Sometimes with games, simple is good.

Simple means you can grasp the premise easily and even if it's slightly whacked, you can have fun.

To many people's surprise, Microsoft's popular virtual pet game Viva Pinata, which was both simple and silly, worked.

The plot - you're a gardener given land to do whatever you want and you are rewarded by cute, colourful and charming pinata animals.

Each pinata has a particular personality and likes and dislikes as all our pets do.

While obviously aimed at the younger gamer, and tied to a TV show, the game has a surprisingly wider appeal.

Now comes the sequel: Viva Pinata: Trouble in Paradise (Xbox 360: rated G).

In the story, Professor Pester has trashed the records of the pinata species and you have to build up the number of pinatas and replace the lost records.

It ain't broke so not a lot has changed but you do have 32 new species, two new places to explore, there are new objects and toys to find and you have the ability to trap new pinatas then import them to your garden.

It's also multiplayer online.

Viva Pinata is either your thing in which you'll find countless hours of worrying over the animals and tending to their needs, or you may find it just a little boring.

The sequel will certainly satisfy the fans of the original who will appreciate the subtle yet welcome improvements.

MadGamer rating: 8.5 /10

Facebreaker

Facebreaker (EA, on Xbox 360 and PS3: rated M), from the people who brought us the boxing great series Fight Night, also keeps it simple.

It's more a frenetic button-pushing arcade fighting game than a pro-boxing game in which you block, dodge and punch.

You choose from the range of colourful characters or use your own photos using a character creation tool to create an opponent with a somewhat familiar face.

FaceBreaker, the game's signature mode, results in your opponent's face getting brutally pummelled as you beat the tar out of it.

There's also a "Brawl For It All" tournament mode where you work your way up through five belts against some merciless opponents.

Letting off steam is always fun, although smashing a guy's face is rather over-the-top, and though visuals are good, sadly the game does have some gameplay and a couple AI issues.

This highlights the game's dilemma: if you're a hardcore fight fan used to Fight Night, you won't find just button-mashing as satisfying as scientific fighting with combos and string-hits.

On the other hand, if you're into fighting games, you can get frustrated with the controls and the player responsiveness which make it hard to win or feel like a cheap victory.

A semi-satisfying bash but best played multiplayer.

MadGamer's rating: 6.5 /10