Friendly to Your Mouth and the Environment!

What:  Tom's of Maine Toothbrush
Type: Soft Bristles 4 count
Price:  $11.99
Rating: 5.0

Tom's of Maine is an awesome company. They make quality products without scary chemicals in them. And they also help the environment with using recycled products. What about the tooth brushes themselves? They work well. Soft bristles are always easier on my gums. I have been pleasantly surprised by just how comfortable they are. Not the cheapest toothbrushes. But 100% worth picking up.

The Gamer's Game - Scythe Review

What:  Scythe
Type: Board Game
Company: Stonemaier Games
Release Date: 2016
Number of Players: 1 - 5
Complexity:  3.5
Rating: 5.0

Visually striking. That is the equivalent of what I first thought when I saw this game. I sat on the fence a bit at first though. There were a few concerns I had. First the game seemed a little pricy. Second it seemed so meaty would my gaming group and I be able to wrap our heads around it. Now mind you, we don't shy away from any game, no matter how complex. But still things to be considered. I have know owned the game for well over a year and I have to say money well spent. But let's break it down.
GAMEPLAY:
Deep and with many options. But not enough to create analysis paralysis. Game is asymmetrical in many ways which is nice for varied gameplay.
COMPONENTS:
Top notch. You get so many plastic and wooden pieces that you won't know what to do with them all!

ARTWORK:
Even if this game was horrible, I'd probably set it on my shelf and just stare at it. Beautiful artwork.
THEME:
This is subjective based on person to person of course. But it is a cool idea. 1920's alternate timeline Europe. In this game WWI happened, but there was more technology involved. Mechs! Need I say more.
ANY CAVEATS?:
Possibly. There is some downsides to the game. With the technology boards being different it can create some tougher learning moments. Also the game is not simple. Not a gateway game. But also not super complicated. I recommend read the rulebook. Then watch a "watch-it-played" on YouTube. It will help a lot. One other thing that might be a con or a pro depending on your game group, this is not a war game. While battle does happen, it's more of a cold war type of game. The threat of power is more powerful than the war itself. Still, you can be as vicious as you want. Just be careful you don't fall behind in production with all the fighting!

BOTTOM LINE:
Don't let this mega game intimidate you. If you have moved beyond a Catan type game and want a meaty game that plays well with 1 - 5 players (7 if you buy the expansions!) then this is an excellent buy. I give it two thumbs up and highly recommend it!

Mediocre Wine Rack

Item:  Fostersource Natural Bamboo Wine Rack
Type:  2 Tier which Holds 8 Bottles
MSRP: 19.99
Rating: 2.5

The wine rack arrived at my door in a relatively small box. The wood felt sturdy. And there was only one page of instructions. It comes with all the screws you need and a Allen wrench to tighten them (more on those later). It was simple to assemble and holds the wine bottles pretty securely. So if we stopped right here I would give it five stars....however!

One thing I was struck by was that the screws had big chunks of rust on them. The plastic bag was hard to see into because the rest was so bad. They did work fine. But when I get a new product I expect everything to be new and not damaged already. For this alone it deserves to lose a couple stars. Other than that, it went together well and does a good job.

Time To Re-Enter The Dream

Name:  The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening (Dreamer Edition)
Platform: Nintendo Switch
Date of Release:  9/20/19
MSRP:  $69.99
Rating: 4.5

I actually never played this game back in the day as I never owned a Game Boy. So I can honestly say I don't have any rose colored glasses when it comes to this. I am however a big Nintendo and Zelda fan so there is that. But anyway, let's begin. For the few people who may not know, this is a remake of the 1993 Game Boy game. It was the first Zelda hand held game and takes place right after the SNES game, A Link to the Past.

Of course it has been completely overhauled for the Switch version. Graphics, button mapping, and music have all been updated. Also a new create a dungeon feature has been added. This is pretty cool because you can share dungeons using Amiibo.

So what's the deal with the Dreamer's edition? Well it includes a full color art book with sketches from the game. Is it worth the extra $10 MSRP? Completely. It's awesome and fun to peruse. And makes a great coffee table book.

 

Now with all the good the game has I do have a few issues with it that keeps it from being 5 stars. First up (and this is a smaller nitpick for sure) don't expect a Super Zelda maker game. You don't really design your own rooms. You just collect rooms while you play through the dungeons. And put them in the order you want. (Maybe there is more to it, but I haven't found it yet.) While there is some definite content here, I have to say it still feels tacked on to me. It's a good idea. But poorly implemented.

