Chiefs Bring Great Experience at Dozer Park

After I got done in St. Louis sightseeing and seeing the Cardinals, I decided to head out back to Peoria where I was initially staying for the first few days of this baseball trip.  The team I went to see was the Peoria Chiefs, the Midwest League minor league affiliate (Single-A) of the St. Louis Cardinals.  As I parked into the Dozer Field lots, the first thing that was noticeable was the weather as it was freezing cold.  Other than that, it was easy to get into for the entrances and to find food/drinks.  Dozer Park is quite easy to navigate.  There is one level other than the sky boxes on the second level, so to get where you need to go is quite easy.

Dozer Park

  The park has a lot of seating.  Unfortunately on this cold night it was pretty empty, but in the summer months it can be a lot more full.  This is due to the proximity of St. Louis and Peoria.  This happened to be the second game for me of a back-to-back which I had always wanted to do for baseball.  Parking is relatively cheap coming in as well with a lot of spaces available.  So you'll be able to work well with it.  Inside the park, there are a lot of amenities.
  The concessions are readily available.  All at a reasonable price as well.  Whether food or drink, you'll get a good deal with anything you buy at Dozer Park.  There are many areas to choose from when the weather was warmer.  Due to the cold, and not many people at the park, there weren't many stands open on this given night.  However you should expect quality with this.
  The game itself was a blowout in favor of the road team.  Peoria struggled in the first inning and it set the tone on the icy evening.  The road team, Burlington, won on this night.  I stayed a few innings to take in the stadium and the atmosphere before leaving to warm up in the hotel I stayed in.  I would recommend a time at this park, obviously when warmer.  It's a really nice ballpark for the Single-A times.  I just hope that next time I can stay longer and not be as frigid. 

SNES Game Review: Super Mario World

Well here it is, the most popular game in the Super Nintendo history.  Yes, it's Super Mario World.  The game that probably made Super Nintendo is a game that I have.  And yes, prior to me writing this review I had beaten it a few times prior to my most recent time.  However, I'm writing the review and I don't mind saying that.  The most recent time I beat it, I wanted to compare it with how it does on other versions, most notably the Game Boy Advance.  Well the SNES one is still better.  And after it sold about a quadrillion copies worldwide in it's SNES days (okay, actual amount is about 20,610,000 copies, but that's still about twice more than the next nearest game.  Can we please just get the SNES back in shelves and not just the SNES classic please?) I decided at long last to just make the review for this game and have some fun with it.

Pros:

1. Level Creativity: Okay you want to talk about all the various ways a level can go, Super Mario World probably is a good start.  The various worlds and obstacles are interesting enough, but the different levels in the world have an array of possibilities.  Some have real-time sliding so you have to think quick, some have an obstacle like an enemy right away that makes you think.  Some levels have moving obstacles that make you think a lot, lot more. Some are easy so they lull you to sleep before the next level.  Factor in water levels from time to time, and you have a game.
2. Various power-ups: This probably is a staple in all Mario games it seems but this definitely will tell you to succeed.  You get various power ups through the game, and you get blocks that help you power up.  Either way, Mario games are not without it and this is a home run.
3. Yoshi: Everyone's favorite Dinosaur's major debut is here.  They made a sequel, so to speak, with him as the main character in the future years of SNES by the way.  But the innovation of the cast to include Yoshi and bring with it another cult hero is huge for the SNES. 
4. Multiple Yoshi's: Not only was this a start to Yoshi, everyone's favorite Green Dinosaur, but Yoshi in different colors.  Yes this is a play to where they were going with the sequel, but each Yoshi had it's own different ability when discovered with the help of Mario.  And with that, all the powers do go to the Green Yoshi.  So you had a blue, red and yellow, pink and gray go to with green.  
5. Speed of the game overall, especially on speed levels was important.  It wasn't too fast or too slow.  On the still levels (where the screen doesn't move to start) you can go slow or at your pace.  But on the moving screen levels, you have to really think quick.  And that's something I enjoyed playing this game over and over again. 
6. Graphics: The graphics are quite good.  This was really the birth of the Super Nintendo being great at graphics (along with Legend of Zelda) but they did well to incorporate the background with the main level that you are playing on.  This actually gets the game a much higher grade over all.

