"Fun multiplayer action"

Buzz!: The Music Quiz brings TV game shows right into your living room and what better topic than music?

Story:
Well, it's not a story really, but a fictional television game show hosted by the cocky and frustratingly not funny Buzz (voiced by ex-Neighbours star Jason Donovan). Despite how annoying he is, Australian players will at least be happy its not Eddie Macguire.

Graphics: 8/10
It's quite a nice looking game, with well presented menus and good characters. But given how little there really is going on in this game when you consider environments and so forth, there really was a lot of scope for them to make a game that was really pretty and shiny. But it's not really. Good, but not great.

Controls: 10/10
The game comes bundled with 4 "Buzz! Buzzers" which plug into your USB port on the PS2. They're very light-weight and fit very comfortably in your hand. There is a big red flashing button on the top which is your main buzzer, and below are four coloured buttons that correspond to the colours of the answers in the multiple choice questions. A standard PS2 controller is not needed at all in Buzz, except if you want to host your own quiz with your own questions, in which case the host/judge needs the controller. Failing that, the 5-button Buzz! Buzzer is all you need to control this game.

Sound: 9/10
There are over 5000 questions featuring more than 1000 music clips in this game, and after playing through this game with friends many times, I can honestly say that questions are very rarely repeated. As far as the music clips go, for legal reasons they are re-recorded versions of the original which I know has disappointed some people. But personally I'd rather have a great volume of songs that very closely resemble the originals rather than a small selection of clips because thats all the legal team could afford with the licensing.

Besides the music there is also gameshow style sound effects, which are excellent, and there is also the voice acting, which is, admittedly, well done, albeit fairly annoying at the best of times. Having said that, it feels right for the voice acting to be annoying, and it adds to the multiplayer fun of abusing Buzz/Jason Donovan.

Gameplay: 10/10
The music quiz can be taken in the category of older music (up to and including the 80s), new music (from, and including, the late 80s until present), or all music. The game progresses through a number of exciting rounds which mostly involve answering multiple choice questions on the "Buzz! Buzzers." While the emphasis is on multiplayer, there is also a single player mode that is not competitive but more about trying to best your own personal score.

The pace of the game is excellent and the gameplay itself can become very intense and frantic as competitors scramble for the lead.

Overall, I believe Buzz! The Music Quiz is a must have for everyone who likes music, and for everyone who likes gaming with friends, whether it be electronic gaming or just party/board games. It really is great fun for old and young and a great game to pass the time with a bunch of mates.

Reviewer's Score: 10/10, Originally Posted: 02/02/07