Buzz, Singstar offer more party-time music

WITH all the attention on the new generation consoles such as the PlayStation, Xbox 360 and Wii, it's often forgotten that the reliable PS2 is the most common console in Australian homes.

Everyone except Sony, that is. Not only have they not forgotten it, they still believe there's still a few years of market life in the old PS2 left yet, and continue to pump out content to those who haven't been convinced to make the leap to next-gen console games.

In particular, fans of their most popular franchises, the party-play Buzz and the SingStar series, have no reason to complain about being ignored.

While Buzz is poised to make the leap into the handheld PSP environment and SingStar has long since had a PS3 version along with online track purchases, this month both of these franchises get a bit of refreshment.

For example, Buzz, after branching out into general knowledge, sporting and movie quizzes, goes back to where it all began with a new music quiz, albeit with a more contemporary focus.

Buzz: Pop Quix reunites us again with the Jason Donovan-voiced quizmaster, Buzz, and long-suffering sidekick, Rose, to test just how well you know your Amy Winehouse from your Kylie Minogue.

The attention is well and truly on recent pop music, and while there's nothing wrong with that, to this reviewer's mind this is the most narrowly focused of all the Buzz titles by far. I'm no stranger to the music charts of recent years - I like to keep up with new music - but I have to confess I found the questions on Pop Quiz to be among the most obscure in the series to date.

That's a pity as one of the strengths of the Buzz titles to date, indeed of nearly all the party play titles, is their broad appeal. They're just what you want to liven up a gathering of mixed age groups and interests.

Really, though, I doubt Pop Quiz would appeal much outside of Gen Y, and whatever the next demographic group that will soon emerge will be called. Definitely this is a title for the young 'uns only.

SingStar Party Hits, despite being about the 12th title in the competitive karaoke series, doesn't make the same mistake.

Yes, it is more pop chart-oriented than some of the titles to date, but it doesn't narrowly stick to recent years.

Each SingStar title stands or falls on its tracklist, and each tracklist is going to prove very subjective to any individual, but Party Hits still manages to present an eclectic selection, from Blondie, Bowie, Elton John and Lou Bega (Mambo Number 5) to recent hits from the likes of The Veronicas, Mika, Ricki Lee and Rhianna.

I'd imagine that just about anyone, of any age, would find at least one or two songs to enjoy on it.

For those of us who've been spoiled for choice by the downloadable track selections and more customisable and easily managed options of the PS3 version of SingStar (which will also get a second disk this month), it might appear a bit tame and dated now.

But I also know there are more than a few people and networks out there who'll be overjoyed to expand their PS2 song repertoire.

SPECIFICATIONS
BUZZ: THE POP QUIZ
• Publisher: SCEE
• Platform: PS2
• Price: $99.95, $59.95 game only
• Rating: 6.5/10
SINGSTAR PARTY HITS
• Publisher: SCEE
• Platform: PS2
• Price: $99.95, ($49.95 game only)
• Rating: 7/10