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Categories: Review
Tags: party, xbox 360
In the distant future, four out of six of the galaxy’s greatest athletes compete on alien worlds, once inhospitable, now terraformed into playgrounds for the rich. Or something like that. Frankly story isn’t important in a game like Fuzion Frenzy 2: a party game for up to four players online or off (Xbox Live play works like the offline game). Fun is more important, and despite having a GameRanking hovering just above 50%, Fuzion Frenzy 2 is a fun game. Really.
Fuzion Frenzy 2 has over 40 minigames spread over themed planets: there’s a water world, a lava world, an ice world, and four others. Players can either jump straight into the minigames or compete in a tournament. The tournament is a competition to control a planet by earning the most points on four of that planet’s minigames. In single-player mode, the tournament is also where extra minigames can be unlocked.
The minigames are fun. Let me repeat, the minigames are fun. There are some stinkers, like most of the Rumbles, which resurrect Final Fight-era controls, but the majority of them are good with a few great ones as well. So far the Game Couch crew hasn’t tired of the Tron-styled Tail Blazer, Kaleidoscope Survival, or the Sumo battles.
“You getting a headache, Player 4?”The Game Couch crew has tired of the wacky, generic announcer guy who compulsively shouts out, “How’re you doing Player 2?,” “Did that do a lot of damage, Player 3?,” “Player 2’s getting smoked,” and “Jump. Jump. Jummmmppppp!” Man, I hate that guy. Not only is he an asshole, he also reinforces that the characters are generic. Sure they have names (and voices like MXC contestants), but the only thing that stands out is that they are different colors. Despite the intricate backstory each character gets in the manual, I came to think of Samson as the red guy, rather than the guy who “is improving his intellect without sacrificing any physical prowess.”
While button mashing, lightning reflexes, and the ability to shut out the annoying announcer are all hallmarks of champions, Fuzion Frenzy 2 adds an interesting card game into the mix. Players can use cards to multiply their score, steal another player’s multiplier, divide someone’s score, or pick the next minigame or planet. The implementation of the card game is a little rusty– you can’t pick who to steal from and steal cards cancel each other out, but it adds an interesting twist I enjoy.
If Fuzion Frenzy 2 has anything working against it (beyond announcer dude), it is the game’s $49.99 price point. The original game lacks online play and some of the newer features, but it’s also $30 cheaper and is compatible with the 360. Fuzion Frenzy 2 currently is the only party game for the 360 and the price isn’t top tier, but $50 is lot to ask for a game that doesn’t boast next-gen features and doesn’t have much appeal beyond being something you throw in when people are over.
Fusion Frenzy, however, is a free online game where players can learn about Hoover’s Cyclonic Filtration System! Slightly reminiscent of Pac-Man, players navigate a maze cleaning up dirt left by hopping dust bunnies. Once you collect the Cyclonic Filtration System power up, those dust bunnies are an easy mark–but watch out, the Cyclonic Filtration System doesn’t last forever!