A decade dormant: Viva Piñata and Kameo among 8 forgotten Xbox 360 franchises that deserve a comeback

Viva Piñata’s garden world

Rare’s social garden simulator Viva Piñata arrived on Xbox 360 on November 9, 2006, published by Microsoft Game Studios. Players cultivate a patch of land to attract candy-filled piñatas, each drawn to particular plants, foods and mates. Its release came two days after Gears of War, creating a striking contrast between the two games.

The game won fans with colorful visuals, whimsical music and strategic depth. Microsoft viewed it as a success, though sales began slowly; its candy-colored style and cartoon tie-in made it look aimed at children on a console marketed around shooters. Rare released Trouble in Paradise in 2008, but the sequel changed little, and a third game did not follow.

The article argues that cozy games now have a broad audience, pointing to Stardew Valley and Animal Crossing: New Horizons. It also says Rare lacks a new world beyond Sea of Thieves after Xbox canceled Everwild, and suggests a Viva Piñata revival through Xbox Game Pass.

Kameo’s transformation hook

Kameo: Elements of Power was a Rare and Microsoft Game Studios action-adventure released with the Xbox 360 in November 2005. The player controls an elf princess who transforms into elemental warriors to save her family from a troll army. The game’s development stretched across four consoles, beginning on Nintendo 64 before moving through GameCube and the original Xbox generation.

Reviews were generally favorable, with praise for the visuals and a combat system that assigned a warrior spirit to each controller face button. Sales were weaker, partly because the game clashed with the Xbox 360’s gritty, high-fidelity marketing. Microsoft canceled work on a darker sequel around 2009 as Rare shifted to Kinect games.

The article connects Kameo’s transformation-based gameplay to the success of Super Mario Odyssey, where players capture enemies and use their abilities. It proposes combining Kameo’s combat, puzzles and exploration with fantasy elements like those in Kena: Bridge of Spirits, potentially giving Xbox a family-friendly exclusive.

Prototype’s Manhattan mayhem

Prototype, an open-world superpowered action game by Radical Entertainment and Activision, reached Xbox 360 in June 2009. Set in a Manhattan ravaged by a virus, it follows Alex Mercer, an amnesiac shapeshifter who consumes people to take their memories, appearances and bodies.

A deadly virus gives Mercer the ability to run up skyscrapers, change his arms into blades, leap over buildings and throw cars hundreds of yards. The article describes Prototype as the generation’s most extreme superpower fantasy.