Hey all! I was out of the country in the heart of the Dominican Republic for a few weeks and then forgot my password. But now I am back!

I recently began playing Gears of War. After the initial shock of watching my behemoth of a man use a chainsaw bayonet to tear a creature limb from limb, I fell in love with the game. Sure the story is virtually unexplained and the characters a clique and stereotypical, but the gameplay is fantastic. Diving behind cement barriers, dodging gunfire and grenades, popping around corners brandishing my trusty shotgun, daring anyone to challenge me, it has been an exciting week of slaying the Locust Horde.

But to balance the disturbing amount of sheer gore in that game, i opted to buy Viva Pinata today. A buddy of mine has the game and (shamefully) admitted to being addicted to it. From what I've gathered it's a beginner's level god-sim, basically Zoo Tycoon for the 360. But my friend assures me that the cartoony graphics hide the complexity and in depth puzzles the game provides. It's entertaining and simple enough for anyone who can hold a controller and difficult enough to cause some of the more developed gamers to lose sleep. (Again, shamefully confessed by my friend)