Original Music Composed by Grant Kirkhope and Performed by the Prague Philharmonic Orchestra
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Microsoft's Children's Miracle Network Games Bundle is the first package to be launched as part of the company's Family Games initiative. The bundle, which is priced at a "value" price point of less than $30 includes three Xbox 360 games; Viva Pinata Party Animals, Sonic the Hedgehog, and Shrek The Third.

Microsoft will donate 100 percent of its net proceeds from sales of the Family Game Pack to support Children's Miracle Network hospitals, a network of 170 children's hospitals across the United States that treat 17 million sick and injured children every year. Enhance your enjoyment of family game night knowing that the proceeds from your purchase will help other families by allowing children to receive the medical care they need.
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GiantBomb "We're suckers for Viva Piñata around here. So sue us.

Rare's community manager George Kelion posted a nice little holiday gift over on the NeoGAF forums: A set of desktop backgrounds featuring piñatas in various scenes from classic film. They can be yours for the low, low price of...well, just click on them below."
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Back in April this year, Disney Pictures announced like a zillion movies coming from all their divisions during the next four years. [...] The last of them, currently scheduled for a 2012 release, was called Newt.

Some of you may have instantly thought of Viva Piñata's utterly beautiful newtgats after reading that. [...] However, the distance between Rare's and Pixar's newts narrows if we know that both are meant to perpetuate their breed.
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Recent claims indicate that Rare, the development team behind the Banjo and Viva pinata games, allmost bought us a horrible cross console hybrid... well nearly...
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1UP Staff, 12/23/2007:

"We really should hate attending the Jump Festa videogame and comic show. But the promise of Square Enix titles making their playable debut is way too much to pass up."

"At this year's event, open to the public on Saturday and Sunday, Square Enix was once again the main attraction for the videogame crowd. With the promise of playable debuts for the Final Fantasy fighting game for PSP, Final Fantasy: Dissidia, the new DS Kingdom Hearts, Kingdom Hearts: 358/2 Days, and the new mobile Final Fantasy IV spinoff, Final Fantasy IV: The After."

"This year's showcase had Kingdom Hearts and Final Fantasy XIII sandwiching short clips of the Parasite Eve mobile sequel and the Blu-ray version of Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children."

In addition, Sega, Capcom, Bandai Namco, Nintendo, and Microsoft all have booths at the Jump Festa this year. 1UP's report briefly covers all of them.
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Game Informer have just sent out their newest edition to American stores nationwide and this months' review scores can be found below. Super Mario Galaxy receives the game of the month award, while Rock Band also impresses. Time Crisis 4, Soul Caliber: Legends and Jenga were this months' worst games.

Rock Band (PS3/Xbox 360/PS2, EA): 9,25 / 9,25
F.E.A.R. Files (Xbox 360, Sierra): 6,5 / 7
Beowulf (PS3/Xbox 360, Ubisoft): 5,75 / 5
Kane & Lynch: Dead Men (PS3/Xbox 360, Eidos): 7 / 7,25
Warhammer 40,000: Squad Command (NDS, THQ): 8 / 8,5
MX vs. ATV Untamed (Xbox 360/PS3, THQ): 8 / 8,25
Scene It? (Xbox 360, Microsoft): 8,5 / 7
Viva Pinata: Party Animals (Xbox 360, Microsoft): 5,5
Bee Movie (Xbox 360/PS2/Wii/NDS, Activision): 6,5
Time Crisis 4 (PS3, Namco Bandai): 4,25 / 4,5
Super Mario Galaxy (Wii, Nintendo): 9,75 / 9,75 **Game of the Month**
Smarty Pants (Wii, EA): 7,5 / 6
Rayman Raving Rabbids 2 (Wii, Ubisoft): 7,75 / 8
Resident Evil: Umbrella Chronicles (Wii, Capcom): 8,25 / 8
Soul Calibur Legends (Wii, Namco Bandai): 4 / 4
Ghost Squad (Wii, Sega): 7 / 6,5
Battalion Wars 2 (Wii, Nintendo): 7,25 / 7,25
Endless Ocean (Wii, Nintendo): 6
Trauma Center: New Blood (Wii, Atlus): 7,5
Medal of Honor: Heroes 2 (Wii, EA): 6,75
Dancing With the Stars (Wii/PS2, Actgivision): 5,25
Jenga (Wii, Atari): 2
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The special Xbox 360 version of the most popular games magazine in Japan has just hit store shelves and its always interesting to look at the review scores. In the latest issue, Xbox 360 cracker Lost Odyssey was reviewed for the first time, and rewarded with 9/8/8/8 which brings its total to 33/40 which equals 8.25/10. Other games that have been reviewed are Guilty Gear 2, Virtua Fighter 5, Kingdom Under Fire, Conan, Stuntman and Viva Pinata Party Animals.