Cons:

1. The only major con is on the last level.  Maybe the grind of it is the most satisfactory part of the game, but the last level depending on what rooms you choose can actually be super easy.  Same with the final boss which is none other than our favorite Mario nemesis Bowser (yeah it's probably a spoiler but outside of Super Mario RPG, you probably knew who it was right?)

My impressions of the game are overtly positive for the way the game goes.  From the power-ups, graphics and to the levels themselves, I can see why this game was the staple of the SNES franchise and easily the highest selling game.

Grade: 9.7/10.  Not quite as high as Chrono Trigger obviously being as that is #1.  Many people rank Super Mario World as one of the top 10 games for the SNES, and I am no exception.  For the popularity it got, the top 10 is well deserved.  For the gameplay though, it deserves a top 10 spot.  Personally, having played so many terrific games throughout the SNES brand (some of which I own) I would put Super Mario World #5 on the list of best SNES games of all time.  So you know my #1 is Chrono Trigger, and my #5 is Super Mario World.  I will say of the top five, I own four of my top five SNES games.  One of them I don't but would like to add to my collection one day.

SNES Game Review: Tecmo Super Bowl II: Special Edition

Tecmo Super Bowl is a cult sort of video game.  Much like Chrono Trigger, Halo, Madden, Mario, and the most vocal cult, Final Fantasy.  The fact that Tecmo Bowl started on the NES and gained a following naturally made the belief that it would succeed on the SNES when it came out.  And yes, yes it did.  So much so they made two more editions.  The second of which I just completed, which had much revamped graphics, updated rosters (for 1994 that is) and the teams that still were around.  I succeeded my quest in winning the Super Bowl with my favorite team, the Green Bay Packers (by somehow beating the Cowboys and 49ers in the playoffs, more on that in a bit.)  With that, I figured I have beaten the game so might as well do a review for it.  So below here's what I thought the game was good at and not as good at.  Also, with it being the second edition to the trilogy of Tecmo games, I'll compare it to the first one.

Pros:

1. Revamped graphics: Super Nintendo was a system where every video game producer seemingly had to revamp their graphics unless you wanted a garbage fire of a game or sequel.  Tecmo wasn't any different.  From Tecmo Super Bowl (just look at any longplay of it) the graphics were made a lot like the NES counterpart.  Tecmo Super Bowl II is far, far different.  More of a real-life scenario feel to the game was what happened.  Tecmo I thought did the best job they could in revamping themselves and it honestly proved highly successful. 
2. More realistic gameplay: I think the second Tecmo game plays more realistically than the first.  For instance, if there is a stat for a player (and I didn't take all the time in the world to find this out so I am sorry) then they have that stat like throwing power, accuracy, speed and so on.  For instance, Emmitt Smith has good power running, Sterling Sharpe is quick and tough to tackle, Brett Favre has a rocket arm and so on.  The one thing with the first Tecmo game was most of the time at any play, a trick play worked.  In the second game, they only at times worked and teams don't use them every single play like they did in the first game if they wanted. 
3. Fluidity of play: This game is very fluid.  They likely didn't follow the NFL rules like in real life when they made the game because the game clock sometimes burned an extra six to seven seconds off of a play before you got to the play screen.  That actually makes the game go by quicker and more easy for a person.  If you wanted to get a quick game before work, meeting people or going to sleep, you probably could.  A regular game is typically at max thirty minutes, comparing that with Madden today which can be up to an hour.

