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'Rare Replay': gaming classics at their best-worst
It wasn't until after I'd repeatedly pummeled an oversized rat's testicles that I realized why preserving video game history is so important. Were it not for Rare Replay, an anthology of 30 games spanning 32 years, I'd never have played Battletoads Arcade and would've missed one of the finest moments from one of gaming's most storied developers. Replay is an invaluable record of developer Rare's legacy, but it's neither complete nor perfect. Before Microsoft purchased the studio for $375 million in 2002, Rare made games almost exclusively for Nintendo. GoldenEye and the Donkey Kong Country series (arguably its biggest hits) are absent here thanks to publishing and licensing deals, while other games have been scrubbed free of Nintendo references entirely. While Replay's remastered contents are the best they'll likely ever look, games aren't movies, and visuals are only one part of the equation here. So can a slick, modern package make up for any shortcomings that result from playing decades-old games? The answer isn't so simple and it fluctuates wildly from one classic Rare title to the next.
Rare duo: Viva Pinata left in Gears' wake
Viva Piñata has found moderate success since its release late last year, with about 500,000 units sold, but it's far from the "next great family franchise" it was positioned as. Over at Gamasutra, James Thomas and Justin Cook of Rare discuss why they thought that Viva made less of a splash than many hoped. Interestingly, the two say that the game was supposed to be more of a symbol for third parties, showing that Microsoft was serious about games for kids. The sales were still low though, something that, in part, they chalk up to the marketing force put behind Gears of War, which shared Viva's launch window. "So much of the money went towards Gears of War, which is going to sell millions anyway," Thomas said. "It was a bit of like, 'What about the other franchise?' I think we got left in the wake somewhat. Hopefully with the PC version this Christmas, it might get something of a second wind."We'd be more likely to attribute Viva's sales to the fact that the game is too complicated for most kids, but sports cartoon graphics that turn many adult players off. That said, we're sure that Gary Jules on TV every 30 seconds didn't help matters.
Rare's not going to make any Viva Pinata DLC
Though it may seem tailor-made for it, a Rare staffer has confirmed that Viva Pinata won't be getting any downloadable content. In response to a fan's question in the "Scribes" column on the company's website, a member of the Viva team wrote, "We aren't doing any downloadable content for Viva Piñata because we are much too busy doing something else." So, we lose out on DLC, but gain the greatest commodity of all: Mystery.We know it's not Viva Pinata: Party Animals, that's being developed by Krome. The team member could be talking about the DS version of the game, but we doubt it. Why not call it by name? So, it it Viva 2? Is it a new Jet Force Gemini? (No, it's probably not.) The thrill of anticipation we feel almost makes up for the lack of new, downloadable pinatas! ... Almost. [Via GI.biz. Thanks, Jaap]
No Viva Piata DLC coming, evar!
Fellow Viva Piñata fans, if you've been waiting ever so patiently for some new downloadable content to hit the Marketplace then developer Rare has some bitterly sad news for you. In their somewhat monthly Scribes column, where the team answers fans' letters and questions, Rare fielded a question about the possibility of some new content for Viva Piñata. Their answer ... not a chance, more specifically they said that "we aren't doing any downloadable content for Viva Piñata because we are much too busy doing something else...". Too busy for Viva Piñata? We raise an eyebrow to that!Even though we didn't expect to see any new Viva Piñata DLC hit the Marketplace a year after its release, this official confirmation is somewhat sad. But we don't need it, you're fine the way you are Viva Piñata and don't let anyone tell you differently.[Via Xbox 360 Rally]
Rare is bringing Viva Piata to the DS
During the final day of Comic Con, Rare held a Viva Piñata panel discussion and made a surpeise announcement that Viva Piñata will be heading to the Nintendo DS. So, it looks like Shane Kim's talk of bringing the franchise to the DS making sense ended up being one of those sly hints of things to come. Viva Piñata on the DS is being developed by Rare and will be very similar to its lovably fun Xbox 360 version featuring the same core gameplay elements. Nothing more about the DS version was mentioned other than it'll be teh awesomeness, but we'd like to hear when the DS version will hit retail, if it'll incorporate the DS's wireless features and how pretty it is.So, there you have it fanboys. Viva Piñata will be on the Nintendo DS and Horstachio will have a new condo to call home. Touch screen and all!
Gears of War and Viva Pinata go to PC
Gears of War is no longer a Xbox 360 exclusive. Neither is Viva Pinata. Two of Microsoft's premiere console titles is now getting the Games For Windows treatment. The Game of the Year-winning shooter from Epic will gain a few enhancements on the PC, such as five new levels, a new editor, and "some very big surprises." Could the game look even prettier on a DirectX 10 PC? Believe it. Thankfully, the game will run on both Windows XP and Windows Vista.Viva Pinata and a major list of new Games for Windows titles were revealed at the Microsoft keynote, including titles such as Age of Empires 3: The Asian Dynasties, Stranglehold, Blacksite: Area 51, and Kane and Lynch: Dead Men.
