Buzzing With Buddies
We finally go hands-on with a near-final version of Buzz! Quiz TV and we're just dying to tell you all about it!
Published: September 8, 2008
It's no secret that we've developed something of a fondness for Relentless Software's little flappy-headed game show host. Buzz -- both the mascot and the games he stars in -- has become something of an unofficial TPS drinking game barker, chiding and bagging on us as we steadily descend into the depths of a binge-drinking hole from which there is no escape.
At least not until we hit the power button.
So it's fair to assume that we're more than a little excited about what the series will be gaining as Buzz! graduates to the PS3 (and, to a degree, the PSP, but that's something we'll go over when we review it in the next few weeks). Beyond the usual upgrades to things like the visuals (they really do look fantastic, with better animation, textures and of course the Buzz! stage in general) and the controllers going wireless (oh so handy considering the controller spaghetti that would result from having up to eight controllers all feeding out to players around the room), the US release of Buzz! Quiz TV) is getting a patch that will bolster the already impressive 5,000 new questions (plus the ability to make and submit your own), with a raft of little extra touches.
Perhaps most significantly among them is the addition of Trophies, which along with a handful of new characters, buzzer sounds and new costumes for everyone, will take up the bulk of the free update that will be available day and date with the game's release here on store shelves. Also included is PlayStation Eye support, allowing you to snap shots of everyone before starting play, after everyone has turned on one another, and at certain times while playing the game itself. For those that don't see the five thousand questions as enough, you'll also be able to shell out for a videogame, National Geographic and/or sci-fi question booster pack. The Trophies, which actually include a Platinum Trophy, are probably the easiest we've seen to bank, which should give Trophy whores plenty of incentive to either grab their first Platinum or net another one.
We played a few rounds with fellow journo buddies, but most of what we played was identical to previous builds of the game (the one we were using was literally done and just waiting for the release date). We noticed the odd bit of next-gen polish -- stuff like the whipped cream in the Pie Fight round actually sticking around and piling up over the course of the round (and this time, scores don't determine who has the most pie hits; everyone only gets two hits and they're out for the round), and during the hot potato-style Short Fuse events, explosions will actually blacken the characters' faces with soot. We also noticed that the Final Countdown event now has the contestants sitting on platforms that slowly drop (and eventually have the players fall under the stage when they run out of time) instead of just having a video bar behind them that ticks down.
Actually adding in your own questions is done on a separate web site, though that site is absolutely accessible from the PS3. Once you've whipped up a handful of questions, given the overall theme a name and uploaded them, they'll be checked and then uploaded to the [i]Buzz! Quiz TV servers to go out to all players, free of charge.
Otherwise, though, this is good ol' Buzz! through and through. The characters may be more varied, higher-res, offer better animation and more vibrant personalities, but the host is still smarmy and condescending, the games themselves are insanely quick and fraught with tense moments, yet the game still has enough wild card events that can almost instantly shift points leadership positions that it all feels familiar. And when a series like this has already established itself as the pinnacle of console game shows, familiar is most definitely a good thing. We'll have a full review when the game hits in a few weeks.
At least not until we hit the power button.
So it's fair to assume that we're more than a little excited about what the series will be gaining as Buzz! graduates to the PS3 (and, to a degree, the PSP, but that's something we'll go over when we review it in the next few weeks). Beyond the usual upgrades to things like the visuals (they really do look fantastic, with better animation, textures and of course the Buzz! stage in general) and the controllers going wireless (oh so handy considering the controller spaghetti that would result from having up to eight controllers all feeding out to players around the room), the US release of Buzz! Quiz TV) is getting a patch that will bolster the already impressive 5,000 new questions (plus the ability to make and submit your own), with a raft of little extra touches.
Perhaps most significantly among them is the addition of Trophies, which along with a handful of new characters, buzzer sounds and new costumes for everyone, will take up the bulk of the free update that will be available day and date with the game's release here on store shelves. Also included is PlayStation Eye support, allowing you to snap shots of everyone before starting play, after everyone has turned on one another, and at certain times while playing the game itself. For those that don't see the five thousand questions as enough, you'll also be able to shell out for a videogame, National Geographic and/or sci-fi question booster pack. The Trophies, which actually include a Platinum Trophy, are probably the easiest we've seen to bank, which should give Trophy whores plenty of incentive to either grab their first Platinum or net another one.
We played a few rounds with fellow journo buddies, but most of what we played was identical to previous builds of the game (the one we were using was literally done and just waiting for the release date). We noticed the odd bit of next-gen polish -- stuff like the whipped cream in the Pie Fight round actually sticking around and piling up over the course of the round (and this time, scores don't determine who has the most pie hits; everyone only gets two hits and they're out for the round), and during the hot potato-style Short Fuse events, explosions will actually blacken the characters' faces with soot. We also noticed that the Final Countdown event now has the contestants sitting on platforms that slowly drop (and eventually have the players fall under the stage when they run out of time) instead of just having a video bar behind them that ticks down.
Actually adding in your own questions is done on a separate web site, though that site is absolutely accessible from the PS3. Once you've whipped up a handful of questions, given the overall theme a name and uploaded them, they'll be checked and then uploaded to the [i]Buzz! Quiz TV servers to go out to all players, free of charge.
Otherwise, though, this is good ol' Buzz! through and through. The characters may be more varied, higher-res, offer better animation and more vibrant personalities, but the host is still smarmy and condescending, the games themselves are insanely quick and fraught with tense moments, yet the game still has enough wild card events that can almost instantly shift points leadership positions that it all feels familiar. And when a series like this has already established itself as the pinnacle of console game shows, familiar is most definitely a good thing. We'll have a full review when the game hits in a few weeks.