Cons:

1. Realism of teams: Okay, the Packers in real-life in 1994 were not a Super Bowl team, and yet I won with them.  The Houston Oilers were awful in 1994, but in the game made the playoffs.  The New England Patriots and Cleveland Browns made the playoffs in real-life but were at best average in the game.  The realism of the teams was one thing that I thought in retrospect could have been better in the 1994 time.  
2. Playbooks: This may more be due to the times rather than Tecmo itself but the playbook itself is much of the same in Tecmo I and Tecmo II.  This isn't really a major slight, because practically every football game had that sort of thing in the 90's.  It really wasn't until the PS2 came out that playbooks became much more serious.  So this isn't a major slight against Tecmo, but some difference would have been pretty cool.
3. Weather effects: This is a little better than the first Tecmo, but it may have been another sign of the era of video games rather than Tecmo itself.  The weather effects were better in this game, but they still could have been improved upon.

Comparison to the first Tecmo: I feel like the second game plays a lot, lot better than the first game.  The gameplay is a lot better in the second game and is more fluid than the first game.  The playbooks are mirror images of each other so that is basically a wash.  I feel the teams in Tecmo II however are not as overall updated in terms of realism like Tecmo I was.  That ended up being a major downside for me.  

Final Impression: In most aspects a grade up from Tecmo I.  This is honestly one of the top 10 football games on the SNES.  However, in terms of spectrum of where it ranks all-time, that would be lower tier of the top 150.  I would probably rank it around 125th.  I think the fact of the realism of teams in my eye isn't there, and it really hurts the value of the game.  I still would recommend it if you play football games.

SNES Game Review: Chrono Trigger

Okay look, this is the first game in the bundle of games I have recently that I completed.  And if you aren't computer illiterate, then just go on YouTube and find a long play of this game, or just a brief overview or just anything because what I am going to disclose is honestly shocking for a game that is 20+ years old.  This was my very first time playing this game ever.  I actually found myself at a game store buying this game for a hundred dollars and it was below market value somehow so I figured it was worth the buy.  Anyway, without further ado, here are my thoughts on Chrono Trigger.

Pros:

1. A linear plot that lasts upon a long adventure is something that definitely makes this game worth it right off the bat.  At the start, you didn't think the game would turn this timetable this well, but it divulges across time periods and you get sucked into this game very, very quick.  
2. The differences of characters.  Obviously the main guy is Crono, and he is arguably the best character in the game, but the other characters can be largely based upon preference/need at the time of battle.  You can expect some heavy curing mage like players, some offensive or like black magic type characters, some are just physically strong.  All in all, the differences in all the characters skills and weapons make this a very diverse game.
3. As the plot thickens, the diversity of the enemy also enhances.  This game IS NOT A JOKE AND IS TOUGH REGARDLESS.  Most bosses are very different.  Some you cannot attack physically, some you cannot attack with magic and some are just downright ridiculous and interchange within battle.  Boss battles are to be taken with extreme attention.  
4. The time-changing in this game warrants attention.  Most games do not do well with it but this game perfects time travel, battling and getting items.  Some items you want to get in a different time period after seeing some items in a past time period.  Some items have been taken in a different time period that you have to locate elsewhere.  Which leads me to..
5. SIDE-QUESTS! Yes, it's everyone's usually most annoying feature to an RPG.  However, Chrono Trigger's side-quests are not only necessary to achieve ultimate ability, but they are massively intriguing.  Don't ask how the developers did this, but holy cow this was absolutely on point with how I would make a game.  The only game that comes close with good side-quests that I have ever played is Final Fantasy 3 for the SNES. 
6. The music: The soundtrack of this game is absolutely point on for everywhere you go.  It is an adventure and every place you go to has kick ass theme music.  
7. Frame rate for this kind of RPG is astonishing.  This especially goes for the 2300 A.D. area. The developers knew they needed the expansive story to have a great frame rate and they hit it easily with this.
8. The battle system: Ironically this is number 8 but I think it is just going to show how amazing this game is.  The active time battle system is credited here.  A lot of people think Final Fantasy 7 perfected this once the Playstation came along but I highly disagree.  Chrono Trigger perfected it, FF7 took it to the mainstream level but it started with FF2 and 3 for the SNES at the time.  This battle system was absolutely perfect for the game and how the storyline played out.  Plus, it makes you think a LOT of what you are to do and what you have to do and are going to have to do with adjusting to boss fights. 

