Buzz! Quiz TV Review (PS3)
Submitted on: May 11, 2009 by Richard ChavezBuzz! Quiz TV is not competing with Killzone 2 or MLB: The Show for time in your PS3. In fact, this game was released last September, well before those titles even came out. Buzz! also battles against the Scene Its and Trivial Pursuits of the world.
So, why is OS reviewing this trivia game?
Well, when the game was first released, there were some basic sports questions in it, but there was not enough to really classify the game as a "sports trivia game." However, a recent Buzz! Sports Quiz Pack has been unleashed on the masses, and there are now over 500 new sports-related questions in this $7.99 add-on pack. So, does this sports pack add-on to Buzz! Quiz TV come through in the clutch? Well, let's find out below.
Gameplay
For the uninitiated, the core game -- a full retail priced title that you buy separately from the sports pack add-on -- comes with four buzzers. Each controller has five buttons and each one fits in one hand. I must say that it is a drag that the controllers run through a USB receiver and are battery operated. If you are a frequent player, you better stock up on double-A batteries because you will need eight of them right off the bat to place in the four controllers. But, It is nice that if you have friends with the game, you can use another receiver to connect four more buzzers. The game also supports the PS2 buzzers so you will be fine if you bought a Buzz! game on the PS2.
There were already sports questions included in the original game, but a sports fanatic wouldn't sweat most of these questions. They were mostly general, including "what's the name of Phoenix's football team?" and "which sport has a grueling 162-game season?"
That changed when the sports quiz add-on pack was released on April 16. The new pack adds questions that deal with the sports we watch on a daily basis. They are also much more specific, with questions like "where did Hubie Brown coach in 2004-2005?" and "which former NFL coach took over as head coach of the Pittsburgh Panthers in 2005?"
The new questions are somewhat current. At one point, I got asked "who did the Kansas Jayhawks defeat in the NCAA Men's Basketball Championship Game?" There are also some classic questions like "who hit the home run called 'The Shot Heard Round the World?'"
Simply put, the sports pack add-on is for true sports fans who want to test their might. The regular sports questions included in the original game are like batting practice fastballs to Albert Pujols.
Now, if you have ever played Trivial Pursuit by yourself, you know how boring it can be. That isn’t the case here. You can enjoy playing this trivia game on your own, but it still won't have quite the same charm as some heated multiplayer action. The only benefit to playing by yourself is memorizing the questions so you can mercilessly beat your friends when they come over.
Regular multiplayer games are quick and to the point. Buzz! Quiz TV is not the type of game that will have you in front of the television for hours but that is its strength. A full game with four people takes about 20-25 minutes, and you will find yourself playing two or maybe three games before you are burned out.
If you are alone for the night, you can take a shot online. There is a dearth of people during non-peak times, but you will have fun if you get a chance to play. This is the true test of mastery. Your friends and family probably have similar interests, but that is not the case with complete strangers. I have been caught answering questions about henna tattoos and rods and cones. Those are not my strong suits, but it is fun getting out of the sports, music and movies categories from time to time.
You will not be able to communicate verbally with your competition, but that is not a huge deal in most instances. After all, I would not want some dude telling me how dumb I was because I did not know Danity Kane's latest single. Still, it is a bummer for friends that live on other sides of the country.
Presentation
The interface is put together like a game show. You choose an avatar, a name and a buzz sound, and then you are ready to go. The host shares qualities with a lot of TV hosts: a British accent and a smart mouth. He will even make comments about the ineptitude of the contestants and read the questions for you.
The graphics are the best you will see in a trivia game -- not that the competition is fierce, but it is still something for the game to hang its hat on. The visuals are crisp and clear and suit the game well. The faux game show set resembles Who Wants To Be a Millionaire? and The Weakest Link.
Features
There is a lot of muscle behind this production. Plus, unlike the competition, Buzz! will not be outdated after a year or two on store shelves. That is because you can download new questions from the PS Store -- like the sports pack add-on -- which makes me hopeful that more sports packs will be released down the line.
Another interesting touch, called MyBuzz, lets you create your own quizzes to share with others. You can also simply download other quizzes online and play those with friends. It is easy to find a quiz you are looking for because they are sorted by most popular or most recent. The random quizzes I picked out were mostly hit or miss but there are a ton of created quizzes for you to download. This also means that there is a limitless number of sports quizzes that you could conceivably download.
The only real downside is that the host does not read the created questions out loud. Regardless, if you have ever wanted to find out which of your friends knows the most about the NHL Playoffs or Royal Rumble winners, then this is the game for you.
Closing Comments
If trivia is your game, this is the place to go. Instead of replacing Scene It with a new DVD volume every few years, you know Buzz! Quiz TV will be there for you. The single player is not worth it by itself, but if you know you will have company, you should consider the title and the sports pack add-on. But, I also want to be clear. I would not buy this full retail game, which includes 5,000 questions from a wide variety of categories, just to pay $7.99 to get 500 sports-related questions. That would not make sense to me. However, if you are looking for a trivia game that can also function as a sports trivia game, then this is the best place to look. I would compare the game to a lefty specialist in a Major League bullpen. You bring it in so it can get you out of a party jam. Buzz! Quiz TV does just that, and does it effectively. It is a fun, quick diversion in the midst of a Resident Evil 5 or NBA 2K9 session.
Gameplay: A game mostly for the more casual crowd, but it is great for parties.
Sound: The host has tons of dialogue, and the game has lots of different tunes from different eras.
Learning Curve: If you know how to read, you should be okay.
Graphics: Games like this do not need to beat you over the head with superior visuals, but the game looks good enough and is certainly better than its competition.
Online: It is more fun than I thought playing a trivia game against complete strangers but there is no microphone support.
