Common Sense Media Review
By Chad Sapieha
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Smart and sassy quiz show ideal for older kids.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 10+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Play
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.
Talk to Your Kids 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?
Game Details
- Platform : PlayStation 2
- Pricing structure :
- Available online? : Not available online
- Publisher : Sony Computer Entertainment
- Release date : November 1, 2007
- Genre : Party
- ESRB rating :
- Last updated : August 25, 2016
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