Cons:

1. Okay I literally tried to find fault with this game.  Through playing it, to dissecting my journey, to everything and I could NOT find a fault with this game. I even tried to nitpick what was there and not there and honestly there wasn't anything I could find..  This is about as perfect a game as one can get to playing.

Final Score: 10/10.  This is the best game on Super Nintendo, hands down.  And I own some of the best games ever that I am currently playing and this game is the best of them all. 

SNES Game Review: Top Gear

The second game of my video game collection that I completed was Top Gear (Chrono Trigger was the first) and it is a racing game.  It is centered around a bunch of different countries, relating from North America, Asia, South America and Europe.  You can play multi-player or against a computer.  Either way, you have a split-screen to know where you are in relation to either your friend or the computer. With that, here are the pros and cons to the game.

Pros:

1. This game is very fluid, quick paced.  You can probably, assuming you get through all the courses and countries, finish the game in two hours.  Of course, if you don't make it it will take longer.  For me, it was right around two hours that I finished up the game after going through all the countries and courses.
2. Drive ability of the cars: This is key to Top Gear.  You can choose one of four styles of car, but you have to still be able to know how to adapt to its speed and maneuvering of the courses.  I went with a car that didn't have great top speed, but had great fuel mileage and tire wear.  That way I didn't burn the fuel on a lot of longer tracks and therefore I could make a whole race when others had to pit.
3. Variety of courses.  You would think initially a racing game would be all ovals to turn left (see NASCAR games) or all road courses (See F1 games) but Top Gear does it with a variety of courses.  They do ovals, long road courses that are very easy to navigate and also tricky, winding road courses that are much more of a challenge.  They also throw different things like gravel/road combinations, off-road, water, night, snow/ice as well to the courses independently.  This adds a lot to the game in the sense of this was the first great all-around game.
4. Great Frame rate.. when you are driving yourself.  This is both a pro and a con later on.  But when you are driving by yourself and no computer is driving when in the pits, the frame rate and overall play is smoother.
5. Nitro is in the game as an added option if you want to use it.  If not, you'll likely be fine.

Cons:

1. The split-screen when playing with just a computer is quite the.. deterrent to an otherwise solid game.  The reasons for the split-screen being overdone are this.  First, you don't need to know where the computer is really.  So long as you are Top 5 of 20 cars in the race, you move on.  Second, it slows the frame rate dramatically and at times makes the game very choppy.  If you are a simplistic person, then this can be overlooked.  But if you are an observant person, this can frustrate you a lot as you play especially if you are in contention.  Otherwise this is the main downside, as there aren't any others.

Overall, I really enjoyed playing Top Gear. I think it is the top racing game on the SNES.  

Final Score: 8/10.  I wouldn't put it in the Top 50 of the greatest SNES games.  I would put it in the upper echelon of 51-100.  I would probably rate it around 60th.  In my honest thought, the split-screen is a plus/minus that probably goes more for the minus side and deducts the game being overall in the top 50.  That and it is a racing game so it is not likely to reach Top 50 on the greatest games lists.  However, being in the second half of 50 games for all the games that the SNES offered that were great does not go wrong here.  I would highly recommend it if you are a racing/retro gaming fan.

SNES Game Review: Kirby's Dream Course

Typically this blog is all about my travels and sports, but I also enjoy a sidetracking once in a while so this blog will also be about Super Nintendo games that I complete over time.  There at this point have been three that I have recently completed; Top Gear, Chrono Trigger and Kirby's Dream Course.  The first of the video game reviews will be everyone's favorite pink Bubblegum ball that inhales about everything, Kirby and the game I completed, Kirby's Dream Course.