The masterminds of WoW on gaming
Have you ever wondered what the names and faces behind WoW do in their off time? In the recent interview 1up had with Shane Dabiri, Rob Pardo, Jeff Kaplan, and Tom Chilton, we get to find out a bit about that -- at least in regards to some of the games that they're playing right now. Two of them were really no surprise to me: Guitar Hero II and God of War. Those two have been all over the gaming media and are a lot of fun to play, so it makes total sense. The two titles that caught me off guard were several mentions of Viva Pinata and Rob saying that he plays the PopCap game, Peggle. They also covered some great background information from their gaming roots, to some ways they think WoW has changed the genre. Check it out!
Everyone has a Viva Piata confession
It's true. We confess. We love Viva Piñata and we always have. And Viva Piñata Confessions has taught us that we aren't weird, we don't have a problem and that our love of the game isn't something we should be embarrassed about. Even our rebel of a game designer Cliffy B loves himself some Viva Piñata every once and a while. You too can come clean, you too can let go of all the built up anxiety and just do it ... confess. Confess that you love Viva Piñata and aren't afraid to tell the world.And if our inspirational talk doesn't make you believe in the wonder that is Viva Piñata, be sure to check out the embedded video after the break. Those piñatas truly have an affect on a person's brain.
Create-a-Rare-Developer results are in!
The winner of Piñata Island's Create-a-Rare-Developer contest has been chosen. For those that don't recall, the purpose of the contest was to create a new piñata species (named after a Rare developer) for Viva Piñata. It looks like Piñata Island received loads of outstanding entries. In the end, though, it was the Goldipop (pictured above) that beat the odds and won the grand prize (a wild-card piñata). The piñata is named after Andy Pollington, fights with anchors and contains delicious orange suckers. Hit the "read" link to check out the runners-up and honorable mentions.Has a 360 game inspired you to create anything artistic lately?
Viva Piata gets parents' approval
Everyone's favorite piñata growing simulator Viva Piñata has received top honors from a collective group we call "parents". The Parents' Choice Foundation awarded Viva Piñata with the Parents' Choice Award in gaming for its "excellent production values, universal human values, appeal to children, and age appropriateness". We're sure it's an honor, but we wonder if such an award will deter older gamers from picking up the game. We know how sensitive some fanboys can be when it comes to their gamercard and playing "children's games", so does the new Parents' Choice Award further embarrass/deter those who are uneasy about trying Viva Piñata?
Create-a-Rare-Developer, win wild-card piata
Our piñata loving friends over at Piñata Island are holding a contest where the winners will receive an extremely rare in-game Viva Piñata wild-card piñata. To win, all you have to do is pick a name of a developer off of the credits list and make a piñata that you feel best fits that person. Draw a piñata, build one out of wood, or use paper mache, it's up to you. Oh, and be sure to make up a brief back story for the little guy too. One lucky winner will have the choice of picking a discovered or undiscovered wild-card piñata or have a Mystery Crate sent to them. Three other runners up will get a discovered wild-card piñata of their choice. All entries must be posted on the forum by May 5th, so find a developer and make a piñata already![Thanks, jimmcq]
Those silly, little, inbreeding Whirlms
The latest VG Cats comic features one of our favorite Xbox 360 games, Viva Piñata! Actually, the comic focuses on the darker side of our piñata game ... a side few have the courage to openly talk about. You'll have to read the comic to get the full impact, but let's just say giving too much power to a Viva Piñata gardener can have twisted consequences. Guys, we all know inbreeding Whirlms isn't acceptable in our society, but the answer is not feeding a Whirlm baby their parent's "candy". Sick, sick sick ... this is just sick.
Microsoft's posse leads in NAViGaTR nominations
The nominees for the 2006 National Academy of Video Game Testers and Reviewers (NAViGaTR) awards were just announced with Microsoft leading the pack in nominations count. Microsoft garnered 29 nominations for various games including games like Gears of War and Viva Piñata. Speaking of Gears, it's up for an amazing 16 nominations including Graphics/Technical and Game of the Year. With over 1,150 media critics, analysts, and journalists making the final decision, we'll be keeping our eyes open on May 20th to see if Gears can add to its ever expanding trophy case.[Via TeamXbox]
Are Nintendo fanboys hurting the Wii's 3rd-party support? One fansite editor sounds off
Who's at fault for Nintendo's lack of third-party support: Nintendo, the developers, or the fans themselves? Kevin Cassidy, founder of website GoNintendo, places the blame on the Nintendo community for showing reluctance or unwarranted disdain toward third-party Wii games.The rant, part of Newsweek writer N'Gai Croal's P2P series, makes a point out of Dewy's Adventure, a game he feels internet users have called in "kiddie" based on its looks alone, subsequently refusing to give it a chance. This is a problem Nintendo had when revealing Legend of Zelda: Wind Waker to be a cel-shaded romp with a pre-adolescent Link. Of course, that game sold well on merit of its Nintendo roots. Dewy's Adventure isn't even out yet, so opinions have room to alter wildly between now and its release later this year.Is the "kiddie" problem inherently Nintendo's, though? Regard Microsoft's Viva Pinata, a game that has been praised widely but suffers from low (though steady) sales. Is the kiddie image of the title affecting other consoles, too? Cassidy opines that Nintendo fans are clamoring for "mature" titles that include violence and gore, but we feel this is a more universal trend that is affecting all consoles.
