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 Buzz:
The Hollywood Quiz & Singstar 90's
(PS2)
Mainstream titles like Singstar and Buzz usually get a bad rap from
hardcore gamers, who think their accessible gameplay and party feel make
them inferior to the more complicated intense games on the market.
However, both of these series prove, with their latest iterations that
they're appeal to the casual gamer is due to the sheer fun and
entertainment value they provide. Of course, these games offer some
interesting ideas here and they but they stay very true to the expected
formula that have made them so successful. Join us as we examine these
'casual' titles and discover why they're so much fun. |
Taking another foray into its humorous quiz-show satire series, Sony's
Buzz: The Hollywood Quiz for the Playstation 2 brings the same quirky
sensibility to movie trivia. Players will find a familiar look and feel to
the game with some interesting modes of play thrown in to keep things
intersting. Judging by the success of the first Buzz title, this looks to
follow in the same footsteps, so most players should know exactly what to
expect. You'll still see our host Buzz, who looks suspiciously like Drew
Carey and his lovely assistant at the beginning of the game and from there
things go about as you'd expect. This time, however there's a movie theme
which is complimented by an array of interesting film clips and stills
that make the multimedia experience more enjoyable to watch. Most of the
clips look fairly nice and uncompressed, making the experience feel very
fluid. As you'd expect, this latest title in the game show franchise
allows up to eight players to compete in a variety of trivia games using
the included Buzzer controllers. These are nice in construction and very
easy to use and understand, with four answer buttons with a large buzzer
on top. They connect easily using the USB port, which makes for quick set
ups and break-downs. Players can make themselves into any of several
different characters and compete against each other in a variety of
different question rounds.
These rounds are varied and somewhat
interesting with the main quiz consisting of a timed mode, where you have
to answer the question before the timer runs out, a fastest finger where
you are shown something and have to describe it quickly. There's also a
mode called Top Rank where you have to put the correct answers in the
proper order. Finally, there's a pie fight mode where the contestants can
fling pies at each other and the one who survives the longest wins. Once
you have finished the main game, you can then compete in the bonus Hot
Seat stage where you have to answer questions quickly before the timer
runs out, which isn't as hard as it sounds, though there is some
challenge. You can build up your bonus time by winning rounds in the main
game, which increases your chances of winning the grand prize. Buzz isn't
too terribly complicated and the choice of adjusting your questions level
of difficulty and tailoring your quiz to your specified topics such as
movie stars or directors makes things more fun. Most of the questions
should be fairly easy for anyone familiar with the movies, though there
are some harder ones that show up from time to time. The pacing is
relatively quick and things are relatively straightforward so most players
should have little trouble getting through the rounds. The game's visuals
are fairly decent and the animated host and contestants are fun to watch.
Buzz definitely has a great sense of humor going for it and while it's
enjoyable solo, it has been designed as a party game and this is where it
really shines, its loads of fun to compete against friends and the buzzers
themselves make you feel like you're on an actual quiz show, which makes
the gameplay all the more enjoyable. While Buzz - The Hollywood Quiz
probably won't win any awards for originality, it's still an entertaining
diversion that delivers exactly what you expect.
 When
you and your friends get tired of answering trivia questions, you can move
on and get some Karoake action with Singstar 90's, the latest music title
from SCEA, also for the PS2. This installment doesn't change much of its
familiar formula either, and brings in the traditional style of play to a
more recent decade, after the recent 80's and hard rock installments. This
installment brings with it a variety of tracks from popular artists
including Arrested Development, MC Hammer, Len, Boyz II Men, Soundgarden,
The Cranberries, Nirvana, Stone Temple Pilots and even Vanilla Ice.
Ironically enough, there's also a track from Paula Abdul, who is now
hosting American Idol, to which Singstar owes at least a little debt.
There are thirty different tracks included and these range from pop to
R&B and grunge, which gives it a great deal of variety in terms of
style and pacing. As you'd expect, there are several modes of play where
you can either sing along solo or against a friend. Each note is closely
monitored by the game and you win points for staying true to the tone and
pitch of each song, though you can trick the game and don't have to
remember all the lyrics exactly. You can also compete against a friend to
see who is better at recreating these famous songs. Singstar's main claim
to fame is that instead of listening to generic cover versions of these
tracks, you get to see the actual music videos while you sing. This gives
the game an authenticity some other music titles on the market lack, and
while the videos themselves look somewhat dated these days, they are
presented in enough of a high quality level to be more than acceptable
when playing at a party or some other social situation. In another
interesting twist in this version, you can also use the PS2's Eye Toy
camera to film yourself while you sing, which can be either thrilling or
embarrassing depending on your level of skill. The game itself is fairly
easy to understand and the menus and options are fairly straightforward,
most players should have little trouble getting the hang of things
quickly, with the onscreen bars and lyrics making the game easy an
accessible for everyone including novice singers and experts. Singstar
90's doesn't offer many innovations in the formula, but it doesn't need
to. It delivers a decent experience that brings an accessible, fun feel
aimed at a broad audience. Singstar 90's and Buzz - The Hollywood Quiz
share an accessible approach and an appealing sensibility that should make
them fit in with the PS2's other mass market titles. Both of these games
are decent enough and provide hours of casual, party style fun that should
appeal to players of all ages and abilities.
- Michael Palisano
Grade: C+
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