Publisher: Microsoft
Developer: Hudson Soft
System: Xbox 360
Genre: Party game
Release date: Available now
Review by: Andrew Clark

Fuzion Frenzy 2 is the sequel to perhaps the most family friendly launch title for the original Xbox. Back in 2001, if you had friends with which to play, and you weren’t already engrossed in Halo, FF was the choice for multiplayer action. The colorful graphics, simple controls and wealth of addictive mini-games did an impressive job of showing what the fledgling Microsoft console was capable of, earning it impressive scores from reviewers, plus the affections of its players. It was a milestone for the genre, one which warranted a follow-up, this time on the Xbox 360.

This sequel starts with hard times having fallen on the beloved tournament franchise. What was once regularly broadcast around the globe has now been silenced, banned and otherwise black bagged from the public eye. Why, do you ask? Because of a bunch of poor sports. Yep, the players themselves ruined it for everyone due to their overly zealous competitive nature, a nature which was outrageous enough for the leaders of Earth to take notice.

It’s now four years later, and Fuzion Frenzy is still banned from the airwaves. The leaders of the free world, having solved all of the other difficulties in existence, are now struggling with the very real problem of overpopulation. Earth’s capacity has been reached, but instead of allowing a free massacre with every Happy Meal, they decide to promote something equally insane: space immigration. This creates the perfect means to regain the favor of the populous while thinning the numbers. And what better way to promote a space lifestyle than bringing back the world’s favorite Frenzy to those who love it? Just how this convinces people to jettison themselves into the dark abyss is beyond me, but let’s roll with it for the sake of storytelling.

Fuzion Frenzy 2 boasts 40 plus mini-games spanning seven planets, and the same six characters from the original. The mini-games are fast (sometimes too fast) competitions that exhibit the characteristics of the chosen planet. For example, the ice planet, appropriately named Icicle, contains ice-related games and conditions representative of an arctic wonderland. Blazer is obviously a fire- and lava-based planet. Amuseth is a Las Vegas-style casino planet, and Moisture finds you engaging in water-based activities. The other areas follow a less elemental approach, and include an industrial-themed planet, a space area and, of course, Earth.