Winning Eleven: Pro Evolution Soccer 2008 (Xbox 360, Konami): 9 / 9 / 8 / 8 - (34/40)
Guilty Gear 2 Overture (Xbox 360, Arc System Works): 6 / 7 / 5 / 7 - (25/40)
Lost Odyssey (Xbox 360, Microsoft): 9 / 8 / 8 / 8 - (33/40)
Virtua Fighter 5 (Xbox 360, Sega): 7 / 8 / 9 / 8 - (32/40)
Conan (Xbox 360, THQ): 6 / 5 / 5 / 6 - (22/40)
Momotarou Dentetsu 16 Gold (Xbox 360, Hudson): 8 / 8 / 8 / 8 - (32/40)
Atsumare! Viva Pinata - Let's Party (Xbox 360, Microsoft): 7 / 7 / 7 / 7 - (28/40)
Stuntman Ignition (Xbox 360, THQ): 8 / 8 / 6 / 8 - (30/40)
Kingdom Under Fire: Circle of Doom (Xbox 360, Microsoft): 7 / 8 / 6 / 6 - (27/40)
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The Game Developers Association of Australia announced its 2007 Industry Award winners at the conclusion of its Game Connect: Asia Pacific 2007 Conference and Expo, at an annual dinner that convened 200 GDAA members, industry guests and government representatives to hear the news.

The categories were largely swept by Infinite Interactive's Puzzle Quest: Challenge of the Warlords, which earned Best Game, Best Console Title, Best PC Title, Best Handheld Title and Best Gameplay.
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Today Microsoft gave out the release date for Viva Piñata expansion, Party Animals--November 16, 2007. So if you're a fan of the first game on the Xbox 360, make sure you mark that date on your calendar!
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Microsoft Game Studios and Krome Studios present the latest party gaming extravaganza developed exclusively for Xbox 360. Arriving in stores today, "Viva Piñata: Party Animals" is a social party game for gamers age 6 and up that is set inside an episode of the critically acclaimed 4Kids TV Viva Piñata animated series. The game will be available starting October 30th in time for the Piñatas to take in all the candy of Halloween. Regardless of whether you are young or just young at heart, "Viva Piñata: Party Animals" is a real treat for gamers of all ages.
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"Viva Piñata Party Animals is a really great party game. If you've ever played Pen Pen Tricelon and enjoyed it, you'll love this new Viva Piñata game even more. Microsoft just released the achievements list for us to ponder until the game comes out. There are a total of 50 achievements! So if you are looking to boost your gamerscore, check out this list:"
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Plan on dining at your local Burger King in the coming weeks? Then here's a tip, courtesy of Piñata Island: the fast-food chain is giving away one of these charming Viva Piñata toys with every kids meal it sells, to celebrate the imminent launch of Viva Piñata Party Animals on the Xbox 360.
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The latest issue of EGM contains some tasty Quartermann rumors. With Viva Pinata already heading to the Nintendo DS and the continued success of mini-game compilations on Wii, doesn't it make sense Viva Pinata: Party Animals should show up on Wii? Q seems to think so, but it doesn't seem like it'll be hitting day-an-date this Fall.

Also, those rumors of BioShock coming to the PlayStation 3? Scrap 'em; apparently, the incredible success of 2K Games' new IP on Xbox 360 (and PC) means Microsoft has snatched the rights to keep Rapture on their hardware. The additional content originally planned for the better-late-than-never PS3 version may show up in a Game of the Year edition or downloadable content on Xbox Live.
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As part of its Tokyo Game Show Bringing It Home celebration, a 971 MB demo of the Xbox 360 mini-game competition Viva Pinata: Party Animals is now available for download from Xbox Live Marketplace.
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There's a short and sweet (zing!) interview over on PinataIsland with Viva Piñata: Party Animals lead designer Cameron Davis where he talks a little bit about the game and confirms that a demo will be hitting the XBLM soon
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