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When it comes to family based entertainment few games can rival the
success of the
BUZZ! quiz series on PlayStation2. With no less than seven
previous releases under its belt,
 BUZZ!
caters expertly for all ages; even the younger members of the family
can get involved with the specially developed BUZZ! Junior
range. So how will a game so revered for its ability to pull
families together fare on PlayStation Portable. With its imminent
release this Friday, July 25th, 2008, it remains to be
seen whether the introduction of such a popular social game on said
console will be to the detriment of its pulling power.
Well, it seems that SONY and Relentless Software
have considered this predicament and the result, though unlikely to
rival the success of the original, deals with its pitfalls
admirably. The social aspect of the game is not lost as it boasts
both Single-Player and three Multi-Player Modes. Firstly,
bringing a tactical edge to the game is Pass Around mode whereby the
console is passed between players with the added capability to
choose who should answer the next question. Secondly, one copy of
the game can be shared among up to four PlayStation Portable
console’s using the Game Sharing option, and
finally Quiz Host mode allows for up to six players, with one
individual adopting the role of Host to select and ask questions. As
well as all these options there are also six new rounds specifically
 created
for PSP, such as Picture This which requires players to identify the
properties of a slowly emerging picture in the fastest time, and the
aptly named Quickfire Challenge, to ensure that the competitive
‘buzz’ of the game is as healthy as ever.
The Single-Player need not despair either.
Despite the absence of the iconic BUZZ! Controllers, the PSP
version of the game has progressed beyond the scope of previous
BUZZ! games. The distinctive coloured buttons that allow for
answer selection are adequately replaced by the four Face Buttons
and the aesthetics and sound quality of the title are comparable to
the original. Where the game really excels, however, is in its sheer
enormity. With fifteen different quiz challenges, incorporating over
three-thousand questions on multiple topics, trophies to collect and
plenty of picture assets and videos, BUZZ! Master Quiz is
sure to provide entertaining gameplay for many a miss-spent hour. |
