PLAY

Viva Pinata (360) – I’ve either been playing this or watching my wife play it. Between us I think we’ve got all but three of the pinatas, though I may have missed some. Yesterday I finally got Parrybos and she got Roarios. Our entire style of play changed over the weekend. She sent me a crate and it wouldn’t let me unpack it my garden. So I started a new one as she couldn’t remember what was in it and we were curious. Turned out to be Mike Tyson, a fourheads. (Think as he was wearing a crown I’d reached my accessories limit for the garden, as everything else was very low.) Anyway, as I’d started a second garden I decided to go with it and turned it into a watery wonderland for all the water-loving creatures in the game. So, then, we moved to a multi-garden model. We also became farmers, specifically raising pinata to fulfill certain criteria and then selling them once they’d served their purpose, with no goodbyes or regrets. I still have pinata I love, from early in the game, but the majority of my new pinatas are just means to an end. Next, unless my wife gets one this afternoon, comes the great Galagoogoo hunt. Oh – and thanks to this game my wife now has Xbox Live friends, yay!

Super Mario Bros (NES) – Oh, yes, I played this too. Warped as far as World 5-2, but couldn’t remember any further warps… and died, anyway. Feels a bit off to me, somehow. Still fun, but the controls aren’t as invisible as they normally are when I play Mario.

WANT

Viva Pinata 2 (360) – More, more, more pinata, more items, bigger gardens, slopes so streams can run downhill, real bridges, more crossbreeding, variant colours being passed on (full gene-based model possible?), better pathfinding, bigger garden limits, fish, BUG FIXES, more responsive controls, ability to select sick/new animal from alert, ability to visit other gardens online, no bad guys, multi-item crates, proper online auction houses, Leafos not to lie so fucking much and/or Leafos to be dead, etc.

Marvel Ultimate Alliance (360) – Well, I’ve got it. But I want to play it. After Viva Pinata, whenever that turns out to be.

Metal Gear Solid: Portable Ops (PSP) – Well, I’ve got it. But I want to be good when I get round to playing it, whenever that turns out to be.

Crackdown (360) – Otherwise known as “that game that comes free with the Halo 3 beta”. I’m hoping for Hulk-style goodness. Luckily there’s a demo coming out in time for the pre-order to be cancelled if it’s rubbish.

BIN

Viva Pinata (TV) – The cartoon. Downloaded an episode (“Candiosity”) on the 360. Very annoying characters and not saved by a handful of pop-culture references and one slightly funny moment.

Viva Pinata (360) – Well, the noise the disc makes in the 360. It’s really starting to grind and I’m not entirely happy about it.