THQ's New Nintendo Games @ E3 2008: Viva Piñata Pocket Paradise

Jul. 23 9:59 PM by Alicia Ashby

The Lowdown: Rare's Vivata Piñata franchise comes to the DS with Pocket Paradise, a game all about building the perfect habitat for your favorite piñatas. Design your garden and keep an eye on your piñata troupe's needs, or try to collect every creature in the Piñata Pyramid. You can even trade piñatas and items with friends, and play around sandbox-style in Playground Mode.

The Hype: 360 fans insist Viva Piñata is a better game than anyone gave it credit for, and maybe they're right. Pocket Paradise, at least, is a completely engaging virtual pet experience, with just the right amounts of designing, caretaking, and plot-following to keep things interesting.

The Snark: Running to the DS to get Viva Piñata to its target audience, Rare? Why not break down and make a Wii game while you're at it?

Some brightly colored screens and art behind the cut.