If I were asked before this generation of gaming, ‘Brodie, would you be inclined to play a game that is a hybrid of Pokémon, a dash of Sim City, oh, and it takes place within the confines of a garden?' Needless to say, I would have been cynical before tip-toeing around some kind of sensitive rejection. However, lack of warning placed the original Viva Piñata in my lap. It then became a game I recommended to each of my friends, who all approached it with the same reluctance. Never had I experienced such a unique title that achieved appeal far beyond its intended audience. Trouble in Paradise, from my perspective, was met with quiet ovation as Rare manage to go an extra yard whilst sticking to the formula that made the original a success.

The narrative in Trouble in Paradise is rather simplistic, but that's a given for a game that also shares its universe with a children's program. That being said, however, Viva Piñata doesn't rely on a solid narrative to produce enjoyment, and no-one above the age of eight will find the scattered cut-scenes to be of much interest. In the opening scene of the game we see the dastardly Professor Pester, along with his band of Ruffians, manage to foolishly erase all of the piñata data from the island, thus throwing the world you know into chaos. It then leaves you with the task of recovering all of the lost data and piñata so that you can restore order and partying can resume across the land. So you see it's the bare essentials when it comes to story-telling, but it serves its purpose in the end.

Rare hasn't done much to change the formula as far as gameplay goes; which is probably a wise thing, cause as they say, ‘why mess with success?' For those who aren't familiar, Viva Piñata plays much like any simulation title, such as the Sims or even Sim City to a lesser scale. Your objective is to construct a garden using an assortment of shrubbery and garden ornaments in an attempt to entice all kinds of piñata to visit, and eventually, reside there. To go with your green thumb you have three essential tools for building your garden; a watering can, a shovel and a seed packet; all of which being upgradable throughout the game. As you accommodate the needs of piñata, you will rise in level. It's incredibly fun, however this was all there was on offer in the original, Trouble in Paradise is somewhat more goal oriented.

Rare have made efforts to make TiP a more user-friendly affair. In the predecessor, the d-Pad was used to quick-select the watering can. This time around, a second press gives you your seed packet, and for your fertilizer you, yep you guessed it, give it a third push. Rare have also given players the ability to quick select items and piñata in the garden using the respectively assigned bumper buttons. They're small changes, I know, but the more user-friendly they make the series, the more appeal it has; and so far, so good.

There are a number of challenges to complete that will, in the early stages of the game, assist you in learning to trap, tame and most importantly please your piñata. This is presented in the form of a tutorial, although there isn't much of a learning curve involved, as all basics will be picked up rather promptly. The original cast return to aid you in your quest; from Leafos, the guiding hand in your gardening, to Willy the Builder, the hammer headed carpenter keen on building homes for your piñata. It's warming to see all these faces return, along with a bunch of new faces. You're no longer confined to your patch of land, as you can now venture beyond your boundary to two varied locales. On one end of the spectrum you've got Dessert Desert, and on the other, the Pinarctic. At each of these distant lands, you're now able to bait piñata traps and capture piñata specific to each climate. Naturally, if you catch a piñata from Dessert Desert, you may need to modify your own garden to accommodate their lifestyle so they'll choose to reside with you. Of course, there are a score of new-fangled piñata to welcome into your plot and then eventually send off to your friends across Xbox Live.

Aside from the standard mode, players also have the options of two other additions: ‘just for fun' mode, and new piñata contests. Just for Fun mode places no emphasis on currency management or having to unlock items required to make an enticing garden. It's a fantastic mode for anything without the time to dedicate to the consuming standard mode, or those more eager for a quick path to glory and riches. Contests, on the other hand, involve players entering their more beloved piñata into beauty contests (perhaps inspired by the later Pokémon games) and even races. These are both handy side features, though wouldn't alone justify purchase without the standard mode; after all that is the main event.

One of the more interesting inclusions in Trouble in Paradise is the support of the Xbox Live Vision camera, which is tied into the feature aptly named ‘Piñata Vision'. It revolves around the player using the camera to scan a card; using the embedded barcode to download new in-game content. This is a remarkable feature that is perhaps the best excuse for owning the Live camera thus far, and better yet, micro transactions aren't in force here as players can access the cards (and print them accordingly) from the game website. ‘Piñata Vision' is sadly off-limits to those who never got around to purchasing the camera, which sadly isolates them from all of the content, famous piñata and some of the key items on offer via barcode scanning. This is one of the pitfalls of the camera system, but hopefully Trouble in Paradise encourages gamers yet to dive in to buy a Live camera.

One criticism of the original Viva Piñata was lack of a solid multiplayer component. Gardeners were limited to merely trading piñata over Xbox Live, and this didn't sit well with critics. Rare went back to the drawing board, and this time around, they've expanded largely on this, to great effect. There are chances to take part in local co-op for two, or online for up to four players wherein you and a few mates can build a garden and attract those coloured critters as a team! This is a fantastic component for Trouble in Paradise, and Rare pulled it off quite well.

Viva Piñata was a charming and distinctive look into the curious lives of those partying, papery darlings. It not only played like a treat, it had the looks to match; as it's brightly coloured textures and concepts were classic Rare. Luckily, Trouble in Paradise is no different, as it maintains its majesty. However, this means there was no drastic improvement this time around, and most of the textures and models have remained untouched since Viva Piñata was released a couple of years ago. The original Viva Piñata suffered cases of visual slowdown during cases of on-screen clutter, an example of which is fights between piñata (more so the climax). Rare have optimised the graphics engine this time around so that these cases are no longer present, and that Trouble in Paradise does run rather smoothly with few hiccups.

The premise of the piñata design can be summed up with one word: cute. Everything about Rare's take on the piñata is nothing but adorable; the introductory scenes when new piñata visit your garden warm my heart every single time I see them. Each little note that your piñata sings is precious, as it completes the package and helps these piñata become the personification (or piñata-ification) of cute. Trouble in Paradise has an easy-listening kind of soundtrack that is, not only recalibrated mostly from the original, its specific to the time of day in-game. For example, during the day you'll be treated to an upbeat ensemble that is exuberant, whereas night will bring a more relaxing theme to the ear; fitting for a piñata bedtime.