This quiz show game, first made famous on the PlayStation and computer, gets a revival with handy touch controls on the Nintendo DS. Everyone can find something trivial in a multiple-choice question format as well as the all-play mode and new curveball questions. Players really need to know their pop culture here. Quick reactions to the 20-second time yield more points in the first round and the double point second round. The multiplayer modes have feature the special “Screw Your Neighbor” technique that reduces the timer to five seconds, so fast players who ring in first can put the pressure on the other. Players can skip shaky questions, but risk missing point opportunities. The final Jack Attack round requires answers for each question with no timer. Loses are big for single players while the first one gets the points in the multiplayer mode.

This version features three player profiles and 37 episodes in each player mode. Players can replay previously played episodes that are color coded in gray. The available statistics and collectible hidden prizes boost the replay value a bit. An instruction text mode provides the layout for “newbies” while helpful audio cues let players when to pay special attention or advance. Listening skills, puzzle, ordering, word association, and general trivia skills guarantee considerable progress. The musical introductions to each question entertain while the host always has something to say. Developers miss some entertaining Nintendo DSi customization opportunities like camera shots of player reactions inserted into special sequences. This mini quiz show still packs in plenty of funny references and dynamic humor for solid recommendation (***, rated T for crude humor, drug reference, mild language, and sexual themes; also available on Nintendo Wii, PlayStation 3, PC, and Xbox 360 which expand the party play capabilities).

The Feb. 23 issue of Toledo Free Press Star, featuring a cover story on comedian Dave Coulier, is available as an electronic edition.

For those of you looking for what’s happening in our area, our expanded Pulse events guide is below:

The official Dark Horse Comics website categorizes “Metalocalypse: Dethklok” No. 3 as “humor.” Jim Collins of Toledo’s JC’s Comic Stop categorizes the book as his Pick of the Week.
This begs the question, “Whatever happened to ‘Archie’?”
“’Metalocalypse: Dethklok’ is based on metalheads’ cult favorite TV show from Adult Swim,” Collins said. “Co-written by creator Brendon Small, this comic has captured the series in all its glory. Everything you have come to love or loathe [about the show] is here. If you read carefully you can almost hear Skwisgaar, Pickles, Nathan Explosion, Toki and William Murderface. Dark Horse is one of the only companies currently out there that could pull this off correctly. Here’s hoping it becomes a regular series.”

Dark Horse’s solicitation copy for the issue says, “Dethklok have constructed the ultimate concert venue, the DethTrain — three stories high and eight car lanes wide, requiring a small nation’s worth of manpower and materials to build … evil rides the rails, turning a killer live show into a one-way trip to hell!”
It goes to show that there truly is a comic book out there for everyone, even heavy metal fans.
From last week, Collins also picked a bit more standard fare with DC’s “Green Lantern” No. 62. Interest in this summer’s GL movie with Ryan Reynolds is high and as Collins reports, “This comic has been consistently great from the beginning and continuously gets better.”
This issue features Krona, whom Collins said, “once dared to find the origins of the universe as one of the beings that would become the Guardians of the Universe. Green Lantern Hal Jordan, despite all his power, cannot stop Krona and this will lead into the ‘War of the Green Lanterns’ event. Another neat thing in the comic these days is the exclusive Green Lantern movie previews: a very cool behind-the-scenes look [at the film’s designs].”

Like its commercial counterpart, Underground Hip-Hop is represented in many ways. In addition to commercial or popular Hip-Hop artists, there are rappers, battle MCs, freestylers and lyricists.
All are different parts of the same machine that is Hip-Hop. Rarely is there an opportunity given for the females who perform all of these styles to perform exclusively. In the past 10 years, the thinning numbers of female MCs has suddenly produced a panic in the industry. Illegal downloads and musical piracy have reduced label budgets for developing new artists, much less female artists.
Females prove costly to labels with the high costs of maintaining a commercialized image. Instead of focusing on the talent, many focus on her body, clothes and face. This demeaning position has left women feeling their role is best served half-naked next to the hottest rapper in the game. Sometimes you want to go where you will be seen as more than an accessory.