Entertainment Value: Beating the crap out of yourself is not as fun as it sounds so you should definitely stick to multiplayer.
Final Score: 8.0 (Very Good)
So, why is OS reviewing this trivia game?
Well, when the game was first released, there were some basic sports questions in it, but there was not enough to really classify the game as a "sports trivia game." However, a recent Buzz! Sports Quiz Pack has been unleashed on the masses, and there are now over 500 new sports-related questions in this $7.99 add-on pack. So, does this sports pack add-on to Buzz! Quiz TV come through in the clutch? Well, let's find out below.
Gameplay
For the uninitiated, the core game -- a full retail priced title that you buy separately from the sports pack add-on -- comes with four buzzers. Each controller has five buttons and each one fits in one hand. I must say that it is a drag that the controllers run through a USB receiver and are battery operated. If you are a frequent player, you better stock up on double-A batteries because you will need eight of them right off the bat to place in the four controllers. But, It is nice that if you have friends with the game, you can use another receiver to connect four more buzzers. The game also supports the PS2 buzzers so you will be fine if you bought a Buzz! game on the PS2.
There were already sports questions included in the original game, but a sports fanatic wouldn't sweat most of these questions. They were mostly general, including "what's the name of Phoenix's football team?" and "which sport has a grueling 162-game season?"
That changed when the sports quiz add-on pack was released on April 16. The new pack adds questions that deal with the sports we watch on a daily basis. They are also much more specific, with questions like "where did Hubie Brown coach in 2004-2005?" and "which former NFL coach took over as head coach of the Pittsburgh Panthers in 2005?"
The new questions are somewhat current. At one point, I got asked "who did the Kansas Jayhawks defeat in the NCAA Men's Basketball Championship Game?" There are also some classic questions like "who hit the home run called 'The Shot Heard Round the World?'"
Simply put, the sports pack add-on is for true sports fans who want to test their might. The regular sports questions included in the original game are like batting practice fastballs to Albert Pujols.
Now, if you have ever played Trivial Pursuit by yourself, you know how boring it can be. That isn’t the case here. You can enjoy playing this trivia game on your own, but it still won't have quite the same charm as some heated multiplayer action. The only benefit to playing by yourself is memorizing the questions so you can mercilessly beat your friends when they come over.
Regular multiplayer games are quick and to the point. Buzz! Quiz TV is not the type of game that will have you in front of the television for hours but that is its strength. A full game with four people takes about 20-25 minutes, and you will find yourself playing two or maybe three games before you are burned out.
If you are alone for the night, you can take a shot online. There is a dearth of people during non-peak times, but you will have fun if you get a chance to play. This is the true test of mastery. Your friends and family probably have similar interests, but that is not the case with complete strangers. I have been caught answering questions about henna tattoos and rods and cones. Those are not my strong suits, but it is fun getting out of the sports, music and movies categories from time to time.
You will not be able to communicate verbally with your competition, but that is not a huge deal in most instances. After all, I would not want some dude telling me how dumb I was because I did not know Danity Kane's latest single. Still, it is a bummer for friends that live on other sides of the country.
Presentation
The interface is put together like a game show. You choose an avatar, a name and a buzz sound, and then you are ready to go. The host shares qualities with a lot of TV hosts: a British accent and a smart mouth. He will even make comments about the ineptitude of the contestants and read the questions for you.
The graphics are the best you will see in a trivia game -- not that the competition is fierce, but it is still something for the game to hang its hat on. The visuals are crisp and clear and suit the game well. The faux game show set resembles Who Wants To Be a Millionaire? and The Weakest Link.
Features
There is a lot of muscle behind this production. Plus, unlike the competition, Buzz! will not be outdated after a year or two on store shelves. That is because you can download new questions from the PS Store -- like the sports pack add-on -- which makes me hopeful that more sports packs will be released down the line.
Another interesting touch, called MyBuzz, lets you create your own quizzes to share with others. You can also simply download other quizzes online and play those with friends. It is easy to find a quiz you are looking for because they are sorted by most popular or most recent. The random quizzes I picked out were mostly hit or miss but there are a ton of created quizzes for you to download. This also means that there is a limitless number of sports quizzes that you could conceivably download.
The only real downside is that the host does not read the created questions out loud. Regardless, if you have ever wanted to find out which of your friends knows the most about the NHL Playoffs or Royal Rumble winners, then this is the game for you.
Closing Comments
If trivia is your game, this is the place to go. Instead of replacing Scene It with a new DVD volume every few years, you know Buzz! Quiz TV will be there for you. The single player is not worth it by itself, but if you know you will have company, you should consider the title and the sports pack add-on. But, I also want to be clear. I would not buy this full retail game, which includes 5,000 questions from a wide variety of categories, just to pay $7.99 to get 500 sports-related questions. That would not make sense to me. However, if you are looking for a trivia game that can also function as a sports trivia game, then this is the best place to look. I would compare the game to a lefty specialist in a Major League bullpen. You bring it in so it can get you out of a party jam. Buzz! Quiz TV does just that, and does it effectively. It is a fun, quick diversion in the midst of a Resident Evil 5 or NBA 2K9 session.
Gameplay: A game mostly for the more casual crowd, but it is great for parties.
Sound: The host has tons of dialogue, and the game has lots of different tunes from different eras.
Learning Curve: If you know how to read, you should be okay.
Graphics: Games like this do not need to beat you over the head with superior visuals, but the game looks good enough and is certainly better than its competition.
Online: It is more fun than I thought playing a trivia game against complete strangers but there is no microphone support.
Entertainment Value: Beating the crap out of yourself is not as fun as it sounds so you should definitely stick to multiplayer.
Final Score: 8.0 (Very Good)
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