Reviewed by Samantha and George
Buzz has been developed under the umbrella of Sony to be used on Play Station 2. Under the Buzz label there is a range of quiz games, but Buzz the School Edition was developed as a teaching aid, to make learning fun.
Buzz the School Edition is presented in the format of a TV quiz show with a variety of game modes, including teacher control which allows the supervisor to dictate the pace. Over 5,000 questions, all written by teachers, are accessible and cover English, maths, science, history, geography, RE, French, and Spanish. The age range it is designed for is 8 to 11 years, but one of the panel was 19 and she enjoyed it!
Relentless Software suggest that parents will need to be careful not to be shown up by their children. This is an excellent way for everyone to test their knowledge in a fun way. The panel really enjoyed the graphics. They also enjoyed using the hand sets which are pads consisting of four different coloured buttons. Everyone is asked the same question, you have the choice of four answers and you press the buttons according to the answer you think is right. At the end, success earns you a medal. All in all, the panel had great fun whilst learning at the same time! It is very easy to understand and use.
Relentless Software say that they developed this game in partnership with Sony and the then Department for Education and Skills. They claim that it has been a great success in schools, with children playing into their lunch breaks. Now it’s available to the general public.