In Cleveland, there is such a community that uplifts and encourages the artistically unique facets of women in Hip-Hop. Queens of the Iron Mic is Cleveland’s longest-running female rap showcase of talent, sponsored annually by Nappyhead Entertainment joining forces this year with Rebel Life Media.
A little more than 10 years ago, I attended my first Queens show after discovering the showcase on an online social network. Its creator, George (Poohmanchu) Goins is a well-known driving force in Cleveland’s underground Hip-Hop scene, where he and Nappyhead Entertainment also produce Queens’ male counterpart, Kings of the Iron Mic. At the time I was young and nervous, but confident in my freestyle ability, and to my surprise, well-received.
Although I have since chosen a different path, I have never forgotten the crowd standing, staring and waiting for me to say something profound and insightful. It was a less glorified scene from “8 Mile,” but four girls and I had joined a club that relished the feeling an MC gets after working to win over a new crowd. That amazing rush can only be experienced, not described, and for this reason I am spreading knowledge of this Ohio treasure.
The invitation to return has come every year and this year was no exception. Saturday March 5 is rapidly approaching and I won’t be able to attend due to a scheduling conflict with the March Madness Triple Threat Birthday Bash here in Toledo. In my place, I hope to encourage a female reader aspiring to be a performer to attend. Queens serves as a celebration of what we have missed in Hip-Hop — women. Women of different races and styles with the common goal of representing to the fullest.
The performances are all strong and lyrical, styles range from poetic soul to street knowledge. Support and observe mothers with a dream, sisters with heartbreak and hustlers with lyrics.
Proceeds always benefit a communal cause and the atmosphere represents the grimy underground scene without the formalities of a night club. This year’s all-female show is hosted by Earthtone with music by DJ COCO-Z the Mix Mistress. Featured performers are crowd favorites like Aaqila, Indica, Rain the Quiet Storm and more. Doors open for Queens of the Iron Mic on March 5 at 9 p.m. at “Now That’s Class” located at 11213 Detroit Ave. in Cleveland. Attendees are encouraged to bring $1 to donate to The Domestic Violence Centers shelter.
This event will give you goose bumps and restore your faith in women’s rightful place as ‘Queens’ of Hip-Hop.
As we continue on …

Rachel Miller was a music performance student in college who — wait for it — majored in the oboe. Really. And she minored in woodwinds.
Her life changed when she moved to the Windy City and a friend took her to see the Second City.
“By the end of that show, he looked at me and said, ‘You should be up there,’ ” Miller said. “He made me pinky swear that I would take a class.”
She signed up for a beginner’s class at the Second City Training Center. Then she was hooked. She took classes at the center and studied at the Annoyance Theatre and iO (formerly the Improv Olympics).
“I think I was silly but serious as a child and definitely am sillier the older I get,” she said during a call from her Chicago home.

“My dad and I were always night owls, and he would let me stay up with him and watch ‘Saturday Night Live’ and would give me records. He’s a minister, so has a great sense of humor, but really is a big advocate for storytelling, so he would give my brother and I albums like Bill Cosby, The Smothers Brothers,” Miller recalled. “I was always listening to this stuff and absorbing it.”
She’s been with Second City since 2006.
“That Second City name, because it has such a history, people trust that name, they trust that they’re coming to see something, and then we get to provide that funny for people,” she said.
Miller and four actors with a Second City touring company will bring “Fair and Unbalanced” to the Valentine Theatre for an 8 p.m. show March 4. Tickets are $35, $27 and $20.
“The Second City has been around since 1959,” she said. “There’ll be quite a bit of archive material in the show. We also do quite a bit of improvisation, and there’ll be some things we’ve written ourselves.”
The club has been a star machine: John Belushi, Gilda Radner, Bill Murray, Dan Aykroyd, John Candy, Bonnie Hunt, Shelley Long, Dan Castellaneta, Steve Carrell, Amy Sedaris.
“Mike [Kosinski] and I do a scene that was written by Tina Fey and Scott Adsit, who are both a part of ‘30 Rock,’ ” Miller said of “Fair and Unbalanced.” “We have a scene by one of the writers for ‘How I Met Your Mother,’ a fellow named Joe Kelly, and, actually, that scene was written with Jason Sudeikis.”
Miller did know Second City matriarch Joyce Sloane, who nurtured the careers of many during her 49 years with the club. Sloane, 80, died Feb. 3.
“I learned from her that everything can be family and that what we do is work in an ensemble, which is kind of an extended family. Sometimes that means they’re your best friends, and sometimes that means you don’t get along, but they’re always family, and you support them however you can.”

It’s happening again, a great opportunity for fun with the whole family, The 2011 All Species Ball. This is a costume masquerade ball, where patrons dress up in there favorite ‘non human’ costume and dance and feast all night long. This year’s event will be taking place this Saturday, February 26th, 2011 in the Fountain Room of the Civic Center Promenade at the Erie Street Market this Saturday from 7 Pm till 11. Tickets are only $10 presale and can be purchased by calling 419-536-5566; 419 260-4615 or you can contact me, kc saint john, directly at 419 481 0102 and I have a number of tickets available. If you wait till the night of the event –price will raise to $15 or $25 per couple. What excited me, are kids are free – so here is another chance for you to get out and do something with the Family with out putting a dent in the pocket book. Whether you are coming with adults or with your kids, this event is going to be the largest of its kind yet.

