After hearing a sequel to Viva Pinata was in the pipeline I became intrigued to know how Rare intended to improve on the original. In my opinion the original was near flawless in execution providing me - an Adult - hours of fun for what is considered a kids games.
My first impressions with Trouble in Paradise are very positive. Rare have shown a dedication to their fans by not fixing, what was not broken. They've left the basic controls the same, with some additional improvements (e.g the repetitive nature of buying and planting seeds). The number and variety of Pinata's has also increased significantly, and right from the start players of the original game will get to see and play with these new creatures. Again the basic concept of the original game remains unchanged, with the exception that the "Party" pinata tasks have been considerably revampped. Before they seemed largely irrelevant and an unneccessary distraction now they contribute significantly to the introduction and romancing of the new species particularly in the new desert and arctic "visiting" gardens.
This game is really addictive and grows on you quickly. Don't let the cutesy nature fool you either. Even the most seasoned of gamers will struggle to see all of the Pinata's in the game - and I don't believe it will be for the want of tryiny as there is enough variety and achievements to play this for 80+ hours. You've been warned!