Fuzion Frenzy

Last updated

Fuzion Frenzy
Fuzion Frenzy Coverart.png
North American box art
Developer(s) Blitz Games
Publisher(s) Microsoft Game Studios
Director(s) Darren Wood
Programmer(s) Steve Bond
Neil Campbell
Tom Drummond
Artist(s) Rehaan Akhtar
Mark Capewell
Jonathan Evans
Composer(s) Rob Lord
Engine BlitzTech
Platform(s) Xbox
Release
  • NA: November 15, 2001
  • EU: March 14, 2002
Genre(s) Party
Mode(s) Single-player, multiplayer

Fuzion Frenzy is a party video game developed by Blitz Games and published by Microsoft Game Studios for the Xbox. The game is a four-player party game featuring 45 different minigames. Developed as a launch title for the Xbox in the United States, Fuzion Frenzy was the first game mastered for the console and developed to fill the niche for a party game in its launch strategy. The game was released to mixed to average reviews, with critics praising the game's accessibility and visual presentation as an early showcase of the capabilities of the Xbox, whilst faulting the game's repetition and limited variety of minigames. Fuzion Frenzy was a moderate commercial success, although slow initial sales led Microsoft Game Studios to discontinue work by Blitz Games on a sequel for the Xbox. A sequel for the Xbox 360, Fuzion Frenzy 2 , was later released in 2007 by Hudson Soft.

Contents

Gameplay

A screenshot of gameplay in Fuzion Frenzy. Fuzion Frenzy Gameplay.png
A screenshot of gameplay in Fuzion Frenzy.

Fuzion Frenzy is an action-based party game in which up to four players can compete in one of two game modes, 'Tournament', in which players complete a series of minigames across several stages, and 'Mini-Game Frenzy' modes, in which players can play specific minigames. In the core Tournament game mode, players select a character and compete to earn the most points by participating in three minigames across two, four or six stages. In contrast to other party games, Fuzion Frenzy does not contain a persistent game board, with players participating in a succession of minigames. Each stage is assigned a randomly-selected Zone, which determines the type of minigame to be played. Minigames pit players against each other or in teams, and allocate orbs to players based on the outcome.

Each stage ends with a Fuzion Frenzy Round, in which players grab orbs of their color and rush them to a goal to score the most points in a time limit. Players are able to use the orbs accumulated throughout a stage to either convert to points at the end of a stage or wager in a Fuzion Frenzy round, providing them with more opportunities to score points in the round. During a Fuzion Frenzy Round, players can steal orbs from other players by attacking when they are carried. At the end of the Fuzion Frenzy Round, the player with the most points from banked orbs or orbs collected during the round wins the stage, with the player that wins the most stages or earns the most points winning the game. [1]

Development

Fuzion Frenzy was developed by British studio Blitz Games, founded by developers Andrew and Philip Oliver. In 2000, Microsoft invited the studio to pitch a game for the upcoming Xbox, seeking to fill a niche for a party title aimed at a more mature audience in the American market. [2] Blitz Games completed work on the game, originally titled Blitz Party, with a team of 35 staff in ten months to coincide with the release of the Xbox. [3] The studio took an open-ended and collaborative approach to the game's design, splitting the development into small teams to prototype minigames and working with Microsoft to identify the best concepts. [3] To create a coherent visual style, the studio's art department took inspiration from films such as Blade Runner and The Running Man and skateboarding culture to create a "strong futuristic sport arena look" for the game. [3] Producing a title for an upcoming console presented difficulties, with Philip Oliver reflecting that Microsoft micromanaged the production's finances and arranged confidentialities and private meetings. [2] Fuzion Frenzy was the first game to be finalized as a master release for the Xbox, with the game meeting the planned release date of the console's launch in November 2001. [4]