The reason this event is so important is what the profits go to help support. Toledo Grows which is the community garden outreach program of Toledo Botanical Garden with has a partnership with the Toledo Metroparks. Toledo grows is highly involved in the community supporting over 80 community gardens. Toledo Grows is responsible for the distribution of tens of thousands of free seeds and plants and employees over 100 area youth with the CITE program where the participants earn a earn a stipend, build a work history and learn new skills while serving their communities. This allows youth to connect with mentors, other youth and their community. Toledo grows works through United Way to provide after-school and summer camp activities for youth centers and schools. Also, Toledo grows is proud to work with the Boys & Girls Club Catholic Club YTC Frederick Douglass Padua Center Start Something Scott High School Firm Foundations and others; and has recently added a youth leadership program with a grant from the Toledo Community Foundation. Over the past 3 years, Toledo Grows has built numerous urban chicken coops and have added small livestock to four community gardens. So supporting this event – supports education and programs in the community. Donations are always accepted even if you are unable to make this awesome event.But I do suggest you make it because there will be plenty of music, grazing and a cash bar, but remember – you have to dress up as your favorite animal or non human species. www.toledogarden.org.

Toledo grows is not the only team for people looking to better their environment. With large corporations like Monsantos destroying life as we know it, many local activists are doing what they can in their community to combat the damage genetically modified foods are doing to the human race. (if you have yet to hear of Monsantos – you need to educate yourself – get on the web and type in Monsanto and you will begin to see what may be the demise of food as we know it, natural and pure. We would need this whole publication and more to print the damage that the creator of anthrax is doing to our food system world wide.) Well I am going to assume you are aware of their evil master plan, so I want to let you know how you can step out of there trap. By buying and supporting local.

Prefer your beer to be brewed by a company that doesn’t spend millions of dollars on Super Bowl ads featuring dogs, chimpanzees or Clydesdales performing stupid human tricks? The Glass City Beer Fest is your kind of fundraiser.
Taking over the Erie Street Market for its fifth straight year, the event offers beer connoisseurs (and novices) the chance to sample a wide variety of brews, mingle with others who know the difference between India Pale Ales (IPA) and American Pale Ales, and help two local charities at the same time.
“We have a really nice beer list this year,” said Carla Wells, executive director of the Northwest Ohio Hemophilia Foundation, which will be splitting the proceeds with The Arc of Lucas County. “We’re really excited about it. We’ve got something for just about everybody’s tastes.”
Adding local flavor to the event is a newcomer to the Toledo beer scene, Great Black Swamp Brewing Co., which has begun distributing its beers to taverns in the Toledo area. Black Swamp will feature all five of its beers at the beer fest: Sand Piper Golden Ale, Mosquito Red Ale, Bull Frog Stout, Bay Front Pale Ale and Wood Duck IPA.
Maumee Bay Brewing Company will also be in attendance and feature its Buckeye Beer, IPA, Amarillo Brillo, Total Eclipse Breakfast Stout and Irish Red.
The beer fest runs from 7-11 p.m. March 4 and features nearly 100 offerings from 24 microbreweries of the local, regional and national varieties. A number of the breweries will have their brewers or staff members in attendance to discuss their respective suds.
Advance tickets are $25 (available at The Andersons stores). Tickets at the door are $30 ($20 for military members, police and firefighters). Admission includes 12 3-ounce pours, with additional pours costing $5 for six. Score cards are available to help tasters keep track of their favorite (and not so favorite) suds.
The fest will also feature pulled pork sandwiches, burgers and fries from City Barbeque and pizza from Vito’s. Pop and water will be available. Live music will be provided by 56 Daze.
Despite the economic downturn, Wells said the event has been increased in popularity during its first four years.
“We’ve had a steady growth in attendees — each year we’ve grown 15 to 20 percent,” she said. Last year’s event totaled about 1,200 people, including volunteers. While hoping for growth, Wells said the fundraiser is being careful about being too ambitious.
“When beer fests get too big, it’s almost not fun because you have to wait in line so long to get a 2- to 3-ounce sample. We’ve been able to avoid that for the most part,” she said. “And I will say people that attend the event are getting excited about it earlier and earlier every year.”
The Northwest Ohio Hemophilia Foundation addresses the needs of individuals and families impacted by bleeding disorders within a 22-county area.
The organization provides family networking activities, trips to camp for both youths and adults, a family crisis fund and educational programs and workshops.
The Arc of Lucas County is a nonprofit association made up of people with mental retardation and other developmental disabilities, as well as their families, friends, interested citizens and professionals in the disability field.
The agency provides support and education for families affected by developmental disabilities and advocates for human rights, personal dignity and community participation of individuals with such disabilities.
The Erie Street Market is located at 237 S. Erie St. For more details, call (419) 724-BREW (2739) or visit www.glasscitybeerfest.com.

