Zelda Twilight Princess – Reviewed (aka Post #100!)

Between Iowa and this video game, I’ve been basically removed from the real world for about seven weeks. Not too long before I went to Iowa I got the Nintendo Wii game system, and to sum it up really briefly; best video game system ever. Also, before this Zelda game, I had not played video games for about five years (and I had never played any of the Zelda games for any Nintendo game console).

The reason I liked this game is twofold. Number one; the unique controller (or wii-mote) makes for a very cool interface between you and the sword-wielding Link. Number two; the game was just plain fun. It was easy enough to follow, there were a few surprises, and it was enjoyable to play.

The new Zelda game starts out with a ton of training and setting up the main storyline, but once all that stuff is over with the real fun begins. Throughout the game Link will transform into a wolf, then back to human Link many (many) times. Both forms of Link have certain objectives to complete along with limitations and special abilities.

There are some very cool weapons you gain access to as you advance in the game, along with many different environments (such as a volcano, a desert, a snowy mountain, and an underwater temple), all of which propose their own unique difficulties.

I played the game for 72 hours before beating it, and that was with tons of help from the internets. That is the one gripe I have about this game, though it is a flaw of many video games (even the ones I use to play a long time ago), you either need to shell out the cash for the official strategy guide, or you need to get help from a website. If I’m not smart enough to figure it out on my own, then the game is too hard.

Now that I’m off my soapbox, this is the best game I’ve played since the original Resident Evil for the original Playstation. This game is as challenging as it is fun, and I give this game 4.75 / 5 stars! If you have a Wii (or Game Cube) definitely pick up Twilight Princess. Don’t bother renting it, unless you can actually dedicate 72 straight hours without sleep or eating to this game. And as crazy as it sounds, I’m actually going to play through it again, this time completely all the little extra objectives that are nearly impossible to complete.

Oh, one more thing. Horri-Bill Awards are making a come back, more details coming soon!

West Des Moines Reviewed

Lets face it, I wasn’t expecting a whole lot, just cornfields, overalls, and straw hats. Instead what I got was more like a scaled down version of St. Louis. This place has a microbrewery, a huge 20-screen movie theater, a good selection of both fast food and sit-down restaurants, a horse track, and (something that every town absolutely needs) tons of hot girls.

There is also a really nice bar called Drink, where I was witness to 2 absolutely smokin hot girls not only making out with each other, but groping as well…it was like I was watching a porno on spectravisiono. Also, one of my co-workers tried to get me laid. Here’s how the conversation went:

Chris - “Hey, my name is Chris, how are you?”
Random girl - “Fine.”
Chris - “This is my friend, Bill.”
Random girl - “I don’t care.”

Moving along, Granite City, the microbrewery/restaurant, isn’t particularly great. There are only 4 house beers; light, dark, stout, and something else that’s not as good as a regular beer. But the atmosphere is very nice, there’s a patio so you can enjoy a sunny day and Bud Light. Also, there’s a Chilijs right next to the hotel, and there are nothing but cute waitresses working there.

I’ve been working overnights for 2 weeks, so I haven’t seen too much of the city. However, I have had the opportunity to observe the locals, and the people here aren’t rednecks or even farmers. This part of Des Moines is more ritzy, like a North county, yet the people seem very down to earth. There’s still the occasional monster truck, but you’ve got to expect a few bad apples.

Something that would surprise a lot of people is the kind of music that is popular here – Slipknot, Mudvayne, Hatebreed, and other super-heavy rock bands. The reason for this is very simple; Corey Taylor (lead singer for Slipknot and Stone Sour) was born and raised in Des Moines. It’s the same effect Nelly had in St. Louis, but Taylor’s bands are much more successful, plus this is a city with not a lot to celebrate.

I wouldn’t make it a point to vacation here, or even put West Des Moines very high on a list to move to if the opportunity presented itself, but it’s not a bad place, and is much better than you would think.

On a totally unrelated note, the other day I apparently received a cease and desist letter from Charter Communications, ordering me to stop downloading The Sopranos. It sounds to me like Charter Communications only cares about the downloading of shows that are broadcasted on premium channels, even if you subscribe to these channels, but Charter Communications doesn’t care about the downloading of network TV shows, movies, pirated software, or child pornography. (Legal Disclaimer: This is not an admission of being in non-compliance with the DMCA)