Pro Bowling

Bowling is one of those games. You know the type. Every now and then a bowling ball-shaped seed rolls into your consciousness and you wonder why you haven't played in ages. Then you do and remember why: it's the shoes; it's the clientele; it's the fact that the eight-year old in the next aisle is thrashing you, taking your dignity with the ease of a schoolyard bully.

Afterwards, of course, you come to your senses and stay away from those greased lanes for a while. But that dangerous seed is never far away.

It's a good job, then, that thanks to this game you'll be able to satisfy your demons without ever having to enter one of those pits of embarrassment in the flesh. As the 'Pro' in the title might suggest, the game generally tries to be a fairly faithful representation of bowling tactics. Where bowling games generally feature angle and spin, this game adds the extra element of making you time your run-up to the foul line, too.

Other than the kooky avatars you get to choose, the interface and structure are pretty comprehensive and business-like. You're offered a standard Quick Play mode for instant gratification, but the Tournament mode gets fairly involved.

Not only is it split up into Training, Qualification and Main match sections, there's also a funky character generation system, too. You get to choose your character's power, spin and accuracy stats, as well as the weight of your ball, which further effects your stats.

Unfortunately, in delivering these commendable features, some fun potential has been lost in translation. The best bowling games let you feel when you throw a good ball that you possess the grace and skill of a true professional. Unfortunately, in contrast Pro Bowling feels a bit like falling down stairs whilst walking on crutches.

The three-pronged method of executing a throw just feels too rigid, and a bit like being shouted at by a middle aged, balding bowling instructor with short man syndrome. Admittedly, it is functional and does enable fairly decent precision, but much of the grace of the mysterious art of bowling is sucked-out.

If you can forgive this, though, Pro Bowling does have a fair amount going for it. The look, although a little restrained, is just as professional and shiny as the game's structure. There are also some great in-game sound effects that really help to immerse you into the oddly captivating aural world of bowling. After all, few things are more satisfying than listening to those pins fall as you take in your second double strike.

Despite some definite reservations about the feel of the controls then, the game is certainly a worthwhile sim. It offers a decent tournament mode and the character generation system means that it's a title worthy of a few plays through. Not quite a strike, then, but it takes the spare.