Upon the start, you notice Course as in either obstacle course or something else?  That's right on the something else, as it is technically a golf game, just with a massive difference.  It features a lot of the foes Kirby has encountered over the course of video games past for SNES and NES.  However, instead of having a random power up to get rid of them, he just is hit and eliminates the foe right away.  The strategy is simply, you get three lives, four shots per life, if you hit a foe you get to essentially have a free shot, miss and you lose a shot practically.  Otherwise, try for lowest score and get a star at the end of the course.  The star just gives you bragging rights that you are good on that specific course.  It doesn't actually do anything.  The layout is 8 courses plus a final boss.  With that, here is what I thought was good and what wasn't good with the game.

Pros:

1. This is much more fun than golf.  
2. Multiplayer mode is a challenge but always worth the fun as well.  The multiplayer mode probably adds a point to this score with how well set up it is as it doesn't play differently than a single player course but the courses themselves are vastly different.  
3. Power-ups are very unique and you have the power to determine how you use them.  However, you have to plan how to use them because they are either to your benefit or detriment.  
4. Variety of courses.  Some have barriers, some do not which complicates the shot selection/power up you use at any given time.  Also some can be short holes, some long.  The variety also adds at least a couple points to the overall rating of the game.

Cons:

1. This game is tough unless you somehow are a genius at this sort of game or can use some sort of tool assisted system.  If you do have to use TAS (aforementioned tool-assisted system) then you are deemed to much criticism for not even trying to enjoy the game. 
2. The ending: It was dull.  After the work of trying to beat all the courses, I thought the ending was lackluster.  Frankly, if you can't beat the final boss.. then I feel woefully bad for you and wonder how on Earth you beat the eight courses first.

Those are the only cons that I found with this game.  It is super tough, but it gave me a great deal of hopeful insight and achievement upon beating it.  So I think people would enjoy this game if they didn't get too frustrated and end up breaking controllers.  I didn't but this game will frustrate you.

Overall Rating: I would say 8.6/10.  Added points for the variety, multiplayer mode.  I would decrease a point for the ending though.  Overall, a very solid game.  I would rank it somewhere around 25th-35th on Top 50 SNES games.  Overall best golf game, if we can call this a golf game.  

St. Louis, A Sensational Experience

The Gateway to the West was a city I hadn't yet been to at this point.  However, that changed in April as I got a chance to attend a Cardinals game at Busch Stadium.  Busch Stadium, for those that don't know somehow, is home to the St. Louis Cardinals.  I did some sightseeing however prior to going to Busch Stadium.  I walked downtown St. Louis a bit, saw some cool stores and streets.  Also I went to the Gateway Arch, which I will highlight in a paragraph.  After that, I went to Busch Stadium to see the Cardinals/Diamondbacks game.  All of that I'll showcase as I keep telling the story.
  First was the trip to St. Louis from Peoria, only about a two to two and a half hour drive.  If you have a friend, do take a picture of the skyline at certain points of St. Louis as it is very cool as you drive in.  Racing fans will take notice that Gateway International Raceway is only a few miles out of St. Louis in Madison, Illinois.  Next was to the Gateway Arch.  I parked adjacent to the former football stadium of the St. Louis Rams (picture is right there.)  This facility isn't too far from the Gateway Arch, about three-quarters of a mile away.  A short walk suffices you if you take this walkway.  However, you go across the Jefferson Expansion Park, where the Gateway Arch is.  This place is expansive, with some cool walkways and some cool sight lines of the Mississippi River. 

