Mr. Buzz returns as the host of the popular Trivia game show that asks the question as you answer with the four colored buttons.  Returning for another season has to be rough for him, so you’ll be introduced to a behind the scenes of what it takes to prepare Mr Buzz for the show.  That’s ok, nothing a wig some trendy glasses or girdle can’t fix.

Questions are asked and you select one of the four colored buttons on your Buzz buzzers before the timer runs out.  Sounds easy, because it is. The main single player games consists of 6 rounds.  I especially enjoyed how you had the options to manage your question packs.  If you’ve downloaded any Buzz Quiz packs for the original game Buzz Quiz TV, you’ll be able to choose between including these questions for gameplay or leaving them out.

At the end of each standard game you will notice a new scrolling feature.  This scroll highlights which player had the fastest finger, most correct answers, most incorrect answers and most taunts are just to name a few. This makes the game that much more fun as you get to rub your win in your opponents face!

You will not be able to play this game without noticing the improved graphics available all the way up-to 1080p you will notice what the audience is wearing and the rotating main stage.

Going online and testing your trivia skills is fun.  Players who register on www.Mybuzzquiz.com can create their own sets of questions and challenge others to answer them correctly.  Selecting a specific category down to South Park episodes are all possible.  My Buzz now has a minimum of 3 rounds of questions and after each round you can vote on the quality of questions ranging from 1 star to 4.  Find the questions incorrect or offensive? Report the question to have them reviewed/revoked. Also available this time around in the ability “voice chat” with other online players.  Another improvement is the ability for more than one player from the same “home” to play an online game together verse other online players.

Relentless Software made a strong effort to make you feel more like a contestant by customizing your own profile which includes a list of names to choose from.  For once names like “Juan” and “Melissa” can be heard in the hysterically annoying voice from Mr. Buzz himself when he calls on you.  You can choose one of twelve characters.  For you trophy hunters, if you select a female name and select a male character you’ll attain the “Cross Dresser” trophy.  To distinguish your buzzers, you’ll be able to customize the sound it makes, belch and tequila seem to be the most popular… see a connection?  For those who are “regulars” you’ll be able to save and load your profile for quick selecting your character and their options, saving you time and getting to the fun — as fast as possible. The game even remembers playing style and gaming habits. It will assign you quiz rounds based on what type of topics and what sort of rounds you chose in previous game play sessions.

Finally,  Journey’s classic hit made an appearance as the final round is called The Final Countdown.  Don’t know how many times we sang “Final Countdown” in the original Buzz so I’m glad the blended the songs beat as the background song.

If it ain’t broke don’t fix it. While this game is similar to it’s predecessor, Buzz Quiz TV, the improved graphics, online play and profile customization have to be mentioned as these are biggest upgrades to the series. One thing that hasn’t changed in the need to have some fast reflexes to out “buzz” your component. As a matter of fact for those of you that can’t remember, here is the Buzz Quiz TV review we here at Perezstart wrote.

8.5/10

Having more of something can be a hit or a miss depending on what that something is.  More cake is always a good thing, while more cavities is not so good.  Left 4 Dead 2 is the sequel to Valve’s hugely popular zombie genocidal shooter that was released last year.  Can more zombie killing be considered a good thing, or does it feel just like the same ole thing with some new bells and whistles?

As I mentioned earlier, Left 4 Dead 2 is a sequel to last year’s Left 4 Dead, but it shouldn’t be considered a direct sequel.  The events in Left 4 Dead 2 take place around the same time as the events in Left 4 Dead.  We are introduced to 4 new survivors who are fighting their way through the southeastern part of the US to survive the ongoing zombie outbreak.  Players can take control of one of the 4 survivors, but neither one of them play different in any way. During each campaign, the survivors will talk to one another about their current situation, past experiences, and even complain when taking friendly-fire damage.  I felt there was more of a connection between the player and the characters in Left 4 Dead 2 due to the constant chatter between them which helped give us a glimpse into the personality and traits of each character.

