Viva Piñata is one of, if not the most underrated game of this generation. Like many games that share this sad honor, Viva Piñata did not conform but rather innovated in a generation where most games have about five hundred shades of gray. Piñata Island was a vibrant and beautifully colored world and offered a gameplay experience all of its own, tied into a fun and quirky story that might fly out of the disc tray if it ever took itself too seriously.

It is in this spirit that Microsoft and Rare have been hard at work on the sequel — Viva Piñata: Trouble in Paradise. In an effort to make the game more accessible to a wider audience, Rare has added several new gameplay features and tweaks, including expanded cooperative options and various approachable difficulty settings. Along with growing Piñata Island and adding 30 new piñata species — Pengums, Polollybears, Camellos and Jameleons among them — Rare has also created brand new areas like the tundra of Pinartica, and the Dessert Desert where piñatas that prefer more extreme weather conditions prefer to reside.

Hopefully, Trouble in Paradise will have better luck than its predecessor and makes a splash with more than just those reviewing it. And heck, if you’re interested in the first game you can pick it up at most stores for as low as $19.99 USD. So give it a try, you may be surprised what you find!

Viva Piñata: Trouble in Paradise will hit store shelves on September 2 in North America and a few days later, on September 5, in Europe.

[See also: Viva Piñata: Trouble in Paradise gallery]