Detroit hockey fans, take heart — comedian and lifelong fan Dave Coulier is picking your team (and his) to win the Stanley Cup again this year.
“I’d be remiss if I didn’t say the Red Wings right out of the gate,” Coulier said in an interview with Toledo Free Press Star. “You look at how Vancouver’s playing, you look at how strong Philadelphia is, and it’s a question of who’s gonna stay healthy through the playoffs. I think if Detroit’s healthy, they can make another run at it.”
The veteran comic has been doing stand-up for more than 30 years, but his love of hockey predates even his love of performance. Born and raised near the Motor City, Coulier played on his high school team — one of his fellow players, John Blum, even made it to the pros.
“I dreamed of being an NHLer, of course. Every kid in Detroit, being brought up in Detroit, does. But I soon found out that I wasn’t good enough. If I was a pro hockey player, my career would have been over many years ago. And with show biz, I get to keep chugging along.”
The NHL’s loss is Toledo’s gain, as Coulier will be appearing at Connxtions Comedy Club on Feb. 25 and 26 — his first appearance in the Glass City in “a long, long time.” But it was his experiences in high school, in both the locker room and the classroom, that helped steer Coulier toward his current profession — as well as inspiring his talent for creating uncanny vocal impressions.

“I was always the funny guy in the locker room. And I would do impressions of fellow players and coaches. In school, I was the class clown. I would do impressions of fellow students and teachers. So, I just kinda developed a knack for making people laugh with my voices. And so, one thing kinda led to another, and I thought I was pretty good at it.”
His vocal talents were not only a primary focus of his stand-up act, but also led to his first breaks in Hollywood, where he found work as a voice-over artist for animated shows. “At that time, the cartoon voice world was a very small, close-knit group of people. So I just got kinda known as the young guy who could come up with weird, crazy voices.”
He also became known for his ability to do uncanny imitations of celebrities — not only did he play roles originated by such stars as Bill Murray (“The Real Ghostbusters”) and Robin Williams (“Mork and Mindy”) in cartoons, but he would even loop dialogue for some celebs, such as Richard Pryor, in live-action films.
“It never stigmatized me, because I was never on camera. And the best part about doing voice-over work is, you can literally show up in a pair of ripped shorts and a T-shirt, because no one cares,” he laughed.
But most who were kids in the 1980s remember Coulier most vividly as a member of the cast of “Full House,” which ran for eight seasons. Nowadays, the saccharine sitcom may be looked at as a dated curiosity by some, but Coulier said there is no embarrassment in being attached to such a wildly successful show.
“I look back on it very nostalgically, as do, I think, all of the cast members. We still keep in touch with each other. We’ll forever be frozen in time with bad clothing and mullets, you know. It’s like having your high school photo playing live for 192 episodes.”
Coulier’s live act is very family-friendly — he even appeared with “The Clean Guys of Comedy Tour” — which he said was inspired by his early days working in Hollywood.
Three decades later, the comic will bring the intervening years of performance and life experiences to Connxtions — all of which, he said, have helped shape who he is.
“I have a lot more history to draw from,” he said. “I have a lot more of me that comes through. And I think it’s even more close to home, this show, to me, than any of the shows in the past. That just comes with age, it comes with confidence, it comes with having that history under your belt.”

English rock guitarist Robin Trower will perform at the Omni in May.
Trower is known for playing with Procol Harum during the 1960s and for his album “Bridge of Sighs,” released in 1974. As part of Trower’s U.S. tour for his newest album, “The Playful Heart,” which debuted in December, he will visit the Omni, 2567 W. Bancroft St., on May 25. Doors open at 6:30 p.m. with the show starting at 7:30 p.m.
The concert will also have special guests Chris Duarte Group and Mark Mikel Band featuring Chris Shutters. Tickets are $25 for general admission and can be purchased at the Omni box office or at www.ticketmaster.com.