Left 4 Dead 2’s campaigns offer a better variety than the original Left 4 Dead.  The game features 5 campaigns: Dead Center, Dark Carnival, Swamp Fever, Hard Rain, and The Parish.  Each has their own distinct surroundings, style, and even infected (known as uncommon infected).  Valve also dared to make one of the campaigns occur during the day.  Overall the campaigns are either hit or miss.  Some campaigns, like Dark Carnival and Heavy Rain, really suck you in and offer a terrifying experience, while others are set in typical locations that serve just as a spot to kill zombies in.  One improvement I enjoyed was the different ways to complete a scenario.  In Left 4 Dead, all of the campaigns required you to call for help, to which a vehicle had to come by and swoop you to safety.  Some campaigns are still completed in this fashion, but there are campaigns that require you and your team to fill up a vehicle with fuel to make your own getaway.

Two new game modes are included in Left 4 Dead 2.  Realism mode is a new game mode in Left 4 Dead 2.  The premise is a simple one, but is definitely a challenge to new players.  All of the hints that players normally receive while they play the campaign are taken away, leaving you to search really hard for weapons, med packs, and other points of interest.  Survival is a mode that was DLC for Left 4 Dead which places the survivors on a particular map to fend off against wave after wave of infected.  The time lapse between special infected and tanks coming into the game is greatly shortened, to the point where a handful of them might be attacking the survivors all at once.  The longer the survivors can last, the higher the team’s score.

As fun as playing co-op with a couple of friends while fighting during a zombie apocalypse can be, sometimes you want to play the side of the zombies and make the lives of the survivors that much more miserable.  Left 4 Dead 2 offers a versus mode straight out of the box (compared to Left 4 Dead offering the same mode as DLC months after its release).  Players play as either the survivors or infected.  Survivors play through a campaign, while the infected are able to spawn at various points of the map to hopefully pick the right place and time in order to attack the survivors.  Infected from Left 4 Dead make a triumphant return, while a new cast of infected join the ranks as well.  The Spitter, Jockey, and Charger make fine additions to the Infected team and offer a wider variety of special abilities the infected team can perform.  Valve also added an additional versus mode, called Scavenge.  In Scavenge mode, the goals are simple.  The survivor team needs to fill up a vehicle (or equipment with an engine) with fuel that’s scattered across a level.  As the fuel is gathered and poured into the engine, the survivor team will score points and add 20 seconds to the clock.  Each team takes turns being the survivors & infected and the team that scores best out of three rounds, wins the match.  Scavenger mode was one of my favorite modes as I felt it allowed me to play Left 4 Dead 2’s versus mode, but without dedicating hours of my time to play through an entire match.  Being able to play it within 10-15 minutes was very satisfying.

One complaint the gaming community had with Left 4 Dead was its very limited array of weaponry.  You were given a pistol, and a limited selection of shotguns, SMGs, assault and hunting rifles.  Left 4 Dead 2 improves that by offering a better number of weapons.  Multiple shotguns, SMGs, assault and hunting rifles are made available throughout a campaign, even going as far as supplying laser sights (for better accuracy) and incendiary or explosive bullets.  Melee weapons have also been included in Left 4 Dead 2, which finally gives players the chance to smack around zombies with a frying pan.  Valve has also made sure to include multiple melee weapons such as a katana, baseball bat, and chainsaw.  The additions don’t stop there: Players can also snag an adrenaline shot and boomer bile.  The adrenaline shot is used to make your movements quicker, which can really help in situations where you need to fight off a bunch of zombies or get away very quickly.  The boomer bile for the most part puts a boomer in a small vial.  The vial can then be thrown on an enemy and a swarm of zombies will come and attack it.  This can really be helpful for those really tough enemies.

FINAL THOUGHT: Regardless of a handful of the gaming community boycotting this game, Left 4 Dead 2 offers some much needed improvements over the original Left 4 Dead.  The change of scenery, new survivors, and new infected build on an already solid gaming experience.  Left 4 Dead 2 is yet another sequel that deserves your hard earned money.

9/10

So, you're sure this Sushi is fresh?

Hopefully you read both our God of War III impressions and checked out the screenshots.  Never played GoW?  Then check out our God of War Collection review…  We’re now giving away one (1) God of War III Demo Voucher to a lucky winner of our Caption Contest.  You guys know the rules.  Funniest caption wins.

Here are the official rules:

1. Submit a comment below and make sure it’s a funny caption too!

2.  The winner will be announced on Tuesday, November 24th at 8pm EST.

3. Press the “Retweet” button to the right –>

4.  Multiple entries will be accepted, but a bad one negates a good one

It’s that simple. So get to captioning!!!

