Viva Pinata 2: Trouble in Paradise

[rekator]

Screens are here!
http://www.xboxygen.com/index.php?file=News&op=index_comment&news_id=7323

We got Arctique garden and seem to have Halloween theme, may be a indication for the time release?

 

[Zassk]

I see signs of co-op play in those screenshots... dual target receptacles.

 

[Malibu]

If it isn't apparent from a couple of the screens, Teamxbox says it will have online co-op.

The biggest feature we know about at this point is the game's online cooperative mode that allows for some multiplayer piñata gardening.

 

[AzBat]

I'm suspecting seasons in additon to the previous night and day cycle. They will robably do something like Animal Crossing where your system's date has an effect on the seasons. That would be cool. I'll probably end up buying this too. LOL

Tommy McClain

 

[Malibu]

I'm pumped for this.

June GI

• Improved interactivity between the pinatas and the environments.
• Pinatas will mimic each others action and follow the leader around the garden.
• They'll be adding toys for the pinatas to play with like musical instruments, spaced themed toys, and trains that the pinata's will ride around the garden.
• 30 new pinatas.
• 2 new sub areas called Pinarctic and Dessert that'll allow you to travel to new locations and lay traps for the pinatas.
• A photo mode will allow you to upload pictures to the website.
• A drop in and drop out co-op mode.
• Improved UI.

Oh, but it gets better.

VP2 (slated for September):

I will only touch on one feature here, as GI already touched on many of the more traditional improvements. This feature is extremely cool though, in two ways.

1. VP2 uses the Vision Camera in combination with physical cards sorta like Eye of Judgement. It basically scans a small code on the card, when it's being held up in front of the camera, and this can both insert custom designed pinatas, unlock buildings or abilities, change the weather and many other things. We were told how Rare had designed a moose that got a big, red nose only around christmas time... and this could be passed around with these cards.

2. So the game also got a photo mode. Cool, but that's not the best! This photo mode is able to interpret the pictures and create the above-mentioned code based on the picture. Basically, you will have a card generator available on the internet! Imagine this: you have created this really cool pinata and instead of the tiresome task of sending it only to selected friends on Live, you can take a picture of it, get the code/card generated and share it on a forum. Instantly everyone will be able to get the pinata in their game and since the camera can also read from LCD screens, ipods, zunes etc., there is little to no hassle. Now THAT'S sharing!

 

[Malibu]

IGN: Viva Piñata: Trouble in Paradise Hands-on

This new Viva Piñata allows you to go a few feet outside of the garden on each side. You'll first do this to take a look at the visit requirements for piñatas. If one sees something he likes in your garden, he or she might come by to take a look. If you haven't met all of their requirements, they won't come all of the way in. Sitting in this area was a sad little galagoogoo (by far the cutest of all piñatas).

As I was to find out, looking at piñata info on the sidelines is only the beginning.

The first thing I found was the Ban Piñata board Some piñatas simply don't get along. Others like to eat little critters. If you don't want a particular guy to come in and mess up your hard work, you can ban it from your garden and not worry.

At the surface, Trouble in Paradise looks a lot like the first game. That's, for the most part, a good thing since the original Viva Pinata was a lot of fun. However, once you start diving into the game you'll find that there's a boatload of new features to go along with the expanded roster of piñatas. With all of the rough edges smoothed out and new fun to discover, it's hard to imagine Viva Piñata without all of the updates. Piñata fans, mark your calendars for September.

TeamXbox

Online interaction. Via Xbox LIVE, up to four players can team up and experience the joys of Piñata Island together, or you can contact other gamers to trade items as well as piñatas. Invite your friends to your garden to compete against them in races, golf and other events — winners will receive coveted placement on the Piñata Leaderboards.

 

[Malibu]

Some more details on online co-op (up to 4 players).

Rare dev

actually, the garden owner can give their guests one of 3 permission levels:

• No permissions: You can only look around but not interact with anything
• Limited permissions: You can work in the garden but not perform any harmful actions like smashing tame pinatas, selling stuff or sending off crates with swag
• Full permissions: Allows the guests to do anything in the garden they could do in their own. The only thing they still can't do is get rid of WCs

so you can still have random people visiting without needing to worry about your garden's safety

Rare dev

for good measure, guests who are not on your friends list default to No Permissions when they join your garden, whereas your friends get Limited Permissions. you can adjust those at any time while you're in the garden, too.

Rare dev

yes and yes. it's like playing any other game on xbox live really - if you don't want strangers to visit your garden, you can just set all free slots to friend slots.
personally, I can't wait to randomly join a few games to see how other players style their garden paradise

 

[Malibu]

GameInformer Impressions

The long and short is that Viva Piñata: Trouble in Paradise manages to dance a fine line between the old and the new. This installment keeps everything I knew and loved in the first piñata party title, all the while adding enough new content to keep me entertained for hours and hours and hours on end.

From the get-go, Trouble in Paradise feels very similar to the last title. Improved graphics are a pleasant addition, but the same lovable art style and relaxing music sets the mood for the game ahead. A brief introduction clues us in on the fact that Professor Pester has done some damage behind the scenes. In an attempt to steal records from the Piñata Central database, he accidentally deleted everything on file. It is now up to us to fill in the blanks and return the piñata database back to its former glory. Professor Pester is not the only returning face in Trouble in Paradise; Leafos, Storkos, Seedos, Dastardos (drat), and Jardiniero all make it back to the party.

I won’t lie; I am pretty excited about the game – even having already spent a full weekend in a digital garden. I am equally excited about the $39.99 price point. The game has enough new features, new piñata and new challenges to keep things interesting, but without sacrificing what made the original game fun and addicting. You can get your hands on Viva Piñata: Trouble in Paradise starting September 2.

 

[PARANOiA]

Well I managed to pick this up yesterday. I adored the first game, and the time I put into this game last night (a good three hours or so) looks like it's going to pull me back in in the same way.

I actually spent most of last night playing with the co-op mode (signed in under my girlfriend's account) as the supporting player. I have to say, this game is extremely dense, with so much happening all at the same time. I don't really remember the first game being so busy right from the get-go... but now I'll have seven or eight visiting pinata in the garden at any one time, making moving forward easy, but keeping on top of things very tough.

It was hilarious last night when I had had enough at midnight, but Megan kept wanting to play as new seeds were sown, new pinata were ready to do their romance dance, and then the Squazzil showed up out of nowhere (her favourite pinata from the first game). I literally had to pull the controller from her hand and say "it'll still be there tomorrow!"

I haven't got a camera, so can't comment on "Pinata Vision".

Anyone else playing?

 

[MoHonRi]

Yeah, I'm really impressed with how they have streamlined everything. No more jumping back to the store to buy/plant seeds. The new pinata browser is great for finding your lost pinatas etc....

the little graphical stutters during saving seem to be gone as well...

Better game design this time around, and they are always (at least so far) dangling that carrot in front of you for your next task..

Good Job Rare!

 

[AW0L]

this is one of thoughs games you can play with the wife. bought the first one for me out of curiosity, and my wife ate it up. So gonna buy the second becuase it keeps her occupied and not yelling at me.

 

[Zassk]

For those who have played both, can you answer this for me:

If someone didn't play the first VP, can the new VP:TiP be picked up as a first-time experience? Does the new one have tutorial stuff like I can see in the VP1 demo?

 

[MoHonRi]

Yeah, it's actually easier to pick up than the first on IMO.