DEVELOPER: Rare

PUBLISHER: Microsoft

SYSTEM: Microsoft Xbox 360

PRICE: $59.99

ESRB RATING: Everyone

REVIEW RATING: 4.0 (out of 5 stars)

Oh, no! Professor Pester has wiped out Pinata Island’s database, sending partygoers everywhere into a panic. Since everyone knows that it’s simply uncouth to entertain guests without a colorful, living pinata in attendance, it’s up to you to entice wild pinatas into your bountiful garden and tame them. Building up their Candiosity level will prepare them for future party appearances, and they can even be taught basic tricks.

If this sounds like some kind of psychedelic Paris Hilton cloning center, you wouldn’t be too far off, but it’s actually the plot behind Microsoft’s unusual ‘green thumb’ game, “Viva Pinata: Trouble in Paradise.” This addictive title features more than 100 adorable, real-life and imaginary papier-mache animals that scurry about, hunt for food and interact with other precious pinatas.

Budding gardeners begin their adventure by creating their own custom garden. Various tools are used to dig holes and sow seeds, and players can now create ponds as well as sandy/snowy areas. Different pinatas will be attracted to the garden if it meets certain criteria, and they will eventually settle there. Soon, a wide variety of pinatas will take up residence, and some will fight or even hunt each other.

New to the series is the ability to venture out into sandy or snowy areas to trap special pinatas. This can add some tension to game play because normal events still play out in the garden even when the player is off hunting “big game.” These animals are worth trapping because they bring new genetics into the group.

In order to discover every pinata, players must successfully mate similar species in their garden while also adding new items, planting flowers and trees, keeping the current residents happy, and building up their Candiosity levels. Players can also show off their garden by taking pictures and sharing them with others online.

“Viva Pinata: Trouble in Paradise” might seem odd, but the mellow game play is as fun as it is cathartic.

‘Active Life: Outdoor Challenge’

DEVELOPER: Namco Bandai

PUBLISHER: Namco Bandai

SYSTEM: Nintendo Wii

PRICE: $59.99 (includes floor mat controller)

ESRB RATING: Everyone

REVIEW RATING: 3.5 (out of 5 stars)

Anyone who follows my column knows my hard stance against mini-game compilations, especially those designed for the Wii. Simply put, I hate them with a passion. Granted, most of them are shoddy shovelware cranked out to cash in on the Wii craze, but “Active Life: Outdoor Challenge” actually promotes good health by forcing players to use a “dance pad” controller.

I applaud the developers for not following the recent trend of watering down Wii controls from real-life movements to short flicks of the wrist. Thanks to a combination of authentic Wiimote gestures and physical activity on the included “floor mat” controller, everyone who participates in these virtual activities is sure to break a sweat.

More than 12 mini-games are available to play alone or side-by-side with a friend, including: log jumping, water trampoline, inline skating, jump rope, seesaw battler, mountain boarder, and mine cart adventure. Not only are these activities more enjoyable than those found in “Wii Fit,” but they can also achieve pretty much the same results.

Moreover, a very handy exercise training mode is included that combines certain activities together into different workouts that focus on everything from endurance to balance to upper body strength, something “Wii Fit” sorely lacks. If parents aren’t careful, their children might actually get in shape while playing this title.

Unfortunately, the controls for some games, like kayaking, are rather finicky. It isn’t easy to get the paddle to row smoothly from right to left and vice versa. In addition, I would also like to see some games last longer and become more in-depth.

Nevertheless, “Active Life: Outdoor Challenge” offers some great outdoor fun for anyone who’s stuck indoors.

REVIEW SCORING SYSTEM

5 stars = Must Have

4 stars = Pretty Good

3 stars = Above Average

2 stars = Bargain Bin

1 star = Don't Bother

RATINGS KEY

Entertainment Software Rating Board (ESRB)

E: Everyone

E10-plus: (Everyone 10 and older)

T: Teen (13 and older)

M: Mature (17 and older)

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To find out more about Jeb Haught and read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate website at www.creators.com.

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