Reception

Fuzion Frenzy received "mixed or average reviews" according to the review aggregation website Metacritic, with an average score of 70%. [5] Positive reviews praised the game's accessible and unique approach to the party game formula. IGN praised the game's pacing, stating "Fuzion Frenzy (gets) you to the games as quickly as humanly possible, always keeping you moving and playing, not watching and waiting." [15] Official Xbox Magazine praised the game's accessibility, writing "the instructions and gameplay concepts are so simple that absolutely anyone can play". [17] GameZone described Fusion Frenzy as the "ultimate party game...intended to be played by everyone", whilst noting the game "defies the traditional party game style". [14] However, several critics noted that the game had fewer merits as a single-player title, [6] with GameSpy remarking that the mode "isn't very compelling...without other players around". [13]

Reviewers were mostly positive about the visual presentation of the game as an early showcase of the potential of the Xbox. IGN described the game as a "perfect example of what the Xbox can do with its power", citing "fast framerates, crisp textures, tons of realtime lighting and particle effects". [15] GameZone described the characters and backgrounds as "stunning", highlighting the special effects used for lighting and water rendering. [14] GameSpot noted the game's use of "vibrant" colored lighting and particle effects to "create a distinct look for the game", and wrote "the arenas have a good level of detail, and the high-resolution textures look nice and sharp", although remarked that the game was "unable to maintain a constant frame rate". [12]

Critics were mixed on the quality of the minigames, with negative reviews critiquing their limited variety. Describing the game as lacking "imagination, innovation, impact or fun", Edge noted most minigames "fit into several oft-visited categories" and critiqued the "appalling dash and collect rounds", finding the game had "nothing to surprise". [7] Similarly, Electronic Gaming Monthly critiqued the repetition and lack of differences between minigames, observing "most are too similar" and possess "similar themes". [8] AllGame noted that "the overwhelming majority of contests involve quickly collecting icons or tokens to score points", faulting the game's lack of "team-specific activities" and "directly confrontational mini-games", making the game "best played in small increments". [6] GamePro similarly wrote "most of the games aren't deep enough to survive repetitive play."

Sales

Fuzion Frenzy received moderate commercial success upon release. Next Generation estimated the game sold 680,000 copies and earned $16 million in the United States by July 2006, making it the 93rd highest-selling console title since 2000 at that time. [18] Andrew Oliver remarked that the game had a slow sales performance, estimating the game sold "around half a million" units in its first quarter, but "over a million" in total, [3] reflecting that sales were constrained by a "small install base" and the "cost of additional controllers limited its potential". [3]

Legacy

Following release, plans to expand the Fuzion Frenzy brand were discontinued by Microsoft due to weak initial sales performance, including a 'premium pack' bundle of the game with multiple controllers, [2] and cancellation of work by Blitz Games on a sequel compatible with Xbox Live. [3] The sequel, tentatively planned for release on 1 June 2004, would have featured 50 revamped and new minigames and Xbox Live support. [19] As sales of Fuzion Frenzy increased in later years, Microsoft put the concept of a sequel to tender, awarding the project to another company, Hudson Soft. [3] The sequel, Fuzion Frenzy 2 , was released for the Xbox 360 in 2007.

Related Research Articles

<i>Halo: Combat Evolved</i> 2001 video game

Halo: Combat Evolved is a 2001 first-person shooter video game developed by Bungie and published by Microsoft Game Studios for the Xbox. It was released as a launch game for Microsoft's Xbox video game console on November 15, 2001. The game was ported to Microsoft Windows and Mac OS X in 2003. It was later released as a downloadable Xbox Original for the Xbox 360. Halo is set in the twenty-sixth century, with the player assuming the role of the Master Chief, a cybernetically enhanced supersoldier. The Chief is accompanied by Cortana, an artificial intelligence. Players battle aliens as they attempt to uncover the secrets of the eponymous Halo, a ring-shaped artificial world.