Former home of St. Louis Rams

Upon entering the Gateway Arch, you go through security.  You can go to the tour shop off to the side to see all the different stuff they have for souvenirs.  There are different things to do while you wait for your turn to go up the Arch.  They have a couple of slideshows you can see, as well as a museum tour.  When it is your turn to ride the tram up to the Arch top, you are put in groups of five or six to go to one of the eight trams to ride.  If you are a tall person, they may make you take the stairs.  To emphasize, if you are claustrophobic of small spaces even for a few minutes, the tram isn't for you.  This is small and you will be cramped.  However, when you get to the top it will be a lot easier to move around.  You get to take pictures out of the windows that they have on either side.  One side will more see different views of the Mississippi, and the other side is different pictures of the city.  Once you are done taking pictures, you can take the tram back down to the entrance.  Now afterward you can take different things around the park, including a riverboat ride.  However, it was breezy cold on this Saturday afternoon (apparently April's in the Midwest are cold.  Who knew eh?)  and I ended up not partaking in this.  I would recommend it if you have more money to spend on this.         

View of St. Louis from the Arch

  Onto Busch Stadium I went.  There are a lot of different parking ramps that you can go to park.  After I found my parking spot, I walked a short distance (okay really it was across the street) to a vendor who had water and soda for two bucks each.  After that, took my ticket into the stadium.  Upon entering the stadium, this is why I mentioned the soda and water.  The one major downside of the stadium is that everything is too highly priced except the ball cap I got.  A meal will be at least 14 dollars.  Soda is 6 dollars a bottle, water runs you about 4.50 a bottle.  In comparison with that vendor outside, I saved 6.50 just on this alone as both were just two dollars a bottle.  On a cold, sort of breezy day in the ball park, hot chocolate was well in order.  Those run you as well 4.50 for this but it is actually very good.  You wouldn't be disappointed with this (plus compare it with whatever you buy with the packaged hot chocolate from the grocer.)  Overall, that aside, the game that encompasses the ballpark is amazing.  There is so much to offer with Busch Stadium.  If you sit behind home plate, it offers a cool skyline of the city in the background.  If you sit in the outfield, you get a fantastic field view.  I sat in bleachers about ten rows up.  On this day, the Cardinals had a bobblehead giveaway.

Busch Stadium

This one I got Lou Brock riding in a car.  This one eventually went to a person at a place my mom works as a gift.  The Cardinals always have a good show but Busch Stadium is beautiful.  There are great places to get pictures all along the park and you won't be disappointed at all.  My one tip is just bring a lot of money, especially if you are a family of three or more.  If I were to rank them upon all the parks I have been to, I would rank Target Field first, GABP in Cincinnati second and Busch Stadium third.
  In final, St. Louis was a really fun experience and Busch Stadium was really a great time.  The Cardinals ended up winning on this cold day.  I ended up leaving a bit early as I was attending a different game back in Peoria on the same day.  However, the Cardinals were in command from the onset and kept it after Jose Martinez hit a homer early.  With that, I hope to come back to St. Louis at some point and enjoy the city more in the future.

Justin Timberlake Chicago Concert

Typically I have flashy titles to these blog posts, however I couldn't find one that matches the Justin Timberlake Concert I went to in the Spring.  The setting is the United Center in Chicago, the home of the Bulls and Blackhawks.  A preface to this, this was my first ever concert.  My friend and coworker gave me tickets, and I am forever grateful for the experience.  I got to see downtown Chicago prior to this as well for the first time in seemingly forever as well, something I would get to do again a few weeks later.  This is something I will post about later on.
As for the concert itself, it was absolutely fantastic.  The United Center isn't too hard to get to.  My word of advice, do not drive.  Take public transport, as it is very much easier to navigate rather than driving yourself.  It isn't too pricey, as typically ten dollars will get you through the day.  The concert stage ended up being essentially 25 feet from me, as the path Justin and the crew was on for the stage wound through the arena floor.  I can only guess at attendance, but my initial thought was around 19,000 were there for the concert.  They did collapse a lot of seating to get the stage and the floor set, so that is where the figure arrives.                                                           

