The gamecock. (Columbia, S.C.) 1908-2006, July 14, 1999, Page Page 4, Image 4
EVENTS
Puppets: shows 3p.m. Sat.-Su
Columbia Marionette Theatre
Photos: "Lord, I Wish I Had
Prayin' Church IbnightMcKissii
Museum, through Sept. 12.
Page 4
Live the
f\ 4 /^1 7
ctdlUll llieiv |
By Tate Austin
Web Guy
If you own a fast computer, you
might be interested in what online
gaming has to offer. Personally, I
think these games?action shooter
style ofentertainment?are better
than peanut butter and jelly;
I've enjoyed them for more than four
years. You might have heard the
names "Quake" and "Doom," but
these mean little until you've experienced
them. You've got a gun,
cunning and your overpowering instinct
to survive.
The appeal of these games isn't
I simply that you get to destroy anything
and everything that stands
against you (nice as that is); it's a
technical marvel. In most any
other game, a player is up against
a computer-operated opponent,
which gets very boring, as patterns
and situations are simply repeated.
In a miniature realm with other
humans, every engagement is
unique. Most humans don't obey algorithms;
it's instinct that powers
a player through a firefight
All you need is a ferny new computer
and a 56k Internet connection.
Purchase the software, install
it, connect to the Internet and
find a server. (Try http://www.gamespy.com)
After you connect and bad
all the needed environmental properties,
you can run around and do
some van-damage!
Some of the newer games require
some pretty high-powered
hardware to operate properly The
hardware components that make
all the difference are the processor
and the video card, which decide
what kind of appearance a game
will take on For those readers with |
slower systems, try games like
"Quake" and "Doom."
a r*lr?tt iv* a *ni?_
^/LLLLLIU yiaj upct ttVCO Ul a TUtual
environment such as a building.
Players can move freely
abait this space, picking tip weaponry
and engaging in fast-paced gunfights.
Imagine a world in which
everybody moves like a Hong Kong
action flick and has superhuman
on^iiroiw*1 this is ttlA WAV fl shoot
er feels.
As a longtime fan of these
games] I highly recommend them.
Atfirstfthis is stmetiungyoumight
ismiss as mindless violence, but
will gro*? tobe a highly enjoyable
experience. Try http://www.
quake3arena.com. This is an exjrience
I wish more people amid
have. . .
n.
New Fl;
Sound
Advice j . . -*
Out of four stars
By Kevin Langston
Gamecock Reviewer jririziz
It's been a while since anyone has
heard from The Flaming Lips. After
their fluke hit in the early '90s, "She
Don't Use Jelly," the band seemingly
disappeared from the realm of pop music.
If this album is considered a comeback
album, the door is wide open
for the Lips.
"The Soft Bulletin" has been built
up as the album of the year, and it was
released in late June. This album is
strong enough to fight off upcoming
releases, but its "album of the year"
Get friend
The Restaurant Review
V V V ? ^ (
by ADAM DAWKINS
I
Villa Tronco 1
Out of four stars
1213 Blanding St. 1
Downtown ^
$$ 1
Villa Tronco, one of the oldest ex- 1
isting restaurants in Columbia, con
sistently serves up good Italian-Amer- J
ican cuisine in a very traditional
atmosphere.
They offer a nice variety of pasta
dishes in a simple manner that's quite '
refreshing at times. I always enjoy dining
at Villa Tronco because it's a home- '
like atmosphere with little fuss involved.
They might not serve the most creative
Italian food in the world, and it's defi- 1
nitely Italian food by American defin- '
ition. But they're very good at what 1
they do and how they do it. Evidently, 1
Etc.
The Gamecock
a m in rr
L*XX?XXX& ^
status remains to be seen. It's definitely
worth buying.
YouU be disappointed with this album
if you're expecting the goofball
antics of "She Don't Use Jelly." You
will, however, still hear the pop mess
that the Lips are so accomplished at
producing. But this album plays more
like a symphony than a circus.
While most concept albums seem
to focus more on the record as a whole,
"The Soft Bulletin" expresses emphasis
from song to song. Each song is a
wonderful display of orchestral
arrangements and playful lyrics. In
addition, the album is ear candy for
ii r r j j . j l
tne ians 01 great drumming ana Dass.
You wouldn't think it was The Flaming
Lips of old if you didn't hear the
unmistakable sound of Wayne Coyne's
vocals.
