Platform: Playstation 2
ERSB: Buzz – E10+, Buzz Junior – E, Buzz Hollywood – Teen
Genre: Trivia/ minigames
Number of Players: 1 -4
Publisher: Sony Computer Entertainment
Release Date: October 30, 2007
Official Website
Writer: Trina

Rating : RoboJam: 9.0 Buzz Quiz games: 7.5

Can you out Buzz your friends?

Sony Computer Entertainment has released a series of Buzz titles that focus on multiplayer fun. Sony sent us three games to review, Buzz! The Mega Quiz, Buzz! The Hollywood Quiz and Buzz Junior Robo Jam. The Buzz series originally began in the UK. Buzz Mega Quiz was one of the first in the series to be released in North America but it was already the fourth game in the series.
Buzz! The Mega Quiz has over 5,000 questions and is an overall trivia game. Buzz! The Hollywood Quiz is focused on LaLa land, and Buzz Junior Robo Jam is a set of mini-games meant for kids of all ages.
The Buzz games are quite popular in the UK, but do they stand up the trip across the pond?

Graphics:
In all three versions, the graphics are quite simple. That is not to say it looks bad. For a Playstation 2 game that is focused on trivia, quite a lot of time was spent on developing the various characters you can play. The most unique characters are in Buzz Hollywood. Depending on how you answer the question, your avatar will react in true stereotype fashion.

Controls:
The controller is quite interesting. You can either buy each game separately or buy them with a package of four controllers. The controller has a big red button on it, and then four rectangular buttons. The controller is extremely responsive. I was rather pleased to find that the controller was not overly sensitive which is to be a major complaint of mine with game peripherals. The Buzz Buzzers are also very comfortable to hold on to and play on. I never felt like I was stretching my hand too far to reach particular buttons. Again, very well thought out. When I was playing the Robo Jam, I found it easier on some mini-games to turn the remote sideways. This did not affect the ability for the game to pick up what I was pressing and actually made it easier for me to get to the various colors in a quick fashion.

Sounds:
Both Buzz Robo Jam and Buzz Hollywood have some normal quiz show sounds. Sounds aren’t really a major part of the game. The voices in Buzz Mega Quiz really bugged me though. Most characters had heavy English accents that I just couldn’t get past. The characters’ voices are much better in Buzz Hollywood.

Flow:
All three games have a very quick moving game flow. You never feel like things are moving too slow, or that you are stuck. The only thing I found was the single player in the trivia games were absent of excitement because you were not able to play against CPU players. When you play Robo Jam, you can play against CPU robots.

Fun Factor:
Buzz Hollywood is really tough. If you think you know Hollywood trivia you need to try this. To me though, Buzz Robo Jam is the gem of the group. Yes, it’s mini-games. But it’s done well. All the games are fun and interesting. The robots have a cute sense of humor and are hilarious to watch. Buzz Robo Jam is a must for any family with young kids. There are rhythm games, pillow fights, bug blasts, and basket Eye-ball. What’s not to love?

Female Factor:
The robots all seem non-gendered to me. But in the trivia games your avatar can be female. In the Hollywood trivia game, you have a choice amongst different female stereotypes; all of which are funny and done well.

Replay Value:
All three games have plenty of replay value. The trivia games have over 5,000 questions, so it will take you awhile to work through all of them. Once again, Buzz Robo Jam is my top pick for the Buzz game to get if you can only get one.

Final Thoughts:
I love trivia games for consoles. They are great for bringing in non-gamers or people at a gaming party. Robo Jam is great for the whole family to play together and is in my top favorites for mini-game genre.

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