Viva Piata demo now available
A demo of Viva Piñata is now available on Xbox Live Marketplace. Clocking in at just under a gig, the demo promises to let you raise your own sparrowmint piñata. Viva Piñata vets will know that sparrowmints are available fairly early in the game, but the demo should give players about 30 minutes to an hour plenty of gameplay. Considering the high hopes that Microsoft originally pinned on the game, we wonder why it took this long to release a demo. With any luck, maybe this will convince more gamers that Viva Piñata is worth checking out. Trust us, if you give it a chance, you'll find that Viva Piñata is very addictive.Update: It looks like the demo has more gameplay than we thought. Enjoy.
Win a Viva Piata coffee mug! (coffee not included)
Over at Piñata Island (the information epicenter of all things Viva Piñata) they are running a contest and giving away a few Viva Piñata coffee mugs. All you have to do to enter is edit the wiki in any shape, way, or form three times between now and March 2nd. They'll then randomly select a few winners who'll receive piñata mug goodness. That's not all that hard now is it? Anyone up for changing the Horstachio wiki page to read "Definition: When you kill a prostitute and hide her beneath your hotel room bed"? Yeah ... the whitty Cliffy B came up with that one. [Thanks, jimmcq]
Video: Banjo-Kazooie and Viva Pi�ata sequel info
In the above video, Rare talks with GameTrailers about the potential of a Viva Piñata sequel as the direction they'd need to take it to keep it fresh, as well as their plans for the upcoming Banjo-Kazooie game. Banjo-Kazooie 3 will be a continuation of the series so it will be a safe bet that all of your favorite characters from previous iterations will be making a triumphant return. That being said, the concept artists couldn't confirm whether Gruntilda would be showing up or not. Are you looking forward to Banjo's new gen title? How do you feel about a Viva Piñata sequel? [Via QJ.net]
Microsoft continues to support DS, but not PSP
1UP asked Shane Kim, Microsoft Corporate VP, about the possibility of Microsoft games appearing on handhelds. His answer? "We do it today. We don't publish those titles directly ourselves, we are creating intellectual property that have great appeal to customers of handheld devices. Whether you're talking about mobile or the DS -- you probably won't see it on the PSP, though."Why the Nintendo love? Well, Microsoft wants to target the kids that seem to shy away from Xbox's older demographic. Get those kids hooked on their properties on the DS, and then hope to reel them over to the 360: "Nintendo's fine. Particularly when you talk about some of our titles from Rare. A Kameo or a Viva Pinata on a DS makes a lot of sense in a lot of ways from a franchise perspective."However, wouldn't one of Microsoft's more mature properties, like Halo, fare better on a handheld that not only has better tech, but has an audience that would be interested in such a product? Unless Microsoft has handheld ambitions of their own ...
Ten rejected achievements revealed!
Sometimes developers create a huge list of possible achievements for their game, have to narrow down the list, and choose which ones they want to include in the final game. There are some that get rejected because they are either too lame, too dull, too easy, or just too impossible to attain. The guys over Game Stooge put on their detective hats and went searching. They dug up unused achievements that developers didn't put into the game simply because the achievement didn't mesh with the rest. And after looking at their handy work we know why these rejects didn't make the cut. Viva Piñata's "No Incest" achievement would have been a challenge, Blazing Angels' "Victor Over Boredom" would break down even the strongest gamer, and Madden 06's "Press 'A' Button" would be ... wait a second. Didn't that achievement make it into the final game? Anyway, did anyone un-earth rejected achievements that didn't make it into the final game? If you have, we beg you to share with the rest of us.[Via Digg]
Is Viva Piata headed for the DS?
Would you play Viva Piñata on your Nintendo DS? That's the question Microsoft may be bouncing around the corporate board room table, because Shane Kim, Microsoft Game Studios VP, thinks it would be a great idea. In an interview with 1UP Kim said that "Viva Piñata on a DS makes a lot of sense in a lot of ways from a franchise perspective". We have to agree if they can pull it off on a DS and want those little piñatas to reach mass appeal. What do you think, would it be a good idea for Microsoft owned developer Rare to create a Viva Piñata spinoff for a competing company's handheld? Or do you think it would be a much better fit on Sony's PSP?