G4TV’s Olivia Munn has been pleasing us all since her “Playboy” cover shoot.  The reason I put quotes around the word “Playboy” is because she did it wearing as much clothes as a Maxim spread.  I’d say even more than what some Maxim girls wear.

So here’s the deal, Olivia Munn has a new magazine coming out where she posed in some skimpy outfits including bikinis and such .  We have the youtube stills that made up the video since no one likes watching videos, right?  Olivia Munn is half Japanese half gorgeous, enjoy the pics!

The Great Melting Pot is Back

By Carlos Macias

Rockstar Games dropped the finale to the GTA IV saga with The Ballad of Gay Tony a few weeks ago and, amongst plenty of competition, concluded with a mere whimper.

It’s not a bad expansion pack. On the contrary, it’s actually rather good and one deserving the Rockstar insignia stamped on it, but compared to GTA IV proper and The Lost and Damned expansion it can only ever hope to hold up as third place.

Things you can expect are: high-strung action sequences, Buzzard military grade helicopters, bus stop line dancing, waking up from hangovers in middle park, explosive new weapons, organized fight clubs, drug wars with the homies, casual sex in the club, and parachuting off skyscrapers.

Ridiculous missions, such as one involving the hijacking of a RAILROAD TRAIN, are abundant in Liberty City. And it’s clear that Rockstar went the GTA: Chinatown Wars route with TBoGT by making the objectives you take on as colorful as possible — fitting into the overarching replay system.

What you shouldn’t expect, and personally most important, is the lack of charm personified by all the previous GTAs. The characters are as vibrant as ever — especially Yusuf and Brucie’s brother — but none of them seem to fit well with each other. More than anything, all the characters seem to be have been thrown together from leftover story threads at Rockstar HQ and appear simply to move the story along.

GTA IV, while flawed, brought you into the mindset of an immigrant from overseas and his attempts at escaping his former self. The Lost and Damned intrigued players with a modern gang story of loyalty and betrayal in a tightly-knit story. The Ballad of Gay Tony showed promise with the atypical homosexual portrayal of Gay Tony and Luis and his mother’s troubled family bond quickly devolved into showing you more bang and less development.

Online play doesn’t fare much better. You can take the single-player additions — i.e. nitro boost in cars, souped up weapons, and attack helicopters — to free mode with friends or competitively with foes. But the problem is finding anyone to play with. The matchmaking system carried over from GTA IV continues to be borked and without a proper interface overhaul the grand hysteria of GTA multiplayer is doomed to be forever overlooked.

Final Thought: The Ballad of Gay Tony gives you more than your $20 worth of extra content — putting to shame other game’s DLC — but mostly as an “action” bonus missions package. It’s not as flashy as it comes off being and the story dissolves almost immediately. Even so, TBoGT adds enough drugs, sex, and violence to satiate the thirst of fans missing the wackiness of GTA: San Andreas when it all went to the Saints Row series. Now, you can get your precious parachute back.

8/10

==============================================

Things to look up while in Gay Tony’s neighborhood:

* Club Management – This series of side missions are what you do if you want to see the grimy side of downtown Algoquin. Help celebrities avoid the paparazzi and get their favorite takeout to them on time. Really, what the main story should have expanded on.

* Drug Wars – Help your friends sell, steal, and chase down “la merca” in this mode that has you running around town staring up their own drug trade. There’s only 4 different variations on the missions you go on, but if you liked the police missions in GTA IV these will be right up your alley.

* Parachuting – Cause mass hysteria downtown as you freefall around the sky line landing on random checkpoints. Some can be challening, but always fun — see the city as it was meant to be seen.

The Smackdown vs Raw series has seen its most impressive update to date with its latest installment, Smackdown vs Raw 2010! The game features an array of options, matches, characters as well as story designer mode.

For all of you out there that want to follow in Vince Russo’s shoes and write wrestling story-lines, here is your chance! The game features over 100 preset scene animations as well as the option to include whichever character you would like and even create dialogue for them to repeat. These storylines could be saved and uploaded and utilized by other gamers online. This creates a boundless combination of stories and situations that would please any wrestling fan.I recommend that you use your USB keyboard on your Xbox 360 and PS3 for optimal data entry since your can dictate what is said by each superstar.

