Nov 18 2008
Review: Buzz! Master Quiz (2008, PSP, trivia)
Buzz! Master Quiz is the franchise’s first entry into portable trivia gaming, and it’s mostly disappointing. The core gameplay of answering questions based on clues, pictures and videos isn’t broken: the problem is the package surrounding the core gameplay is too shallow to be recommended.
The game ditches the game show format, and instead present you with a bunch of challenges for you to complete. Most of the screens consist of text and your host Buzz, and that’s about it. It is a passable interface but doesn’t do anything to spruce up the experience. Single-player mode consists of set number of questions that you must answer, by yourself. You are not even playing against computer opponents so the only incentive to continue playing is to… beat your own score.
Multiplayer is where the game fares better with 3 multiplayer modes, 2 of which can be played with only a single PSP with contestants passing it around. It’s passable but it isn’t an immersive experience like passing the controllers on a full-fledged console version. Game sharing mode is incredibly limited, and it isn’t worth the price of admission which involves multiple PSPs in the same room.
Buzz! Master Quiz, with its 5,000 questions, boring single player and limited-appeal multiplayer could be improved upon all areas and I hope the developers will correct all these issues. Until then, it is just a passable collection of trivia.
Rating: 45%
