Buzz! Junior: Jungle Party - E10+

A kids' party game that's modestly entertaining.

Publisher: Sony Computer Entertainment Category/Genre: Video Games - Party Games Platform: PlayStation 2 Price: $39.99 Online Enabled: No Graphics: Medium. Cute and appealing simians inhabit colorful environments. Playability: Easy. Most of the minigames can be learned in less than 20 seconds. Reading Level: Light Release Date: 10/30/2007 ESRB Rating: E10+ for Crude Humor, Mild Cartoon Violence

Common Sense Note

Parents need to know that this party game has mild, humorous cartoon violence in which jungle animals get a few bruises. Targeted at kids, the game is designed to encourage them to play in groups of up to four. Most of the mini-games are extremely simple to grasp and verbal instructions are provided for each activity, so kids as young as 6 can play. The game must be played using Sony's easy-to-use Buzzer controllers.

Families can talk about the difference between playing a game by yourself and playing with a group of friends. Do you enjoy testing your game skills against computer-controlled opponents in a single-player game, or do you prefer the more social experience of going up against human opponents? Do you like the simple Buzzer controllers more than the complex gamepads typically used in console games? Which party game did you like most?

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Common Sense Review

Reviewed By: Chad Sapieha

The back of the BUZZ! JUNIOR: JUNGLE PARTY box, which features a picture of a quartet of kids wielding Sony's five-button Buzzer controllers in active poses, might make you think that this PlayStation 2 game has an interface similar to titles available for the Wii, which uses a motion-sensitive, infrared-enabled remote. Don't be fooled. The mini-games in Jungle Party require none of the wrist-twisting and arm-flailing antics associated with many Wii games; a speedy thumb will suffice.

But don't let this small bit of gray advertising dissuade you from letting your kids try this fun little party game. They may only move their digits while they play, but they're still likely to get a kick out of most of Jungle Party's two dozen or so activities.

Raindance, for instance, is a compelling little rhythm game that involves pressing the red buzzer button in time with icons that scroll across the screen to make your monkey perform a little dance. Also fun is Ostrich Egg, which has players sneaking up on a large avian to pilfer her egg, stopping and playing it cool whenever her beak pops up out of the sand. Plus, all of the games take less than a minute to learn, and are suitable for ages 6 and up.

However, while Jungle Party's games are uniformly easy to figure out, some are a lot harder to master than others. For example, most players will find they can ace a game like Totem Pole -- which involves pressing buttons that correspond with colors shown on the screen -- the first or second time they play it. On the other hand, a game like Turtles -- which has players adjusting the distance and direction of coconuts being lobbed at crawling amphibians -- can be attempted a dozen or more times before any level of expertise is achieved. This disparity can be frustrating and unfair, especially if one player in the group has spent more time with the game than those he or she is playing against.

Also bothersome is the fact that Sony forces players into using its simple, game show-like Buzzer controllers. While these devices are well suited to the game, the option to use a standard PlayStation 2 controller would have been nice, but Sony didn't make them compatible. You can purchase Jungle Party without the Buzzer controllers for $29.99 -- ten dollars less than the edition that comes with the peripherals -- but it will be useless unless you already own Buzz! The Mega Quiz, the only other game at the time this game was released to come with the Buzzer controllers.

These issues are annoying, but Buzz! Junior: Jungle Party delivers just enough fun extras -- including an engaging score-based single-player game mode, monkey outfits to unlock, and customizable multiplayer games -- to keep it on the right side of recommendable. Put simply, it's just a bit of mindless and goofy interactive entertainment that's both safe for and accessible to most kids.

For more PlayStation 2 party game fun, check out Ape Escape: Pumped & Primed and for older kids, Buzz! The Mega Quiz. If you prefer Wii games, try Mario Party 8 or Smarty Pants. Xbox 360 owners can give Viva Piñata: Party Animals a shot.

Reviewed: 01/03/2008

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Content		CS	adults	kids
Content
Sexual Content The raciest thing in the game is a hippo wearing a coconut bikini.
Violence Squirrels get thumped on the head in a whack-a-mole game, turtles get pummeled by falling coconuts, and monkeys get hurled at a big target. Aside from the odd "ooph" sound, none of the characters ever appear to be seriously hurt or indicate that they're in pain.
Language
Message
	Social Behavior Promotes an atmosphere of friendly competition among up to four children.
	Commercialism This game is part if the Buzz! franchise.
	Drug/Alcohol/Tobacco
	Educational Value