<i>Halo 2</i> 2004 video game

Halo 2 is a 2004 first-person shooter game developed by Bungie and published by Microsoft Game Studios for the Xbox console. Halo 2 is the second installment in the Halo franchise and the sequel to 2001's critically acclaimed Halo: Combat Evolved. The game features new weapons, enemies, and vehicles, another player character, and shipped with online multiplayer via Microsoft's Xbox Live service. In Halo 2's story mode, the player assumes the roles of the human Master Chief and alien Arbiter in a 26th-century conflict between the United Nations Space Command, the genocidal Covenant, and later, the parasitic Flood.

<i>Mario Party 6</i> 2004 video game

Mario Party 6 is the sixth installment in the Mario Party series of board game-style party video games by Nintendo and is the third game in the series made for the GameCube. It was released in Japan on November 18, 2004; in North America on December 6, 2004; in Europe on March 18, 2005; and in Australia on September 15, 2005. It is the first GameCube game to make use of a microphone add-on.

<i>Deathrow</i> (video game) 2002 sports video game

Deathrow is a 2002 sports video game developed by Southend Interactive and published by Ubi Soft for the Xbox as an exclusive. Deathrow's development began in May 1999 as an online PC game. In early 2001, Southend transitioned to an Xbox console release, which let the team use pixel shaders, bump mapped textures, and specular lighting. Deathrow was built on an in-house 3D game engine and was Southend's first full release.

<i>Kung Fu Chaos</i> 2003 video game

Kung Fu Chaos is a 3D fighting party game developed by Just Add Monsters and published by Microsoft Game Studios for the Xbox in 2003. Described as a "multiplayer brawler", the game is a comedic beat 'em up title with a stylistic presentation inspired by kung fu films. Kung Fu Chaos was the first title developed by Ninja Theory, a Cambridge studio formed by former staff of Millennium Interactive to pursue an independent project. Initial development was self-funded, with a prototype developed by a team of four to eight to pitch to publishers. The final version of the game was financed under an acquisition of the studio by Argonaut Games and a publishing deal with Microsoft Game Studios.

<i>Cars</i> (video game) 2006 video game

Cars is a 2006 adventure racing game published by THQ. The game is based on the 2006 film of the same name. It was released for the PlayStation 2, GameCube, Xbox, Microsoft Windows, Game Boy Advance, Nintendo DS, and PlayStation Portable in June 2006, with versions for the Xbox 360 and Wii released later that year. The Wii version includes functionality geared towards its Wii Remote controller and was a launch game for the system. Taking place after the events of the film, the game follows Lightning McQueen as he participates in the new racing season with his goal set on finally winning the Piston Cup. While doing so, he races and trains with the local community of Radiator Springs.

<i>Castle Crashers</i> 2008 2D hack-and-slash video game developed by The Behemoth

Castle Crashers is a 2D side-scrolling hack-and-slash video game developed by The Behemoth. The Xbox 360 version was released on August 27, 2008, via Xbox Live Arcade as part of the Xbox Live Summer of Arcade. The PlayStation 3 version was released in North America on August 31, 2010, and November 3, 2010, in Europe via the PlayStation Network. A Microsoft Windows version, exclusive to Steam, was released on September 26, 2012. The game is set in a fictional medieval universe in which a dark wizard steals a mystical crystal and captures four princesses. Four knights are charged by the king to rescue the princesses, recover the crystal, and bring the wizard to justice. The game includes music created by members of Newgrounds.

<i>Fuzion Frenzy 2</i> 2007 video game

Fuzion Frenzy 2 is a 2007 party video game developed by Hudson Soft and published by Microsoft Game Studios for the Xbox 360. It is the sequel to the original Fuzion Frenzy.

<i>Baldurs Gate: Dark Alliance</i> 2001 video game

Baldur's Gate: Dark Alliance is a 2001 action role-playing video game developed by Snowblind Studios and published by Interplay Entertainment subsidiary Black Isle Studios for the PlayStation 2 and the Xbox consoles, with High Voltage Software handling the GameCube port, and Magic Pockets developing the Game Boy Advance version. CD Projekt was developing a version for Microsoft Windows, but was ultimately cancelled. In 2021, a 4K port of the game was released for the Xbox One, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, Nintendo Switch and PC.

