interact with can simply be touched using the DS’s stylus and touchscreen, allowing you to manage your pinata and Garden in a much better way. This is a signficant improvement and proves to be really convenient. It allows the browsing of the Journal, digging, planting and all other interactions to be utilized with relative ease. In fact, it’s this very reason that Pocket Paradise feels more at home on the DS than it does the 360!

Romancing-The Pinatas will still need to be romanced if you desire to have more than two of a specific species. As usual, get two resident pinata of the same species, purchase a house, and build an attraction using Romance Candy. There will be no Romance Dances or mini-games this time around.

No more Leafos-Leafos will not be returning in Pocket Paradise. Instead, during the tutorial at the beginning of the game, you will now be instructed from characters from the television show. A simple tap on Hudson Horstachio, for instance, will induce a message on how to move throughout the Garden. The Garden workers have also been removed.

New features-Some new features in Pocket Paradise include A)Playground Mode: a freeplay type mode where you do basically anything you want without having to go through tutorials and whatnot. Want a Chippo? Just bring it, free-of-charge. How about a banana tree? Likewise. B)New Pinata: The original 60 Pinata from the first iteration are back, but there will also be upwards of nine new species that will be exclusive to this version.

Local Connectivity-If a friend of yours his/her own copy of the game, then you’ll now be able to trade pinata by locally connecting the two DS’s using the systems wireless functions. You can even send pinata or items to a second Garden on your own game card if you have created multiple Gardens.

Why you should purchase it-Viva Pinata: Pocket Paradise holds true to the formula that Rare created with the first iteration on the 360. With its simplified and interactive interface, new features, and classic gameplay, VP:PP will surely delight gamers of all ages, both casual and hardcore. If you’re a fan of the franchis, you’ll love it; if you’re not, then this will be a fantastic place to start. Look for it on store shelves this Fall and expect a review shortly after its release.

On another note, don’t forget about our ‘Comment & Win Contest’ where you can win a free copy of the game!