AllMovie

Viva Piñata began life as a video game, a joint effort between Microsoft and Rare Ltd. The CGI-animated principal characters were colorful, caricatured animals, of the sort that might be used as candy-filled piñatas at kiddie parties; these included Hudson Horstachio, Fergy Fudgehog, Franklink Fizzlybear and Paulie Pretztail. Living in the alternate world of Piñata Island, the characters indulged in a wide variety of fast-moving adventures, using their "Candiosity" to avoid being captured and burst open by eager youngsters. The animated TV-series version of Viva Piñata was developed by the Fox network, 4Kids Productions, and Bardel Entertainment. After a multi-episode preview showing on August 26, 2006, the weekly, half-hour TV edition of Viva Piñata joined Fox's Saturday-morning cartoon manifest on September 6.