Advanced Search >
Help Me Search

Games

Sony

PS3 | PSP | PS2 | PS One

Microsoft

Xbox 360 | Xbox

Nintendo

Wii | DS | GBA | Cube | N64

Other Platforms

PC | N-Gage | Dreamcast

Upcoming &
Recent Releases

sort by namesort by score

70 Ashes Cricket 2009
xx Assassin's Creed II
70 Axel & Pixel
60 Bakugan Battle Brawlers
81 Band Hero
63 Bass Pro Shops: The Strike
92 Batman: Arkham Asylum
89 Beatles: Rock Band, The
xx Black College Football: The Xperience - The Doug Williams Edition
xx Blood Bowl
83 Borderlands
44 Brave: A Warrior's Tale
83 Brutal Legend
70 Bubble Bobble Neo!
79 Bust-A-Move Live!
xx Cabela's Big Game Hunter 2010
xx Cabela's Outdoor Adventures 2009
xx Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2
61 Cars Race-O-Rama
67 Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs
72 Command & Conquer: Red Alert 3 - Commander's Challenge
xx CSI: Crime Scene Investigation - Deadly Intent
45 Darkest of Days
83 Defense Grid: The Awakening
87 DiRT 2
84 DJ Hero
86 Dragon Age: Origins
xx Dragon Ball: Raging Blast
xx Dreamkiller
57 F.E.A.R. 2: Reborn
55 Fairytale Fights
65 Fallout 3: Mothership Zeta
90 FIFA Soccer 10
66 Football Genius: The Ultimate Quiz
91 Forza Motorsport 3
42 G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra
xx Gears of War 2: All Fronts Collection
79 Gears of War 2: Dark Corners
68 G-Force
90 Grand Theft Auto IV: The Ballad of Gay Tony
85 Guitar Hero 5
83 Halo 3: ODST
xx Hei$t
62 Heroes Over Europe
80 IL-2 Sturmovik: Birds of Prey
63 Inferno Pool
61 Invincible Tiger: The Legend of Han Tao
73 Ion Assault
xx James Cameron's Avatar: The Game
xx Jurassic: The Hunted
xx Karaoke Revolution
63 King of Fighters XII, The
xx Left 4 Dead 2
76 Left 4 Dead: Crash Course
xx LEGO Indiana Jones 2: The Adventure Continues
75 LEGO Rock Band
72 Lips: Number One Hits
62 Lucidity
xx Madagascar Kartz
68 Madballs in Babo: Invasion
85 Madden NFL 10
69 Magnacarta 2
82 Marvel vs. Capcom 2
73 Marvel: Ultimate Alliance 2
48 Mass Effect: Pinnacle Station
61 Military Madness: Nectaris
73 Mini Ninjas
xx MX vs. ATV Reflex
83 NBA 2K10
71 NBA 2K10: Draft Combine
80 NBA Live 10
xx NCAA Basketball 10
83 NCAA Football 10
83 Need for Speed SHIFT
88 NHL 10
68 NHL 2K10
77 Operation Flashpoint: Dragon Rising
80 Panzer General: Allied Assault
84 Pinball Hall of Fame: The Williams Collection
xx Planet 51
77 Pro Evolution Soccer 2010
xx Qubed
63 Raiden IV
xx Rainbow Islands: Towering Adventure!
38 Raven Squad: Operation Hidden Dagger
66 Red Faction: Guerrilla - Demons of the Badlands
58 Risen
66 Rock Band Country Track Pack
xx Rock Band Metal Track Pack
xx Rogue Warrior
xx Saboteur, The
75 Sam & Max Beyond Time and Space
62 Saw
88 Secret of Monkey Island: Special Edition, The
69 Section 8
88 Shadow Complex
71 Sonic & Knuckles
71 South Park Let's Go Tower Defense Play!
84 Splosion Man
xx SpongeBob's Truth or Square
42 Star Wars The Clone Wars: Republic Heroes
38 Summer Athletics 2009
60 Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Turtles in Time Re-Shelled
80 Tekken 6
xx Tony Hawk: RIDE
69 Tornado Outbreak
44 Tour de France 2009
57 Tower Bloxx Deluxe
86 Trials HD
xx Wallace & Gromit's Grand Adventures Ep 2: The Last Resort
xx Wallace & Gromit's Grand Adventures Ep 3: Muzzled!
xx Wallace & Gromit's Grand Adventures Ep 4: The Bogey Man
39 Warriors: Street Brawl, The
44 Watchmen: The End is Nigh - Part 2
56 Watchmen: The End is Nigh - Parts 1 and 2
69 Way of the Samurai 3
69 WET
51 Where the Wild Things Are
72 Wolfenstein
81 WWE SmackDown vs. Raw 2010
55 Yo-Ho Kablammo
65 Zombie Apocalypse

Stars indicate the most critically-acclaimed games.

Viva Pinata: Party Animals

EMAILPRINTxbox360

Viva Pinata: Party Animals
56
6.1 User Score:

Mixed or average reviews

Based on 42 critic reviews
How did we calculate this?

