History VideoGame / VivaPinata

* ArtisticLicenseBiology: Peanuts (or Monkeynuts, as they are referred to in-game) are shown as growing from the branches of a tree. In RealLife, peanuts grow on subterranean stems of a non-woody plant (which is why they are in a separate category from tree-nuts.)

** The Choclodocus, which mixes [[UsefulNotes/StockDinosaursTrueDinosaurs Triceratops, Stegosaurus, and Brontosaurus]] body parts and has a NonIndicativeName based on Diplodocus.

* ArtisticLicenseGeography: [[https://i.redd.it/9mu4szjoxz301.jpg The map in Trouble in Paradise]] is ridiculous in too many ways to count; most notably (and the reason why this image was uploaded), sizeable islands like UsefulNotes/NewZealand, UsefulNotes/{{Ireland}}, UsefulNotes/{{Japan}}, and UsefulNotes/{{The Falkland Islands}} are nowhere to be seen, but hilariously, they added UsefulNotes/{{Iceland}}, a speck Northeast of UsefulNotes/{{Madagascar}}, and even what appear to be [[UsefulNotes/{{Ecuador}} the Galapagos islands!]] Perhaps [[Main/JustifiedTrope justified]] by the franchise's stylized designs.

* MixAndMatchCritters: [[UnusualEuphemism Romancing]] a Rashberry with a Swanana will result in a Pigxie. That'll make you think twice about saying "when pigs fly".

* ArtisticLicenseGeography: [[https://i.redd.it/9mu4szjoxz301.jpg The map in Trouble in Paradise]] is ridiculous in too many ways to count; most notably (and the reason why this image was uploaded), sizeable islands like New Zealand, Ireland, Japan, and The Falklands are nowhere to be seen, but hilariously, they added Iceland, a speck Northeast of Madagascar, and even what appear to be the Galapagos islands!]] Perhaps [[Main/JustifiedTrope justified]] by the franchise's stylized designs.

* EverythingsBetterWithDinosaurs: The Choclodocus, even though, according to its in-game description, "it doesn't make sense to have dinosaur Piñatas. It's as if [[RuleOfCool wanted to be cool without thinking about it properly]]."

* ShownTheirWork: The description of the [[StockDinosaurs Chocolodocus]]. With much lampshade hanging.

* CulturalCrossReference: The Ponocky gets its PunnyName from the popular Japanese snack food Pocky (the series is British, by the way.)

* FierySalamander: Salamangos are associated with fire - or better, chili. You get them by feeding a chili pepper to a Newtgat.

* {{Spinventory}}

* CallASmeerpARabbit: The Newtgat isn't based on the Newt, but rather on the Axolotl.

* SuperWoolGrowth: Goobaas (sheep) regrow their wool whenever they eat a certain flower in the original game and ''Pocket Paradise''.

* TheFourthWallWillNotProtectYou: In Professor Pester's introduction cinematic, he hits the screen, the view falls to the ground and the screen goes black as if it were a camera.

[[quoteright:250:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/Viva_Pinata_2626.jpg]]
[[caption-width-right:256:Sure, it's all smiles and cuteness now. But then comes the ''[[SurpriseCreepy cannibalism and inbreeding...]]'']]

* SeldomSeenSpecies: The Piñatas are based on real or well-known mythical creatures. Most of them are fairly well known, but what the heck is a Galagoogoo based on? What is [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Galago this thing]]?

[[caption-width-right:256:Sure, it's all [[TastesLikeDiabetes smiles and cuteness now]]. But then comes the ''[[SurpriseCreepy cannibalism and inbreeding...]]'']]