My second gripe is with the price of the game. It's MSRP is $59. Or $69 if you buy the Dreamer Edition. But is it really a sixty dollar game? In my opinion not really. I mean Breathe of the Wild was sixty and in the first week I you haven't even begun playing yet! After 2 solid days of this game. Beat it. Easily. I don't know. In my opinion I feel Nintendo didn't give us enough to warrant the price tag. It's more $40 content and not $60. And yes I know this won't be a popular opinion. But it is my thoughts about it.

 

So bottom line, the game is completely worth buying. It's a beautiful remake of the original. And the Dreamer Edition is completely worth picking up. I just am knocking off one star for the tacked on dungeon maker and the slim content.

For Him?

What it is:  Hugo Boss The Scent Cologne
Estimated Release Date:  10/1/19
MSRP:  $78.00
Rating: 2.5


I love Hugo Boss. I find the majority of their scents to be a perfect balance between ruggedness and a hint of sweet. But this one? On my first whiff of it I was disappointed. It personally smelled a little too weak for a masculine fragrance. I figured it was just me. But when my wife first smelled it, I had a hard time convincing her it was a man's cologne. She thought it was too floral for guy.
And yes I know in this day and age people get up in arms about stuff like this! So I don't mean to offend any guys who think this is the most amazing cologne they have ever smelled! And if you love it and want to wear it, go for it! This is just my opinion. I just prefer my colognes to be a bit more rugged and stronger smelling. This one is a little too light for me. And I don't see myself ever wearing it. Just my two cents.

A Modern (Classic?) Rock Classic

Artist: Pearl Jam                 Album: Ten
Rating: 5.0


On August 27, 1991 Epic records released one of the most important albums in modern rock. They didn't know it at the time. Not even Pearl Jam knew it. Especially that was the attitude in 1991 because the album didn't sell great at the start. But once 1992 rolled around it was sitting at #2 atop the Billboard 200 chart. Now it is considered an epic and giant moment in rock history. Does it deserve such high praise?
Indeed it does. Eddie Vedder's lyrics and vocals fit perfectly with the music. While compared to Nirvana often since they are both Seattle bands, Pearl Jam were more of a straight up rock group then grunge. When one thinks of grunge, I personally think of grinding guitars and punk rock sensibilities. Think Nirvana and Alice in Chains. Or even Godsmack know still uses a grunge tone. And while those bands have made some amazing music, Pearl Jam was a little more complex than just a grunge sound. The album is technically (I mean musically) a gem. Stone Gossard's guitar work is very evident on the album and Mike McCready is in top form. I agree with the other reviewers that you can definitely hear Led Zeppelin and other classic rock influences on the record.
Lyrically the cd is very dark. Vedder talks about things such as loneliness, depression, suicide and even murder. At the same time, it has a sort of unflagging optimism that the future will be brighter.
The songs "Alive," and "Once" are part of a trilogy of songs which tell a story. (The third song is "Footsteps" but isn't on "Ten." It was included on the "Jeremy" single B-Side.) It follows the story of a young man learning his father has already died without his knowledge. He is subsequently brought into a sexual relationship instigated by his mother and even becomes a murderer. He is captured in the final song and executed. Ironically many people considered "Alive" a optimistic song full of hope. Easy to make that mistake....Obviously not a cd that is great for kids. But if you are old enough to handle it, a great rock album.

Yes the record is now over 20 years old. But it still remains just as powerful today. Grunge may not rule the radio anymore, but this gold nugget has stood the test of time. Two thumbs way up.

The Return!

So a few years ago I started a blog called The Opinion Company.  I always loved writing reviews so I thought this would be a good place to do it.  And it was fun.  And then I just kind of went on hiatus.  Now on hiatus didn't mean my life wasn't busy.  Life is always busy! 
Seems like stuff has calmed down. Well as much as it ever does.  And so I'm back!

For some clarity too, I want to tighten up all my reviews.  So that requires a scale to rank them on.  I will be using a numeric scale.  1.0 to 5.0.  So basically it means:

5 = Amazing, best of the best.  Hands down recommended.  Don't just try it.  Buy it!
4 = Great, excellent.  Worth checking out.  Just not at the level of 5 stars.
3 = Good.  Nice item or service.  Still worth buying.  But might have some concerning flaws.
2 = Mediocre, not great.  This level shows there are some issues (maybe even a major one or two!) with the product.  Probably not something you want to own.  If you do try it first.
1 = Garbage, horrible.  Not worth it even for free.  Avoid these at all costs!

But anyway, this post is to announce the rebirth of The Opinion Company!  New reviews coming soon.  I will try to cover a wide variety of stuff in the blog.  I am aiming for a once a week review.  We will see though.  So if you enjoyed my blog before, let's dive back in!

Good to be back.....