The more things change, the more they stay the same. Take television for example; no matter how innovative and bizarre modern new television programmes become, quiz shows remain immensely popular. It's not just for the large cash prizes or the fifteen minutes of fame either - we love quiz shows because, as a nation, we just can't resist putting our knowledge to the test. Why do you think it's such a common sight for family members to yell their answers at the television, to all intents and purposes, an inanimate box in the corner of the room? Why do we delight in sour joy when we get an answer right, but the sweating on-screen contestant doesn't?

Buzz: The Hollywood Quiz answers these questions, while posing plenty more for us to get our teeth into. Quite simply, Buzz is a quiz game, in which each player puts their knowledge, reactions and ruthlessness to the test in a number of rounds ranging from simple question and answer sessions to feud-forming, point-stealing epics. But it gets better than that. To allow more players to compete - even those not familiar with gaming pads - and to avoid clunky control sequences, the game comes packaged with four USB buzzers. This makes the game not only more fun, allowing four people to compete against each other, but a good deal more exciting too - particularly now that you have a genuine buzzer to hammer when answers pop into your head. So that's how the game works. You each pick up a buzzer and get to work - it's that simple. What's more, owners of previous Buzz! games - who already have a set of the innovative buzzers - can buy Hollywood Quiz without the buzzers, at a lesser price.

The game begins with each player picking a character, ranging from mock-Hollywood stars (a scarred Conan warrior with a guttural European accent is the Governor of California in all but name…) and a few survivors from the previous Buzz! games (a caricature of Liam Gallagher and an amusing mime artist, to name the first two that come to mind). You then type in your name and choose a buzzer sound (anything from car horns to sheep bleating. Beware: your party guests are likely to spend far too long flicking through these, amusing themselves with the 'wacky' noises, so be prepared to tug out the sound lead!)

Then it's straight down to the fun - a retro, suave quiz show hosted by a chirpy yet scathingly sarcastic fellow called Buzz (voiced, incidentally, by Jason Donovan). There's a quick tour around the impressive cartoony studio and, typically, a few quips from the irritating host, then it's into the game itself. A bout of Buzz! starts simply enough; the first round is a question and answer round, where the players use the coloured buttons on their buzzer to answer questions. Since this is a film-themed Buzz!, the game is kept interesting by a range of video clips and movie stills, all sewn into the tapestry of this quiz show carnage. By the time this round is over, everyone should have racked up a few points and become used to the buzzer system. And, now your confidence has been bolstered, it's time to get on to the real game.

This is where Buzz! starts to excel - stretching the boundaries of family entertainment whilst remaining simple and accessible throughout. The rounds include Faster Finger First, where it's the player who answers quickest who takes home the points, and Pie Fight, a competitive elimination game, where whoever gets the answer right gets the opportunity to hurl a pie at one of their rival contestants, thus robbing them of one of their lives. Each round you play begins with a short instruction clip (which can be skipped on later goes) and ends with a look at the scores. It's well varied, yet quick moving and competitive.

At the end of the game (after the frantic Final Countdown, a round where it's not unknown for the entire scoreboard to be reversed, leaving previous leaders tumbling into last place), the winner is announced. There's a little bit of statistical information, with awards like 'Fastest Finger' and 'Most Answers Right' (for unlike the average general knowledge quiz, or the inferior Scene It, it's not just your knowledge that gets you points here). Unfortunately, this information isn't retained for later games, which is a shame, as it would suddenly add an edge for regular and serious players of Buzz! (Yes, I'm sure there are a few who take it seriously…) to see if their previous records have been broken. But that's one of very few gripes I have with this Buzz! title. Presentation wise, it's fantastic, with pleasing graphics and great use of film footage. Sound wise, it's pretty good, too. Of course, it's extremely playable, but the game can also be customised very well, adding an edge of longevity.

Buzz has done it again - fast, frantic, accessible family fun with a huge range of questions, Buzz!: The Hollywood Quiz promises great fun for many gamers and non-gamers alike this winter - and not just the film buffs either.

Reviewed by Robert Jackman for AceGamez (All Rights Reserved).