Hip, hot, and always on top of what’s happening: That’s MTV for you. So it’s no surprise that they’ve just released a trivia game based on one of MTV’s most popular shows – Total Request Live. Packed with over 1000 questions, 25 categories, and 5 modes of gameplay: TRL Trivia is a perfect party game or personal testing grounds for MTV “know-it-all’s.”

The format of TRL Trivia is very straightforward, making it a refreshingly quick game to get into. There’s no need for a complicated manual – although there is a back-up on the disc if you require one. Pick up to 4 players, 9 categories, and get your trigger-finger ready to prove you are the master of MTV TRL trivia. If you are playing for the first time, there is a very helpful tutorial/guided walkthrough as you progress through the game categories and their different formats. The principle of the game is like most trivia formats – beat your competitors to the punch, and then enter your answer before the 10 second clock expires.

The questions come in a number of forms – such as multiple choice, matching keywords, and placing songs/movies/etc… in their proper chronological order. The tougher categories reward (or penalize) the contestant in greater point increments. Many categories contain general trivia questions about the musicians and actors who are part of today’s popular media, while there are also categories geared to the TRL connoisseur. The questions and answers are neither blatantly obvious, nor insanely obscure, although it really will take a fairly in-depth knowledge of some of the most popular bands (from boy bands to Limp Bizkit) and their members to really excel at the game. You are also give three “life lines” so to speak, which allow you to pass, change questions, or restart the 10 second timer.

Graphics and sound for TRL Trivia were pretty par – nothing too grating and I didn’t experience any performance problems. Brian McFayden is the host, which adds the ‘MTV VJ’ voice to the title, and while he doesn’t have a overly large script (lots of repetition and the same script for single and multiplayer games), it does add a ring of familiarity to the title.  The designers did a fairly good job recreating the color schemes of the show in the question/answer layouts. The only thing that bothered me was that the audio and visual aspects were slightly understated for a game based on an MTV show (after all, doesn’t MTV stand for Music and TeleVision?).

Install: Easy

Gameplay (7.5)
It’s quick and easy to get into TRL Trivia. Just answer a few questions (how many players, game duration, etc…) and you’re off. There is also a guided tutorial if you are playing the game for the first time – no manual necessary.
 

Graphics (6)
The graphics are clear, simple, and schemed to the popular show. There really isn’t a whole lot to see other than the intro pan of the TRL set and then the actual game screens.
 

Sound (5)
There’s not much in the way of sound to this title which is based on the popular MTV show. The voices are clear and easy to understand. Brian MacFayden’s voice is a nice touch, but they don’t give him enough to say – the responses get repetitive.
 

Difficulty (7)
Avid watchers of pop culture and fans of the TRL show will excel at this title. Some categories are easier than others, and this difficulty will be reflected in the number of points to be earned in each category. If you’re not a devoted fan to the current MTV and pop culture music arena – you probably won’t enjoy it.
 

Concept (6)
A great idea for a trivia game capitalizing on one of the hottest shows for the music and movie loving youth – and while it is rather simply put together, it is also offered at a lower “pick up on a whim” price. It is geared precisely towards the current avid TRL/MTV watching crowd, however, so if you are only a casual watcher/listener, you may not get into the full scope of the game. 

Multiplayer (7)
TRL can easily be set up to accommodate 1 to 4 players.