Based on 8 votes
Read user comments
Rate this game >

Game Info

Publisher: Microsoft

Developer: Krome Studios

Genre(s): Strategy, Simulation, Party

Players: 4

ESRB Rating: E (Everyone)

Release Date: October 30, 2007

Summary

Compete in a variety of zany battles and races in the social party game Viva Piñata: Party Animals. Control the fame, fortune, and destiny of all your favorite characters from Viva Piñata: Fergy Fudgehog, Paulie Pretztail, Franklin Fizzlybear, and Hudson Horstachio. Viva Piñata: Party Animals includes more than 40 mini-games and a dozen foot races for players to compete against one another. Collect candy and special bonuses in all sorts of exotic and hazard-filled locations. Up to four players can gather together in the family room to play, or join a game on Xbox LIVE, and take the party global. [Microsoft]

What The Critics Said

All critic scores are converted to a 100-point scale. If a critic does not indicate a score, we assign a score based on the general impression given by the text of the review. Learn more...

85

NZGamer

It's filled with fun!

Read Full Review >
80

Team Xbox

The wide range of minigames almost guarantees everyone will find at least something they like in the title, and I’ve yet to find anyone who didn’t get a thrill out of the game’s fast paced racing.

Read Full Review >
75

Official Xbox Magazine

Party's certainly not as deep as its predecessor, but it features some of the most engaging mini-games on 360 to date. [Holiday 2007, p.80]

75

DailyGame

Viva Pinata: Party Animals is a fun family game that might be a little too easy and repetitive for adult gamers, but the kids will love it especially when you play it with them.

Read Full Review >
75

Gaming Nexus

While the game is billed as a dreaded party game (usually hit-or-miss), Viva Piñata Party Animals is able to blend the beauty of Piñata Island and it’s original cast a characters into a playable game that is both entertaining and fun to play in a group.

Read Full Review >
70

Digital Entertainment News

Party Animals gets a little out of control with its shortcomings, but that doesn't keep it from being entertaining for the little ones. A great presentation and some quirky moments make it charming for children.

Read Full Review >
70

Cheat Code Central

Viva Piñata: Party Animals is a colorful and good looking game, and it's suitable for kids and parents alike. No one will get too tired of playing the game, unless the kid turns it into a daily chore!

Read Full Review >
69

GamingTrend

Thanks for the demo Krome, when does the full game come out?

Read Full Review >
65

Da Gameboyz

Fans of the original Viva Piñata game will likely be disappointed in Viva Piñata: Party Animals as the originality and depth of the first game has vaporized.

Read Full Review >
65

GamePro

Viva Pinata Party Animals is squarely aimed at a specific audience populated by those that find burping hilarious and think cartoon violence and comic mischief are peak entertainment; i.e. children.

Read Full Review >
65

Console Monster

It is by no means perfect but it is a polished title with no major bugs or glitches and with its budget price tag it’s worth getting, particularly if you fancy some mini-game fun for a change.

Read Full Review >
64

GameZone

With the mini games and racing both falling into repetition; the gameplay ultimately suffers from [lack of] any type of depth.

Read Full Review >
64

Planet Xbox 360

With the 360 so devoid of family-friendly party games, Party Animals should have been a slam-dunk, not just slightly better than Fusion Frenzy 2. The game gets the tone and characters right, but this time the piñatas feel stuffed with quick-cash rather than candy.

Read Full Review >
61

GameTrailers

The Viva Pinata Universe is a creative one, and has loads of potential. Party Animals doesn’t really harness all of that, but it does provide a somewhat shaky foundation for a much better sequel.

Read Full Review >
60

Worth Playing

A graphically impressive party game. Although it may seem a bit droll and uninspired to the hardcore gamer, it does an admirable job of being a fun party game for the younger crowd.

Read Full Review >
60

GameDaily

Party Animals completely lacks what made the first Viva Pinata so endearing.

Read Full Review >
60

MS Xbox World

Due to a lack of diversity and interest within the party games, the extreme shortness of the competition mode and a lack of options within the ‘options’ screen, I’d be surprised if you play this more than thirty minutes a sitting.

Read Full Review >
60

GameSpy

If a sequel comes along with a greater variety of mini-games, more playable characters, and plenty of new dialogue (the two hosts' back-and-forth conversations get old quick), we'll be happy to play it. With this one, however, you might want to wait for a price drop before joining this party.

Read Full Review >
60

Games Radar (in-house)

Fans of the original should avoid this one - kids will enjoy it, but Party Animals doesn't have the heart or charm of its predecessor.

Read Full Review >
60

Gaming Target

Overall, it’s a decent effort but the repetitious gameplay makes it little more than a rental.

Read Full Review >
58

Gaming Age

All together Viva Pinata: Party Animals is a decent entry into the franchise, but nothing that will keep you entertained for very long. In short bursts it can be a lot of fun, and it's kid friendly appeal will make quite a few parents very pleased.

