Buzz! The Mega Quiz

 Review

Common Sense Media says

Smart and sassy quiz show ideal for older kids.
greenON: Content is age-appropriate for kids this age.
yellowPAUSE: Know your child; some content
may not be right for some kids.
redOFF: Not age-appropriate for kids this age.
not for kidsNOT FOR KIDS: Not appropriate for kids any age.

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Quality
 
Sometimes media can be age appropriate but a real waste of time. Our star rating assesses the media's overall quality.

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Parents say

Not yet rated

Kids say

What parents need to know

Parents need to know that this game draws inspiration from television quiz shows and that, much like watching an episode of Jeopardy, you may learn a thing or two while playing. However, unlike Jeopardy's charming Alex Trebek, this host issues playful verbal assaults at trailing contestants. However, so long as players have a thick skin for insults hurled by a cheesy video game character, there is little here to offend. The difficulty of the questions puts the age at 10 and up.

  • Fosters a friendly, competitive environment among players. However, the host has a penchant for shaming poorly performing contestants, and the occasional pie is thrown.
  • Not applicable.
  • The personalities of the host and hostess are saucy, but never too spicy.
  • Not applicable.
  • The corny game show vibe makes it feel commercial, but save for the Buzz! brand, which has been used for a series of quiz video games that has been available overseas for a couple of years, it seems free of advertising.
  • Infrequently and vaguely referenced.

What's it about?

BUZZ! THE MEGA QUIZ, a trivia game for the PlayStation 2, comes bundled with four large-buttoned, wired controllers and features enough original questions for about 50 one-hour games.

Each game is composed of several short trivia rounds. Some rounds favor accuracy over speed, while others require a quick buzzer thumb. There are times when players simply need to answer questions about movies, sports, history, and science, and other times when they participate in more unconventional competitions, like figuring out the identity of an obscured image or throwing pies into the faces of other contestants.


Is it any good?

 

Unlike other quiz show video games, Buzz! The Mega Quiz is so fast-paced and eclectic that it takes a long time for it to begin feeling old. You can cut rounds you don't like from the roster and adjust the number of questions asked. You can adjust their difficulty of the questions (though even at the easiest setting we don't recommend the game for kids younger than 10). With a memory card, the game will track which of its 5,000 questions have already been used, ensuring few if any repeats over dozens of competitions.

The surprisingly droll, English-accented host lobs brief, perfectly timed, and eerily accurate jibes at poorly performing players. The only problem is the final round, which lets distantly trailing players catch up to the leader in a matter of seconds if they answer just a couple of questions quickly and correctly. That may be noble, but it can be aggravating to those out front who may have just spent an hour working to build up a significant lead.


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What families can talk about

Families can talk about the difference between trivial knowledge and wisdom, and how one doesn't necessarily lead to the other. Are you afraid to play trivia games because you fear others will judge you based on your performance? Do you feel as though you are stronger in some of the game's categories and challenges than others?


This review was written by Chad Sapieha
Teen, 18 years old
April 9, 2008
 
fun game
fun teaches people what they dont know

Flag as inappropriate 
Teen, 18 years old
April 9, 2008
 
great family/party game with few restrictions
I played this at my friends house and loved it. Basically, up to four players can create avatars and then play in quiz show style mini games . Some categories include music, movies, tevelvision, celebrities, animals, sports and even bizzare facts. This si also educational because in one game there are questions regarding countries such as cultures and lifestyles such as Greece or Africa. The only thing about this that caught my eye are some questions regarding more mature things. For example, when I chose television shows we got a question on the show south park and one of the characters. I thought that I'm fourteen so I knew the answer better than the 7 year old playing with me. Then, I thought that this may encourage people to watch shows like that. Anyway, other than questions regarding mature things this game is great for all and I dare you to play it once and walk away without playing again.

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Teen, 16 years old
January 12, 2009
 
laughed
it is a good game

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Kid, 13 years old
August 23, 2010
 
A great but also very hard
It is really fun but quite hard, too. Some of the questions are really difficult and challenging .

Flag as inappropriate 
Kid, 13 years old
April 9, 2008
 

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Kid, 12 years old
June 22, 2011
 
outstanding game
it is the best game .we learn more our general knowledge increases

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This review was written by Chad Sapieha
Platforms:PlayStation 2
Available online?Not available online
Genre:Party
Developer:Sony Computer Entertainment
Release date:November 1, 2007
Price:$39.99
ESRB rating:E10+ for Alcohol and Tobacco Reference, Comic Mischief, Mild Language, Mild Suggestive Themes, Mild Violence

This review was written by Chad Sapieha

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About our rating system
ON: Content is age-appropriate for kids this age.
PAUSE: Know your child; some content may not be right for some kids.
OFF: Not age-appropriate for kids this age.
Learning ratings
BEST: Really engaging, great learning approach.
GOOD: Pretty engaging, good learning approach.
FAIR: Somewhat engaging, OK learning approach.
NOT FOR LEARNING: Not recommended for learning.

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