Buzz! Junior: Robo Jam
Encyclopedia
Buzz! Junior: Robo Jam is a 2007 family game for the Sony
Sony
, commonly referred to as Sony, is a Japanese multinational conglomerate corporation headquartered in Minato, Tokyo, Japan and the world's fifth largest media conglomerate measured by revenues....

 PlayStation 2
PlayStation 2
The PlayStation 2 is a sixth-generation video game console manufactured by Sony as part of the PlayStation series. Its development was announced in March 1999 and it was first released on March 4, 2000, in Japan...

, and is the second game in the Buzz! Junior series
Buzz!
Buzz! is a series of video games originated by Sleepydog Ltd., developed by Relentless Software and published by Sony Computer Entertainment Europe for the PlayStation 2, PlayStation 3 and PlayStation Portable consoles. They are quiz games that see the players answering trivia questions while...

 of games. Robo Jam was co-developed by Magenta Software
Magenta Software
Magenta Software is a Video Games Developer based in Liverpool, England.In October 2007, Magenta Software won the Children’s Jury Giga Maus award for Buzz! Junior: Robo Jam. In November 2007, Magenta Software won a British Academy Children’s BAFTA for Buzz! Junior: Jungle Party. It was founded in...

 and FreeStyleGames
FreeStyleGames
FreeStyleGames Ltd. is a British video game development company with approximately 100 staff based in Leamington Spa, Warwickshire. The company was originally formed by Ex-Codemasters and Ex-Rare staff in late 2002, and has developed over the last 5 years into a well-respected development...

. Magenta supplied the engine and nineteen of the twenty five mini-games while Freestyle supplied the remaining six mini-games. Cohort Studios
Cohort Studios
Cohort Studios was a Scottish games development and interactive entertainment studio based in Dundee.Formed in 2006 by Lol Scragg, Darran Thomas and Bruce McNeish, Cohort’s first project involved being contracted by Sony Computer Entertainment Europe to assist on MotorStorm for PlayStation 3...

 developed a PlayStation 3
PlayStation 3
The is the third home video game console produced by Sony Computer Entertainment and the successor to the PlayStation 2 as part of the PlayStation series. The PlayStation 3 competes with Microsoft's Xbox 360 and Nintendo's Wii as part of the seventh generation of video game consoles...

 version of the game that was released on the PlayStation Store
PlayStation Store
The PlayStation Store is an online virtual market available to users of Sony's PlayStation 3 and PlayStation Portable game consoles via the PlayStation Network. The Store offers a range of downloadable content both for purchase and available free of charge. Available content includes full games,...

 on May 14, 2009 which included trophy support and, for the first time, players could use a DualShock
DualShock
The DualShock is a line of vibration-feedback gamepads by Sony for the PlayStation, PlayStation 2, and PlayStation 3 video game consoles. The DualShock was introduced in Japan in late 1997, and launched in the North American market in May 1998...

 controller as well as the Buzz! Buzzers. Gameplay is based around multiple mini-games, each quite simple and straightforward to play using the four Buzz! controllers. It is primarily aimed at the family market but offers appealing entertainment to almost anyone of any age. Simple game play allows young children to participate while still being entertaining enough for older children and adults. The game is similar in concept to Jungle Party, with robot based mini-games in a space-themed environment. One of the main differences between Jungle Party and Robo Jam is the introduction of AI, allowing players to play against the computer. Unlike Jungle Party there is no solo game mode. A full game can be played with only one human player and three computer players.

Buzz! Junior: Robo Jam won the 2007 Children's Jury Giga Maus award.

Gameplay

Gameplay is based around multiple mini-games, each quite simple and straightforward to play using the four Buzz! controllers. It is primarily aimed at the family market but offers appealing entertainment to almost anyone of any age. Simple game play allows young children to participate while still being entertaining enough for older children and adults. The game is similar in concept to Jungle Party, with robot based mini-games in a space-themed environment. One of the main differences between Jungle Party and Robo Jam is the introduction of AI, allowing players to play against the computer. Unlike Jungle Party there is no solo game mode. A full game can be played with only one human player and three computer players.

Development

Robo Jam was co-developed by Magenta Software
Magenta Software
Magenta Software is a Video Games Developer based in Liverpool, England.In October 2007, Magenta Software won the Children’s Jury Giga Maus award for Buzz! Junior: Robo Jam. In November 2007, Magenta Software won a British Academy Children’s BAFTA for Buzz! Junior: Jungle Party. It was founded in...

 and FreeStyleGames
FreeStyleGames
FreeStyleGames Ltd. is a British video game development company with approximately 100 staff based in Leamington Spa, Warwickshire. The company was originally formed by Ex-Codemasters and Ex-Rare staff in late 2002, and has developed over the last 5 years into a well-respected development...

. Magenta supplied the engine and nineteen of the twenty five mini-games while Freestyle supplied the remaining six mini-games. Cohort Studios developed a PlayStation 3
PlayStation 3
The is the third home video game console produced by Sony Computer Entertainment and the successor to the PlayStation 2 as part of the PlayStation series. The PlayStation 3 competes with Microsoft's Xbox 360 and Nintendo's Wii as part of the seventh generation of video game consoles...

 version of the game that was released on the PlayStation Store on May 14, 2009 which included trophy support and, for the first time, players could use a DualShock controller as well as the Buzz! Buzzers.

Reception

Buzz! Junior: Robo Jam received generally mixed reviews from crtics, which holds a score of 67.53% on Gamerankings based on 17 reviews. Greg Miller of IGN
IGN
IGN is an entertainment website that focuses on video games, films, music and other media. IGN's main website comprises several specialty sites or "channels", each occupying a subdomain and covering a specific area of entertainment...

, gave the game a 6.5/10 and said that the game "isn't beautiful or deep, but it is a solid game for families to occasionally gather around. Chad Sapieha of Common Sense Media
Common Sense Media
Common Sense Media , commonly known as CSM, is a San Francisco-based non-profit organization which serves as a guide for parents that has reviews for most media types, including books, movies, video games, music, and websites, and rates them in terms of violence, sex, and profanity. The website...

, However, gave the game 2 stars and an on rating for ages 7 and up, and said that "the mini-games are, by and large, well executed and fairly fun", the game was criticized for its lack of mini-games and that the game contains "no unlockable bonus activities, no art galleries, and no secret characters.". Despite its mixed reviews, Buzz! Junior: Robo Jam won the 2007 Children's Jury Giga Maus award.

External links

The source of this article is wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.  The text of this article is licensed under the GFDL.
 
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