Viva Piñata

Viva Piñata was a game released a few years back for the Xbox360, based around the Saturday morning cartoon of the same name. To those of us that adore Rare© video game publishers for their cleverly disguised adult humor, and childlike light atmospheres - this game was relatively addicting, like virtual crack.

No, to better illustrate, the game is Pokémon on acid. The goal of the game is to become the Number 1. Gardener on "Piñata Island." You'll accomplish this by attracting piñatas of varying species, and earning Chocolate Coins along the way. You'll also be given side tasks of shipping off Piñatas to perform at parties, scaring away bad guys (sour piñatas and bullies) or converting them to your garden, learning the history of the man providing you with land, and doing it all armed only with a shovel and a few quirky helper characters.

Throughout your time on Piñata Island, you'll have to "Catch 'em all" very carefully, since many piñatas have personality conflicts that will constantly have you wanting to beat them with your shovel. For instance, Raisants (ants) and Buzzlegums (bees, see where this is going?) will not get along, so they will constantly fight. Fighting results in one ill piñata, which you will have to order a doctor for, and can get frustrating if it interferes with other tasks.
VS.
Another thing that can happen is the food chain kicks in. "Pretztails" or foxes, will break "Bunnycombs" (guess what that is) and eat the candy that is contained inside. The broken Piñata will be sent outside of the boundaries of your garden, and you've lost that resident.

For these reasons, you can never have all 60 piñata species in your garden at the same time, and you are constantly forced to part with loving...who am I kidding? You sell your piñatas after you massively inbreed them for more chocolate coins!

One thing I discovered, is by feeding certain items to piñatas, you can change their colors and make them worth more; i.e. a mushroom will change a "Macaracoon" into a gold colored "Macaracoon." You can also "evolve" certain piñatas by feeding them items, or setting them on fire. Go Rare© and your vague drug references and illegal actions to make the adults in the crowd feel included!
Add fire =

The "romancing" is an amusing little mini-game, with just a few steps. First you achieve certain requirements; feeding two Piñatas specific items, giving them accessories, or buying a fountain for the garden - things like that, exclusive to each species. Second, you run one Piñata through a maze of twitching, laughing, bombs to reach the other piñata - getting pretty close to real life here. Finally, the two Piñatas that survive the minefield will disappear into their habitat, to tango, or mamba, or waltz in privacy - Thus creating an egg, that will in minutes grow up to endure the same.

After you've accomplished "romancing" each species eight times, you have become a master-breeder of that species - hence the inbreeding.

The majority of your romancing will be between the same species, but periodically you can cross that boundary and get something different. By breeding a "Swanana" and a "Rashberry," the games equivalent of a Swan and a Pig, you get a Pigxie, which looks something like this: So the next time someone says anything about pigs flying, you'll know where to turn.

There are two reasons I am posting this almost two years after its release. Reason 1 - the game is approximately $12, and good for a few laughs at that price. Reason 2 - Viva Piñata 2 is coming out relatively soon, so I am reminded that I adored the first game.

Now, imagine me, only filled with aphrodisiac candy.