Collection essentials #581: Fuzion Frenzy (Xbox)

PlayStation dominated the video game market for years starting when the original system reached all the major worldwide markets in 1995. However, one thing that was never really a strong suit for them was multiplayer party games. The original console had the standard two controller ports, and gamers could buy a “multitap” adapter to play with more than two players, but this requirement meant that party games were always going to be a niche part of the PS1’s library. The Nintendo 64 was far less successful overall than the PS1, but it had four native controller ports and absolutely had a bigger reputation as the “party console” with a variety of hits for four players to participate in. Perhaps surprisingly, the PlayStation 2 still only featured two controller ports requiring a multitap adapter for more than two players, and they didn’t make any real push to be a “party game” console. However, Microsoft, the newbies to the console business in 2001, did have aspirations to compete in this field. The original Xbox would feature four controller ports, and launched with multiplayer-focused games, such as Fuzion Frenzy.

For better or worse, Fuzion Frenzy is a rather no-frills package. You can basically just call it a minigame compilation, with 45 different four-player minigames to participate in. The only modes to choose from, really, are one in which players freely pick and casually play whatever minigames they want, or the other in which players compete in a short series to see who can perform the best in those few games. This makes it very easy to jump in and start playing the game even for new players. 

45 minigames doesn’t feel like a whole lot. As a comparison, Mario Party 3 came out almost a year prior on the Nintendo 64 and had over 70 of them, though the average Fuzion Frenzy minigame is longer than the average Mario party minigame. Despite that fairly low number, there is a pretty decent variety of games on offer here. Some are action based and require you to move your character on foot with the ability to attack, and they must work towards some kind of goal, such as squashing insects, collecting something or bringing a coveted item back to your goal to score points. Many have the characters in various vehicles, which can be for some kind of race, for a pursuit to collect valuables, or in tanks to try and blow each other up. There are even a few rhythm minigames. With this much variety, there’s a good chance that everyone playing will find something that they enjoy.

The lack of content, though, is what really holds Fuzion Frenzy back. With just two simple multiplayer-based modes, it doesn’t feel like there’s very much meat on the bones. Compare it to Mario Party 3, an older game on a weaker console which has various modes including single-player which can significantly vary up the gameplay experience, and Fuzion Frenzy comes off as feeling rather lacking.

Why is it on my list? Well, it is a pretty nostalgic game for me. My cousins Kevin and Peter got an Xbox when the console was still fairly new, and this was one of their games which we played an awful lot. Our favorite minigame was “Twisted System”, a simple yet fun game where a player must jump and duck to dodge obstacles at an increasingly-faster pace. When I got my own Xbox in 2004, I picked up my own copy of the game (same one shown in the photo), and my siblings and I grew to enjoy playing it together as well. In fact, a short time ago when I had two sisters over they asked me to break it out and play it for a while.

Fuzion Frenzy isn’t close to being a 10/10 game, but video gaming as a hobby is about more than just the very greatest of the bunch. A 7/10 game may not knock your socks off, but such a game can still deliver a lot of enjoyment for what it is and create great memories.

Should YOU play Fuzion Frenzy? Well, I wouldn’t call it a must-play exactly, but if you’ve got local friends and some type of Xbox that can play it, there’s little cost or harm to at least giving it a try. I definitely value “couch multiplayer” games, and being a nostalgic one of those for me cements Fuzion Frenzy as an essential in my collection.