GameSpot editors' review
-
CNET editors' rating:
stars
Good
Detailed editors' rating
- Reviewed on: 04/27/2006
- Released on: 03/17/2006
- Originally published on GameSpot: Buzz! The BIG Quiz (PlayStation 2) Review
Buzz is another Sony game to use a special peripheral, and another game clearly aimed at the mass market. The game is presented in the style of a television quiz show, complete with a cheesy host and a glamorous assistant. But the big attraction of Buzz is the way you interact with it, via the flashing red buzzer. This novel, incredibly simplistic controller will be familiar to anyone who's ever watched a gameshow, and it will attract gamers and nongamers alike. Unfortunately, the quizzes themselves aren't nearly as appealing as they could be, thanks to an overly simplistic difficulty and a few gameplay irritations.
The presentation of Buzz is rudimentary, but it has an appeal that's rooted in the fact that it's based on every TV gameshow ever made. The show itself is called Buzz, and it's presented by a simple but well-animated host called, er...Buzz. Voiced by one-time Australian soap star turned student union-bothering entertainer Jason Donovan, Buzz orchestrates the show with a brash arrogance that makes him engaging for the first few games, but gradually more irritating as novelty turns into repetition.
The BIG Quiz isn't the first game in the series. It follows last year's music quiz by changing the focus from pop to general knowledge. Whereas most of the questions in The Music Quiz were based on audio samples, most of the questions in The BIG Quiz are picture-based, with occasional audio interludes. While the transition works visually, famous figures and geographical locations dominate the selection, with occasional interludes for science and nature. The result is that The BIG Quiz feels like it has been tailored to those looking for lightweight fun as opposed to a cerebral challenge. It's also clear that the questions have been written around the images rather than the other way round, as you'll see figures such as Ron Howard, Orlando Bloom, and Ian McKellen popping up in almost every game.
The controllers included in the package are simply irresistible, and their novelty just about carries the game. You get four buzzers with the game, although if you got the same controllers with The Music Quiz, The BIG Quiz is available separately at a budget price. These four handsets are tied together and plug into one of the PlayStation 2's USB ports, and one of the new features for The BIG Quiz is that two sets can be plugged in for up to eight players. While this makes for a potential nightmare of tangled cables, you'll be hard pressed to find such an all-inviting party game unless you're in possession of two multitaps and a decent sports game. The four coloured buttons on the fascia are used to answer questions, while certain rounds will ask you to buzz in using the flashing red button on top. It's so simple that you don't even need to listen to the instructions for the most part, as the interface will be familiar to anyone who's ever seen a TV gameshow.
A standard game of Buzz!: The BIG Quiz consists of six rounds that last around 15 minutes. The rules for each round vary, but the general goal is to answer each question correctly in the quickest time possible. The format allows you to build points up through the first few rounds and then the later rounds punish you for wrong answers, while allowing you to steal points from your opponents. The most exciting round is pass the bomb, which involves answering questions and desperately trying to get rid of the bomb before it explodes and takes points off your score.
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