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Events & Workshops LET’S MOVE BOISE $1 SWIM NIGHT—Boise Parks and Recreation and the Treasure Valley YMCA present $1 swim night. Participating pools include Ivywild, Fairmont and West YMCA/ Boise City Aquatics Center. Splash down and pick up some cool prizes. Call 208-608-7675 for info about Ivywild and Fairmont, or 208-377-9622 for info about West YMCA. Wednesday, June 20, 7-9 p.m. $1.
DIABLO III IS FUN BUT NOTHING NEW Sometimes you run into that song, movie or television show that is merely a retelling of an older theme. Gaming is notorious for that as well. If a game has some success, you can bet there will be half-a-dozen new games that try to emulate it. Diablo and Diablo II inspired a variety of dungeon-crawl wannabes that tried to imitate Blizzard’s franchise success. Most paled by comparison, though there were a few that were decent enough to hang in there. Diablo II was released 12 years ago. In the interim, rumors about D3 ran rampant. It’s here and it’s sort of an MMO—you have to have an online connection to battle.net to play. You can play solo but if you need help with a boss, you can open your game and allow other community members to drop in. As for the rest of it … For those who remember Diablo and Diablo II, D3 is the same game—sort of. Graphics are updated, the story has some changes but, by and large, this is the same pointand-click dungeon crawl. The old-school charm is back, the hack’n’slash can be entertaining, but the constant click, click, click for movement and targeting can get a tad wearing. Still, the game got quite a few smiles simply because of the sheer destructive force of the characters and resulting animations that are the stock of a Diablo game. Want an example? A barbarian wanders through the wastes, the fog of war slowly lifts, but a variety of monsters materialize and attempt to bring the quest to a crashing halt. The barbarian leaps into battle, his or her battle axe blazing and separating flesh from bone as enemies rag-doll it across the landscape with ribcages and other body DIABLO III parts spinning. Blood splatters, diablo3.com some cheesy catch-phrase follows, loot is collected. Skill sets have been refined so players can fine-tune characters as they work up. The graphics look smooth on higherresolution machines, though the point of view is the same as previous Diablo incarnations. Still, the game is broody, moody and enjoyable. The character classes (there is now a barbarian, demon hunter, monk, witch doctor and wizard) are diverse and fun to play. In spite of a familiarity, one aspect that’s detracting is that this feels like a been-there, done-that, got-the-T-shirt rehash of the first games. Character creation is weak and the player interface is all point and click. Due to the volume of players on battle.net, lag seems to be an issue at times. The game also makes it clear—no cow level (though there has to be some sort of Easter egg tucked away in there). So, is this a pass or a play game? Let’s put it this way: Hours upon hours were devoted to D2 but that may not be the case with D3. It feels like an extension of the license with the same look, same user interface and mechanics, and is, essentially, the same game. One would think that all of that adds up to a pass but not really. For those who have not experienced an old-school dungeon crawl, D3 is entertaining. For experienced players, this feels like an old friend come to visit. Yes, it’s fun, but maybe not quite as much as the first games were. —Michael Lafferty WWW. B OISEWEEKLY.C O M
2012 BLUE CRUISE—Blue Cross of Idaho Foundation for Health is sponsoring the ninth-annual Blue Cruise, a recreational cycling event for charity. This year’s beneficiaries are the Miles of Smiles Dental Van and Bikes for Kids. Donations of bicycles and parts will be accepted. Visit bluecruiseidaho. org for more info and to register. Saturday, June 23, 7 a.m. $40. Blue Cross of Idaho, 3000 E. Pine Ave., Meridian, 208-3454550, bcidaho.com. TRY LEARN TO SKATE—Beginning skaters ages 4 and older can give Idaho IceWorld’s Learn to Skate program a trial run. Skates will be provided. Registration is required. Visit the website for more info and to register. Saturday, June 23, 1:30-2 p.m. FREE. Idaho IceWorld, 7072 S. Eisenman Road, Boise, 208-3310044, idahoiceworld.com. WALK LIKE MADD—Every step helps raise funds and awareness for Mothers Against Drunk Driving’s services. Registration includes a T-shirt for people and a doggie bandana for canines. Visit walklikemadd.org/boise for more info and to register. Saturday, June 23, 8:30 a.m. $20, $15 ages 5-21, $10 dogs. Veterans Memorial Park, 930 N. Veterans Memorial Parkway, Boise.
Recurring GR8 TO SK8—Wear a crazy costume while you hone your ice skating skills. Dress in the day’s theme and receive $3 off your public skating session. Visit the website for a list of themes. Fridays. Idaho IceWorld, 7072 S. Eisenman Road, Boise, 208-3310044, idahoiceworld.com.
Register BOISE PARKS AND REC FALL SLOWPITCH SOFTBALL LEAGUES—New teams can register for adult slowpitch softball leagues from Monday, June 18-Friday, June 22. League play runs late July through September. For more info, email sports@cityofboise.org or call 208-608-7650. Boise City Recreation office, 110 Scout Lane, Boise, 208-384-4256, cityofboise.org/parks. YOUTH INSTRUCTIONAL HOCKEY CLINICS—Improve your skating and hockey skills in one-hour clinics with a different emphasis in each session. Clinics are open to boys and girls ages 7-18, and limited to 30 participants per session. Full hockey equipment is required. Clinics include a onehour on-ice session. Tuesdays, 5:15-6:15 p.m. $10, purchase five and receive one free. Idaho IceWorld, 7072 S. Eisenman Road, Boise, 208-331-0044, idahoiceworld.com.
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