In "Race for the Prize," the band
immediately launches itself into an
uncharted world of pop. The crashing
symbols and lovely orchestral arrangements
build up to a wonderful plateau
that carries itself throughout the album.
lly with ]V
this is the case because Villa Tronco
has been in Columbia for decades.
I have to rave about the variety of
cheesecakes; it's wonderful. They have
some of the nicest desserts around for
the money, and, again, all with no fuss.
If you often grow weary of the culinary
frou-frou of today, then head to Villa
Tronco. It's a nice change from the eccentric.
They have veiy nice home-style pizzas,
as well as a nice variety of meat
dishes. Fm especially fond of the veal
choices. For the vegetarian, many acceptable
menu selections are available.
I think Villa Tronco is one of the
most comfortable and charming restaurants
in town. It offers American-style
Italian cuisine in a charming atmosphere,
and food also is available for
take-out.
Mr. Friendly's New Southern Cafe
Out of four stars
2001 Greene St.
Five Points
254-7828
Mr. Friendly's is an excellent restaurant
in Five Points that serves Southern
cuisine with a modern flare. It's
very easy to understand how the name
if the restaurant has affected the staff;
SIT
Ha
jips CD ;
The lyrics tell a story seemingly fit "
for science fiction. The world is in dire s
Courtesy: www.burned.c
need or a cure, and
love proves to be the savior. The I
message isn't new, but the method The t
Lips use is refreshing and perfect. No s
pop fan will be able to deny the pow- c
er of "Buggin'," nor will fans skip past
lr. Friendl1
they have some of the friendliest servers
in town.
At Mr. Friendly^, I started off with
fried grits, topped with herbed goat
chppsp
served ^ VILLA TR
with a
roasted |HH
head of H99j ?HBB|VILLAT
garlic, a I gj|
Southern I
appetizer
and cer- I
tainlyone I
most popular ones on the menu. It
was very tasty, and the goat cheese
went well with the flavor of the fried <
stone grits, which were made into cakes. ]
For my entree, I enjoyed the grilled <
pork steaks with blackberry ketchup,
served with seasonal vegetables and ]
roasted garlic mashed potatoes. The !
portions were auite laree, and the meal I
was very nice.
One of the very best kept secrets is
the wine list. It's rather extensive
and very well priced. Some wines on
the list were priced two or three
times less than I have seen the very
same wines in restaurants in Chicago,
Atlanta or even in this area. I was pleasantly
surprised, and I highly recom
E OF THE WEEK
te the new movie? So does
Mr. Cranky.
http://www.mrcranky
.com/
Wednesday, July 14,1999
sizzles
What is the Light?" or "Feeling Yourelf
Disintegrate."
There are moments
*when you think The Lips
are losing themselves in
a fuzzy dimension of soft
melodies and chords, but
they pull themselves and
tthe listener back with a
more tangible and powerful
display of pop and
beauty. "A Spoonful
\A7oirrV*c o TVyn" anrl arTV?o
TlV/XgliO U lull U11U XXXV/
I Spark That Bled" are perfeet
examples.
H "The Soft Bulletin" is
V perhaps the best album
released this year. It's definitely
the strongest of the
summer. Some critics have
even compared this album
. to The Beatles'"Sgt. Peplemon.co.uk
? r
per s Lonely Hearts Club
land." I don't know whether these al>ums
could even be compared, but that
itatement says a lot about how inredible
this album truly is.
f s wines
mend that wine enthusiasts in the area
take advantage of Mr. Friendly's prices.
While no rare wines are on the list,
there are still some very nice selections.
a The service
is superb
and very attentive.
In
fact, I wouldn't
hesitate to
__i. xi.
Hi ate iiie service
I received
there
as some of
the very best
I have come
across
Ashton June Photo Editor ^ Columbia.
Whether you enjoy southern fare
)r upscale dining, head toward Mr.
Friendly's, a nice place to take a date
Dr the family.
Key to pricing guides:
$ = $1-$10 per person
U = $ll-$20
$$$ = $Z1 - 9>?5U
|$$$ = over $31
Adam Dawkins is 'a hotel, restaurant
md tourism administration senior, and
2 member of both the National Restaurant
Association and American Culinary
Federation. He has published
restaurant reviews in publications
throughout the Southeast.