Read Full Review >
57

GamingExcellence

While it shines with striking décor and beautiful backdrops, Party Animals fails at engaging its audience and providing a solid game experience.

Read Full Review >
56

IGN

The inherent problem that really bogs down the action in Viva Pinata's aesthetic successor is that the mini-games simply don't stem from a fun design scheme.

Read Full Review >
55

1UP

It doesn't bring anything new to the table, and while its party games provide some casual fun, it relies far too heavily on the Viva Piñata license for the bulk of the entertainment.

Read Full Review >
55

GameSpot

There's simply not enough of a game here to prop up the pretty pictures.

Read Full Review >
55

Game Informer

The races, which conclude each tournament, offer smooth controls and track designs loaded with jumps and tight turns, but given how frequently players get power-ups, they end up being more of a crapshoot of who is dealt the best hand.

Read Full Review >
55

Maxi Consolas (Portugal)

Younger players might want this game for its cute characters, but it’s not as fun as it looks. It’s possible that some less demanding children might like it, but there are better party games available out there. [Jan 2008]

50

Gameplayer

Yes, it looks pretty, but without the competitive spirit and creativity of other party games, Party Animals gets old faster than a progeria sufferer. This one is sadly a bit of a party pooper.

Read Full Review >
50

Gameplanet

This one's strictly for the under tens. Big kids would be well advised to revisit the original Viva Piñata for their 'party animal' fix.

Read Full Review >
50

360 Gamer Magazine UK

Worth it if you’ve got a gaggle of screaming kiddies to keep quiet or you simply want a quick 1000 Gamerpoints (the game is very generous), Party Animals certainly won’t be cut the mustard with anyone who’s gaming habits extend beyond the casual.

50

VideoGamer

For all its charm and my early enthusiasm for Party Animals, there simply isn't enough creativity to make this a title families will keep coming back to.

50

Official Xbox Magazine UK

This is never going to be the game that sets the world alight or is a critical success - but it is far from a cheap cash in like many party games, and might just prove the right direction for Rare's misjudged franchise.

Read Full Review >
50

Kombo

Even little kids will probably be turned off by the lack of options – unless they don't mind literally playing the same over and over.

Read Full Review >
48

Games Master UK

A minigame compilation that lacks any real charm, and simply isn't enough fun. [Jan 2007, p.69]

46

Xbox World 360 Magazine UK

We appreciate that mini-games must be simple and intuitive, but that doesn't mean they can't be imaginative, or hide subtle depths and plenty of replayability, or at least pretend they're doing something exciting. Party Animals does none of these.

Read Full Review >
45

Gamers Europe

For a fun party game - even one aimed at kids, who let's face it are just witless dwarves who'd be impressed by a cardboard box if it had a picture of a monkey on a skateboard on it - Viva Piñata is horribly oversimplistic, repetitive and just plain lacking in oomph.

Read Full Review >
40

Xboxic

Single players will be disgusted at the AI and lack of options and variety on offer. There’s zero substance here. Multiplayer gives a short-lived fun experience, with the mini games making players laugh for all the wrong reasons. The mini games lack imagination that we see in other party games such as Mario Party which actually has something to go back for.

Read Full Review >
35

PALGN

Party Animals is one of the worst mini game compilations released in the past few years. The game is a sad moment for the franchise.

Read Full Review >
30

Eurogamer

There's very little challenge or strategy, and very little imagination has gone into anything besides the visuals, which were done by other people anyway. Xbox 360 wasn't a good system for kids and families before this came out, and nothing's changed. Teach them to play Viva Piñata instead.

Read Full Review >
30

X360 Magazine UK

Awfully disappointing spin-off that insults on practically every level. The developers at Krome deserve to be punished, just like we were when playing this. [Issue 27, p.95]

25

GameShark

A pretty big disappointment – the only fun there is to be had for adults are the GamerScore points, while kids didn’t enjoy the game either and would rather hit the Wii for some casual gaming. Even if your kids like the series, this is a tough game to recommend.

Read Full Review >
25

Game Revolution

Piñatas are good when they contain candy and treats, but these so-called Party Animals only hold the broken dreams of the Public Broadcasting System. They shower the poison of lost opportunities and stink of failed marketing schemes.

Read Full Review >

What Our Users Said

The average user rating for this game is 6.1 (out of 10) based on 8 User Votes

Note: User votes are NOT included in the Metascore calculation.

Bob P. gave it a7:
Generally quite fun to play with my child, but the mini-games start to get repetitive. One saving grace is the fact that tries to keep the competition even...thus allowing someone who gets off to a bad start to get back in the game.

Popular on CBS sites: SEC Football | NFL | Video Game Cheats | iPhone | Video Game Reviews | Notebooks | Antivirus Software

About CBS Interactive | Jobs | Advertise

© 2009 CBS Interactive Inc. All rights reserved. | Privacy Policy | Terms of Use