* AbsenteeActor: Leafos, Miss Petula, Fannie, Arfur, and most of the helpers, save the Sprinkling, are absent in ''Pocket Paradise''. Gretchen Fetchem instead sells domestic pinatas and accessories and runs the Post Office, and Costolot runs the Inn, and the TV show cast does the tutorial, [[CarnivoreConfusion which is rather odd, considering Pinatas are non-sentient animals in the games]], though considering [[TheComputerIsALyingBastard Leafos' tendencies]], this actually keeps the game more honest. Averted with Ivor in ''Trouble in Paradise''. Despite not having a store, he still appears in the wishing well, and give you an egg for a mythical pinata if you give him enough money.

* MoralDissonance: According to the game's manual, being broken open at a birthday party is some kind of life-fulfilling orgasmic experience for Piñatas. In your garden, however, being broken open is the closest thing to ''death'' in the Piñata kingdom. This is not helped by the fact that one ad for the game began with a disclaimer for "disturbing imagery" only to show smashed Piñatas, and the Rare logo displayed when the game starts may randomly show a Fudgehog panicking in the face of a baseball bat before being whacked.

* AbsenteeActor: Leafos, Miss Petula, Fannie, Arfur, and most of the helpers, save the Sprinkling, are absent in ''Pocket Paradise''. Gretchen Fetchem instead sells domestic pinatas and accessories and runs the Post Office, and Costolot runs the Inn, and the TV show cast does the tutorial, [[CarnivoreConfusion which is rather odd, considering Pinatas are non-sentient animals in the games]], though considering [[TheComputerIsALyingBastard Leafos' tendencies]], this actually keeps the game more honest. Averted with Ivor in ''Trouble in Paradise''. Despite not having a store, he still appears in the wishing well, and give you an egg for mythical pinata if you give him enough money.

* PaletteSwap: Each Piñata has three color variants obtainable by feeding them a certain object.

* EasyModeMockery: Playing on Just For Fun mode in ''Trouble in Paradise'' makes catching piñatas much easier, starts you off with infinite coins and enemies like the sour piñatas, Ruffians and Professor Pester won't enter your garden, but it also renders several new, high-level piñatas like Tigermisu and Sarsgorilla completely unobtainable. If you want to catch any of those piñatas, you'll have to play the Standard mode instead and transfer them over to the Just For Fun garden. As the romance minigame is also removed, you cannot obtain wildcard piñatas and must also transfer them in from a Standard garden, and you can't transfer piñatas obtained in a JFF save to any other gardens.

* FierySalamander: Salamango are associated with fire - or better, chili.

[[caption-width-right:256:Sure, it's all smiles and cuteness now. But then comes the ''cannibalism and inbreeding''...]]

''Viva Piñata'' is a video game series developed by {{Creator/Rare}}. It is primarily a {{Mons}} farm SimulationGame. The player takes on the role of a Piñata Gardener on Piñata Island, a world of animated Piñatas all styled after various animals. The player is presented a ruined patch of dirt and tasked with {{terraform}}ing and expanding it into a Piñata Garden, which is part zoo and part ranch. The player begins by attracting Whirlms, simple worm Piñatas. You breed them, sell some offspring and use others to feed to wild Piñatas to attract new types to your garden, or send them off to parties to make money. This gives you cash to improve your garden further, which unlocks more options and attracts more Piñatas, following a food chain. It's a sandbox game, but the ultimate goal is to attract all 60 (100 in later games) breeds of Piñata to your garden and become a Master Romancer (i.e., breed them like crazy), for every single species.

* GettingCrapPastTheRadar:
** Leafos claims that "Bart has a soft spot for Fannie." Younger players assume that Bart has a crush on the post office girl. However, the game was made in Britain, where "fanny" has a [[TheCasanova completely different meaning...]]
** ''Pocket Paradise'' had a little fun with the stylus and shopkeepers. "Don't touch what you can't afford, my friend!"

* VideoGameCrueltyPotential: In addition to outright smashing and inbreeding your Piñatas, you can also beat them senseless, deliberately poison them by feeding them sour candy, toadstools, or nightshade berries, set them on fire with a tiki torch (this is actually required to evolve a Taffly into a Reddhott), or aggravate them into to getting into fights.