Controls: At first, the game was a bit cumbersome for me, since I was a devoted Legends of Wrestlemania player. The controls are much different in this game, it took me a few hours to get used to grappling with the right control stick.  It also took me a long time to figure out the importance of momentum.   At first, I would pound on my opponent mercilessly with clotheslines and attacks off the top turnbuckle. I soon realized that to build momentum, you had to hit your opponent with an array of attacks. Once the momentum meter builds up, then the opponent can perform his finishing attack. The cut scenes during the finishing attack really capture the essence of destroying your opponent!

Nostalgia: Being a seasoned gamer, I always consider this category when reviewing games. This game does very well in the nostalgia category. I had a chance to complete the road to Wrestlemania with Randy Orton. I loved the fact that they included, “Cowboy” Bob Orton in the game! (He was even wearing that chronic cast which Bobbo always claimed it was to heal a hairline fracture in his arm!) Throughout the scenes, Ted DiBiase also made an appearance and the developers hit the character right on the spot with a very accurate voice, full beard and shiny black suit!

American…..Dreaeeeaamm! Yes, Dusty Rhodes also makes an appearance in the game and hearing his entrance music put a big smile on my face! Dusty has to have one of the best, opening songs of any wrestler! The game ranks very very high in this category, mixing new stars with the legends!

Graphics: Are superb, great detail to body definition, large characters are well depicted and cut scenes are outstanding. The collision control as well as the speed of the characters performing moves is dead on. My only gripe is action that is outside of the ring. Your view doesn’t zoom in, and you must peer from a long distance view to control the action.

Pros:
- Superb graphics
- Variety of matches
- Innovative  and comprehensive storyline mode
- Good mix of new and legendary wrestlers

Cons:
- Controls a bit cumbersome at first
- Outside ring combat sequence awkward
- Difficult to perform reversals

Overall Comments: THQ has really put a lot of effort in their latest Smackdown vs Raw installment. The game has so many bells and whistles that it should keep you busy during your off thanksgiving week and beyond. The mix of controls, nostalgia, variety and most importantly, its fun factor really makes this a game to add to your library. The Xbox live feature also is dead on and allows you to take your game on the road, literally!

8.5/10

In all my years toiling away at Dr. Mario time and time again, in no way did I ever think its theme song could have lyrics due to my lack of any kind of imagination.  That’s where this video comes in.

Brentalfloss is the mastermind behind putting lyrics to the Dr. Mario Theme, and thanks to him, I know now Dr. Mario got his degree from watching medical dramas, can only prescribe red and blue pills, and diagnosed Princess Peach with crabs.

I’ve heard a lot of different remixes of some beloved old-school songs, but this is the first time I heard a remake rock this hard.  What makes the video more badass is how the artists, during their jam session, decide to play a little Mario with the lights off!  That takes this video…. TO THE EXTREEEEME!!

There are simple reasons why I’ve many have claimed God of War and God of War II the top PS2 games of all time — the story and gameplay mechanics!   Thanks to Santa Monica Studios and SCEA we now have the pleasure to re-play one of our favorite PS2 collections in hi-def… For those questioning the port by Bluepoint Games from the PS2 to the PS3, don’t. They’ve done a miraculous job upgrading the graphics, sound, and kept gameplay — including the mini-games — the same. The value alone is worth going out there and getting this great 2-for-1 game at $39.99.   As we patiently wait for God of War III, did the “Collection” please the Gods?

We answer the above question with, “Of course it did!”

You begin your epic quest in God Of War I atop Mt. Olympus looking down at the crashing waters creating foam on the rocks surface. To end his suffering of pain and anguish, Kratos leaps off the mountain looking for the end. But three weeks earlier, our tale of Kratos is told in a series of flashbacks.

The games within the game. Puzzles and brainteasers within GoW keep it from becoming a stale button masher game and with that your gamer skills are tested from the start.   Special enemies and bosses will require you to be quick to the punch.  By that I mean, timed-based attacks or Quick Time Events (QTEs).  You will see an on-screen display that will require you to hit the correct button in sequence.  Hit the wrong button and you’ll have to begin the sequence again while losing health. Rememeber, GoW isn’t an openworld or sandbox game, it is indeed linear but you may retrace your footsteps in a level to advance to the next.   In a battle with the Olympus statue in God Of War II, I found myself timing my attacks in a sequence that lead me to plunge my sword in his eye.  Very satisfying.