<i>Wii Play</i> 2006 party video game published by Nintendo

Wii Play is a party video game developed and published by Nintendo for the Wii console. It was released as a launch game for the console in Japan, Europe, and Australia in December 2006, and was released in North America in February 2007. The game features nine minigames, including a Duck Hunt-esque shooting range, a fishing game, and a billiards game, each of which are designed to showcase the features of the Wii Remote controller.

<i>Sneak King</i> Burger King-themed video game

Sneak King is a stealth video game by Burger King for the Xbox and Xbox 360 video game consoles, released in 2006. Burger King sold the game with the purchase of value meals. Players take control of Burger King's mascot The King, in a stealth food-delivery themed game that spans four levels based on Burger King's commercial advertisements. Sneak King is one of three titles released by Burger King under the name King Games and developed by Blitz Games as part of five week promotional campaign between November 19 and December 24, 2006. Blitz Games was chosen to develop the games, originally for the online Xbox Live Arcade, but this was later changed to a single disc that would run the game on both the Xbox and Xbox 360 consoles.

<i>PocketBike Racer</i> 2006 video game

Pocketbike Racer is an advergaming title developed by Blitz Games for the Xbox and Xbox 360 video game consoles. On November 19, 2006, Burger King started selling it for an additional $3.99 USD with any value meal. It is one of three titles released by Burger King.

<i>Big Bumpin</i> 2006 video game

Big Bumpin' is an advergaming title from Burger King for the Xbox and Xbox 360 video game consoles. Published by King Games and developed by Blitz Games. On November 19, 2006, Burger King started selling it with any value meal. It is one of three titles released by Burger King.

<i>Crackdown</i> (video game) 2007 action-adventure game

Crackdown is a 2007 action-adventure game developed by Realtime Worlds and published by Microsoft Game Studios for the Xbox 360. Crackdown was conceived by Realtime Worlds' founder, David Jones, who also created Grand Theft Auto and Lemmings.

<i>Viva Piñata: Party Animals</i> 2007 video game

Viva Piñata: Party Animals is a video game developed by Krome Studios for the Microsoft Xbox 360 video game console, part of the Viva Piñata series. The game was released on October 30, 2007, in North America, November 15 in Australia, November 16 in Europe, and December 6 in Japan.

<i>Game Party</i> 2007 video game

Game Party is a video game developed by FarSight Studios and published by Midway. Game Party was retailed as a budget title for the Wii. It is the first game in the Game Party series. It was released on November 27, 2007, in North America; on February 14, 2008, in Australia; and in Europe on February 15, 2008.

<i>The Little Mermaid II: Pinball Frenzy</i> 2000 video game

The Little Mermaid II: Pinball Frenzy is a 2000 pinball video game developed by Left Field Productions and published by Nintendo for the Game Boy Color. First released in North America on September 24, 2000, it was later made available in PAL regions on March 16, 2001.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Xbox One</span> Video game console developed by Microsoft

The Xbox One is a home video game console developed by Microsoft. Announced in May 2013, it is the successor to Xbox 360 and the third console in the Xbox series. It was first released in North America, parts of Europe, Australia, and South America in November 2013 and in Japan, China, and other European countries in September 2014. It is the first Xbox game console to be released in China, specifically in the Shanghai Free-Trade Zone. Microsoft marketed the device as an "all-in-one entertainment system", hence the name "Xbox One". An eighth-generation console, it mainly competed against Sony's PlayStation 4 and Nintendo's Wii U and later the Switch.