Concert Stage

Justin Timberlake performs a concert very well.  Of course, probably as per usual, he had his more famous songs like Mirrors, Senorita, and others.  He also brought some songs out from his newest album, such as Suits and Ties.  He got the crowd involved most of the time, but that was essentially a given considering who he is as a singer.  The good part was he gave a lot of credit to the people who was on stage with him.  There was one part where he allowed his castmates on stage to talk and sing.  While I found it confusing at first, I find it quite cool that a musical act such as him would do that for the rest of his cast.  The crowd was into the whole concert most of the time.  I would definitely recommend to go see him if you ever got the chance to. 
All in all, I thought the Justin Timberlake concert was a fun experience for myself.  I went with a friend who also enjoyed being there.  I thought it was great to see Chicago again, and see my first concert ever with this artist.  All in all, it was an amazing time to see Justin Timberlake.  I do want to thank my friend and coworker (if she reads this, she'll know who she is) for the tickets.  I couldn't ever imagine going to something like this and when I did, I couldn't help but give credit where it is due.  But in finality, I would highly recommend seeing a concert with Justin Timberlake.  Make sure you choose well for seating and reasonably price yourself for concerts.

Herd's Inaugural Season Brings Electricity

The Wisconsin Herd would sound like a classified sort of deer if you put it together.  While there are a lot of deer in the Badger state, the aforementioned name is actually the newest name of the Milwaukee Bucks organization.  They are the G-League, or as many would know it as the NBA Developmental League prior to the name switch, team for the Bucks.  They started their first season in Oshkosh, Wisconsin.  For location sake, look up Green Bay, Wisconsin on a map and travel about 60 minutes south and that's where Oshkosh is.  The Herd play in what is called Menominee Nation Arena.  I got to attend a game in the late Winter there and I do tell the story of the game.
Upon entering the arena, you'll likely know that it is a state of the art arena, as it is brand new for a brand new team.  You will also realize it is for a minor league team, like a G-League team is.  It doesn't have major frills, major concession stands or anything like that.  It is basic, with a very clean fan shop for merchandise on the Herd and the Milwaukee Bucks.  The concessions are a lot of what you would expect at a Milwaukee Bucks game, in terms of food and drinks.  There are less concession stands but that's due to accommodating for about three thousand people rather than nearly 20 thousand.  The upper level ticket buyers can get more specialty drinks and food to them as well.  So this is a very state of the art facility that fans can be happy with. 
Speaking of the fans, they come out to every game.  On this particular day, it happened to be warmer than usual for Wisconsin in March.  The fans packed the arena.  Typically for about 3,500 fans the energy level is low but this arena and the fans bring a lot more enthusiasm.  The noise levels can be pretty high for a type of crowd this size, especially if the team is successful.  While not as knowledgeable about the rest of the G-League teams and their arenas, I would imagine the Herd take a lot of pride in knowing that their fans bring a lot of energy for a new team.
The on-court product is likely what you would expect from a G-League team.  Some young players, some players looking to get back to the big show, some who are just trying to play basketball again.  There are some highs and lows to this, some really talented players but others who also make a lot of mistakes and need them corrected.  For the Herd, they had Brandon Jennings at the time, who then went up to Milwaukee to play.  Same goes for former first round pick D.J. Wilson, and guard Xavier Munford.  Those three highlighted the Herd team on this night, although the Herd lost by more than 20 points.  However, the game itself for one half was very fun.  A lot of different plays were made and the pace was very frenetic.  The fans in the first year will be satisfied as the team hung on strong through most of the season. 
All in all, it marked a cool first trip to the Wisconsin Herd and their arena.  I would say there are things to work on as they continue forward, but the first year is always a learn and see process.  I would like them to add more concessions and more choices, but it will likely come with time.  Otherwise, they do a good job with the product, the staff and security.  Hopefully Oshkosh and east Central Wisconsin can keep supporting the Herd as they continue with their team.