Buzz! The Pop Quiz

5.5
Average

Gameplay	5.0	"The most disappointing Buzz! since, well, ever. "
Graphics	8.0
Sound	5.0
Value	5.0

By Liam O'Connor

Although the PLAYSTATION 3 has been out for almost a year now, the PlayStation 2 bravely soldiers on, fuelled by the constant release of new iterations of the Singstar and Buzz! series.

It’s really at the point now where reviewing these titles broadly is pointless, as everyone knows what they are about. And, if you’ve been living under a rock, you can always go back and read any one of the previous reviews for these titles to understand everything.

Thus, when reviewing Buzz! The Pop Quiz, it’s more important to look at what the game offers and how these features stack up against previous versions. Essentially, it’s now the little things that matter.

Unfortunately, it’s the little things that let down Buzz! The Pop Quiz and stop it from reaching the potential we all know the series has. Although graphically the presentation has taken some impressive leaps over the last version – it now feels far more MTV than BBC – Buzz! The Pop Quiz feels like a giant step backwards.

For starters, nearly all the great game modes that have been introduced to the series have been revoked in favour of returning to the set-up of the original Buzz! The Music Quiz. The result is that the game seems boring and lacks any sense of progression. It even ends with a bland final round that lacks any kind of excitement.

Additionally, the presentation, with the exception of the graphics, has taken a nosedive. There are no awards, no prizes, and fewer gameplay options – there are even frequent moments of complete silence that are really jarring in a quiz about music.

Even Jason Donovan, the voice of Buzz, and his co-stars sound bored. It’s like they are phoning in the performance for another quick buck. Although Buzz has always been annoying, at least before he was mildly entertaining as well. Now, he’s just annoying.

Worst of all, the quality of the music is all over the shop. Although some original recordings have been used to great effect, other tracks are covered so badly it’s a wonder that Sony’s usually tight quality control let them through. One LL Cool J song literally replaces the rap with “zah zah zah” repeated over and over again. It’s such a half-assed effort that you wonder why they even bothered at all.

However, the final nail in the coffin is how niche Buzz! The Pop Quiz is. Many of the questions will go unanswered for all but the most fanatical of music fans. Pop music by its very nature is disposable, and very few are going to be able to find themselves recalling what album featured the M People song that was a number 1 hit in 1994.

At the same time, most of the questions are focused on the 1990s onwards, meaning that older players will be at a disadvantage. It’s a game where neither the young nor old are likely to have the knowledge or memories needed.

The result is that frequently questions must be answered incorrectly, and this is often punished. Ultimately, the game becomes more and more frustrating no matter how much Liquid Party Starterä is injected into the proceedings; one round is all it will take before nobody wants to play Buzz! The Pop Quiz ever again.

It’s a shame that Buzz! The Pop Quiz is such an example of an attempt to make a quick buck. There has obviously been a lot of effort put into the graphics engine, but the general presentation of the game is lacking. The Pop Quiz wasn’t shipped out of the door with the same amount of love and care as its predecessors and it shows.

If you don’t have a PLAYSTATION 3 and you’re desperate for some more Buzz! action, you might want to check out The Pop Quiz. However, everyone else is probably going to want to wait for the inevitable PLAYSTATION 3 version instead.

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