<i>Kameo</i> 2005 action-adventure video game for Xbox 360

Kameo: Elements of Power is a 2005 action-adventure video game developed by Rare and published by Microsoft Game Studios. The player controls Kameo, a 16-year-old elf, who must travel across the land, rescuing her family while collecting Elemental Sprites and Warriors in a beat 'em up style combat against the trolls that stand in her way. Kameo's ten elemental powers let her transform into creatures and use their varied abilities to solve combat-oriented puzzles and progress through the game's levels.

<i>Crackdown</i> (video game series) Published by Xbox Game Studios

Crackdown is a series of open world action-adventure video games created by David Jones and published by Xbox Game Studios. The series takes place in a futuristic dystopian city controlled and enforced by a law enforcement organization called the Agency. The games center on the Agency's supersoldiers, known as 'Agents', as they fight threats ranging from various criminal syndicates, a terrorist group known as 'Cell', and zombie-like monsters called 'Freaks'.

References

  1. Fuzion Frenzy: Game Manual. Microsoft Game Studios. 2001.
  2. 1 2 3 Craddock, David (November 13, 2020). "Bet on Black: How Microsoft and Xbox Changed Pop Culture". Shack News. Archived from the original on January 24, 2022. Retrieved July 14, 2023.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 "Q&A: Philip Oliver & Andrew Oliver". Retro Gamer. November 2, 2017.
  4. "MTBS Interviews Andrew Oliver, CTO of Blitz Games Studios". Meant to be Seen. December 9, 2008. Archived from the original on March 29, 2014. Retrieved July 14, 2023.
  5. 1 2 "Fuzion Frenzy for Xbox Reviews". Metacritic . Red Ventures. Archived from the original on October 25, 2015. Retrieved November 8, 2015.
  6. 1 2 3 Marriott, Scott Alan. "Fuzion Frenzy - Review". AllGame . All Media Network. Archived from the original on November 15, 2014. Retrieved November 8, 2015.
  7. 1 2 "Fuzion Frenzy". Edge . No. 105. Future Publishing. Christmas 2001.
  8. 1 2 EGM staff (January 2002). "Fuzion Frenzy". Electronic Gaming Monthly . No. 150. Ziff Davis. p. 228.
  9. "Fuzion Frenzy". Game Informer . No. 104. FuncoLand. December 2001. p. 108.
  10. The D-Pad Destroyer (November 20, 2001). "Fuzion Frenzy Review for Xbox on GamePro.com". GamePro . IDG Entertainment. Archived from the original on February 7, 2005. Retrieved November 8, 2015.
  11. Gee, Brian (November 2001). "Fuzion Frenzy Review". GameRevolution . CraveOnline. Archived from the original on October 2, 2015. Retrieved October 10, 2021.
  12. 1 2 Davis, Ryan (November 9, 2001). "Fuzion Frenzy Review". GameSpot . Red Ventures. Archived from the original on February 22, 2016. Retrieved November 8, 2015.
  13. 1 2 Chick, Tom (January 16, 2002). "Fuzion Frenzy". GameSpy . IGN Entertainment. Archived from the original on February 17, 2005. Retrieved November 8, 2015.
  14. 1 2 3 Bedigian, Louis (November 19, 2001). "Fuzion Frenzy Review - Xbox". GameZone. Archived from the original on October 6, 2008. Retrieved November 8, 2015.
  15. 1 2 3 Lopez, Vincent (November 8, 2001). "Fuzion Frenzy". IGN . Ziff Davis. Archived from the original on November 9, 2015. Retrieved November 8, 2015.
  16. "Fuzion Frenzy". NextGen . No. 85. Imagine Media. January 2002. p. 26. Retrieved October 10, 2021.
  17. 1 2 "Fuzion Frenzy". Official Xbox Magazine . Imagine Media. December 2001.
  18. Campbell, Colin; Keiser, Joe (July 29, 2006). "The Top 100 Games of the 21st Century". NextGen. Future US. Archived from the original on October 28, 2007.
  19. Bramwell, Tom (March 8, 2004). "Fuzion Frenzy 2 to go Live in June?". Eurogamer.