New packaging, same great gameplay. Kratos is back. In 60 frames per second, with anti-aliased graphics and not to mention the spectacular soundtrack you’ll feel like the God of War himself. Ok, I know, kinda corny but seriously it’s truly amazing. For owners of the original God of War and God of War II, you MUST get this Collection set. For newcomers into the God of War and God of War II series, you MUST get this collection set. Did I make myself clear? The PS2 classic that has received some prestigious awards is now available on the PS3 and it’s got the PS3 Trophy’s to prove it.  Bundled on one Blu-ray disc, you’ll get GoW I, GoW II, and bonus footage of GoW II.  You’ll also receive a demo voucher for GoW III.

Blades of Chaos. There’s no question that the God of War series is a hack-n-slash action game. But God of War is the best at it. Without a long explanation, there’s something I call Fight feedback. It’s when you attack and can visually see and hear when your weapon makes contact with the enemy. Kratos wields the Blades of Chaos which are connected to his arms by chains.  You swing these blades with light attacks (square), heavy attacks (triangle) and grapple opponents in between (circle).

Cut-scenes of epic proportions. Most cut-scenes have been remastered in 720p HD quality, however I found some to be a port over from the PS2 version.  You can see evidence of the unmastered version in the first cut-scene on the stern of the boat, as the skeleton ship guards try to break through the hatch in the floor.  Not sure why Bluepoint Games left some scenes in non-HD quality but it will not ruin your gameplay experience, I promise you.   God of War II upscale is by far superior and it clearly shows.  Nearly all the cut-scenes and gameplay graphics look better than some PlayStation 3 games now available.

Greek Gods in War. You’ll encounter many of the Greek Gods and enemies you all grew up learning in Mythology class.  Athena, Atlas, Perseus and Ares will all be seen in the “Collection.”  You’ll ride Pegasus, battle with Minotaurs and remove eye’s from Cyclops.  Did I miss anyone?  Oh yeah, Medusa.  That snake head is frightening.  Alright alright, Zeus makes an authoritative appearance as well.

Level-up your weapons. Throughout the campaign, you’ll notice three bars in the upper left hand corner.  Green is your health.  Blue is your Magic. And Red is your orb meter.  First two are self explanatory and after you collect enough Red orbs by defeating enemies and breaking anything and everything possible, you’ll use these to upgrade your various weapons including your Blades of Chaos,  Poseidon’s Rage, Medusa’s Gaze to name a few.

Casting made easy. Kratos is played none other than TC Carson from the TV show ‘Living Single’.  Michael Clarke Duncan is the deep voiced Atlas and is very fitting.  The principal from ‘Kindergarten Cop’ stars, Linda Hunt, as she voices Gaia and Narrates the series in both GoW’s.  For fans of the movie Clash of The Titans, Harry Hamlin once played Perseus and now voices the same part.

Pros:
Engaging Storyline
Gameplay mechanics
Epic Boss Fights
Greek Mythology characters
Amazing Audio/Visual

Cons:
Quality of certain cut-scenes
No option to switch in between GoW’s

Final Thoughts: Take away my minor complaint about God of War I having visual deficiencies at times, and we have another reason why God of War Collection should be in your PS3.  The amazing symphonic soundtrack, the gameplay mechanics and engaging entertaining storylines all blend together like a V-8… Fusion that is!  Come on, who wouldn’t want to hack-n-slash or rip-n-tear double-crossing Gods in 720p.  Pffft, Zeus…  It doesn’t get any better!  Don’t defy the Gods and don’t piss off Kratos.  Get it.

9.5/10

User’s of Facebook will be able to integrate their PSN ID with their Facebook account.  With this news, you’ll be able to automatically update your Facebook News Feed with Trophy and PlayStation Store activity.  So those Xbox 360 isn’t the only social networking console out there now,  the Twitter update coming to the new Fall update is the PS3 Facebook’s competition.

Additional highlights from update 3.10 include:

• The Photo category on the XMB has been revamped to make it easier to see more of your photos stored on the PS3.
• The PSN Friends List has been modified based on feedback we received after update 3.00. Additionally, you can now choose a color for your PSN ID on the XMB.