Buzz! The Hollywood Quiz – PS2 – Review

There is a
lot to be said for a game your family won’t let you play … hmm, let’s look at
that another way … it’s amazing how much useless junk is stored in our brains,
just waiting for that prime opportunity to pop out and dazzle friends and family
alike.

*mimmicks
a game-show announcer*

Yes, boys
and girls, ladies and gents, cats and dogs – it’s time once again for that
button-mashing, pulse-pounding, brain-spewing trivia game where fast fingers
helps, having a life is discouraged and a willingness to potentially embarrass
yourself is necessary.

*clears
throat, talks semi-normal*

Buzz is back
for round two and this time the game tackles showbiz trivia with The Hollywood
Quiz.

Part fastest
finger, part trivia test, the Buzz titles are family fun on the PlayStation 2
console system. The title plays out like a game show, with several rounds, a
handheld buzzer with a big red button and four colored buttons to use to buzz in
and key in answers to the questions asked. This is a multiplayer title, even
though it says that between 1 and 8 players can participate. The buzzers,
available with the first title in the series, are in a string of four, and are
connected to the USB port on your PS2 console. Two sets of controllers allows
the maximum number of eight to play.

The game
begins with players choosing a Hollywood-themed avatar, picking a color
combination for the costume and then picking the buzz-in sound, which can go
from a giggle to a burp, to an old-fashioned horn sound.

Single-player mode has two options – time builder (you answer questions
correctly to build up points to gain time) and hot seat (you use the time
accrued to answer as many questions as possible). Multiplayer is much more
robust and part of the action even allows a player to act as the quiz master.

The
multiplayer categories for for this iteration of the franchise are:

• 
  Hollywood Stars:
  From directors to actors, genres to decades, you pick your favorite subject
  and answer tailored questions.

• Faster
  Finger: Buzz in
  fastest with the correct answer to gain points.

• Fact or
  Fiction: Is
  Jackie Chan a recording star in China? If you know the answer to that one,
  then you are ready for this category.

• Top
  Rank: Put four
  answers in the correct order the fastest to score the big points.

• Pie
  Fight: Buzz in
  fastest, get the answer right and you get to throw a pie at your opponents.
  Nail one of them twice and then are eliminated from the round.

• 
  Rollover:
  Choose a category, answer a question and if you answer incorrectly, the points
  roll over to the next player in line to possibly get if they can answer their
  own question correct. If one question is worth 250 points and player A misses
  it, then player B’s question would be worth 500 points.

• Point
  Stealer: Buzz in fastest and answer correctly and you get points … from
  another player’s stockpile.

• Final
  Countdown: All
  points are converted into time and time ticks down while answering questions.
  The last one left standing wins. Answer incorrectly and more time comes off;
  answer correctly and time is added.

While most
of the categories require quick fingers, having the right answer is more
important. The questions themselves range from easy to hard, depending on the
difficulty setting. The gameplay is basic and easy to understand for kids of all
ages, though younger players may have a problem with answering some of the
questions.

The game
sports fun animations and hundreds of movie clips and celebrity photos. The
prizes and awards are silly but done with tongue in cheek. The sound is decent
in this game. Be prepared, though, for insults and other slaps in the face. This
game abounds with cheap vocal shots, especially if you take too long to answer a
question or answer incorrectly.

The
Hollywood Quiz improves on the format first established with The Mega Quiz and
really should cater to entertainment fans, but be prepared to be challenged. The
range of questions date way back and run up to present movies and such. Still,
if you are a fan of movies, you should do well – and your family may not allow
you to play.

Review Scoring Details for Buzz: The Hollywood Quiz

Gameplay: 7.5
An easy learning
curve, rewarded with groans, glares, smirks, snickers and laughter – while this
game centers on movies and is more of a niche game, it is a lot of fun to play.

Graphics: 7.0
Not much
improvement over the previous iteration, but nice movie clips help.

Sound: 7.0
Decent this time
around, but not a starring role.

Difficulty: Medium

Concept: 7.0
Not that
original, but if fun was included in the notion of a game concept, then this
game does well.

Multiplayer: 8.5
This is where the
game really shines. Single player is prep work, multiplayer is the pay-off.

Overall: 7.4
A fun family
experience that tests showbiz and movie trivia, supporting it with solid clips
and graphics. This is a party game and/or a family game that while it would
appear to be a niche title, actually should have broad appeal.