Review: Throwing Strikes and Gutters With PBA Bowling

Posted by: dgoldring on Jul 01 2008

I have always been a fan of bowling.  It is just a great way to spend an evening.  Throwing heavy balls, knocking things over, and hanging out with some friends.   Really what could be better for working out some aggressions? 

The problem I always had with bowling, though, is that I am terrible at it.  I mean, out of a possible 300, I usually end up with a 120.  Strikes are almost unheard of in my game, and spares are pretty rare as well.  Fortunately for me, there is video bowling, a game genre which I have thoroughly enjoyed watching and playing as it has developed over time.

The latest entry in this growing and crowded field is Concrete Software’s PBA Bowling.  In my mind, in order for a bowling game…any bowling game, to make an impression, it has to be unique.  It has to offer something more than just throwing balls at pins.  There are dozens of games that already give you that action.  PBA Bowling delivers in this area twice.  First, it is the only bowling game (at least as far as I am aware) that gives you the option of playing against real PBA tour bowlers.  Second, it utilizes Concrete Software’s unique motion sensing controls.  So, will these be enough to carry PBA Bowling ahead of the crowd?  Let’s take a closer look and find out.

The game features three modes of gameplay:

• Single Game, where you will play a single game against your chosen opponent
• PBA Tournament, where you must play against all of the PBA pros in the game
• Spare Challenge, each frame will feature a different arrangement of pins (usually between 1 and 5 pins).  You must knock over all of the pins in order to score a spare on the frame.  You will have two attempts at each configuration.  I thought this was a great way to practice your game and brush up on some skills.   I did think it would have been nice if there had been an option to arrange the pins yourself so you could practice a specific shot.

Both the Single Game and Spare Challenge offer a single player mode and a multiplayer mode.  In multiplayer mode, Unfortunately here, I was surprised to find no support for Bluetooth or network connection play, something which had been features by Concrete Software in the past.  Instead, multiple players must all share the same device in order to win.

Once you have selected which game to play, you will need to choose a ball.  There are three built into the game (heavy, medium, and light) or you can easily construct your own.  Realistically, though, I could not tell any different in the game, whether I used a heavy ball or a light one.  Still, I typically preferred to play with the Captain America ball, which I built in the game’s ball designer.  One thing that did annoy me slightly, however, was that you are given the option of selecting a new ball before every throw.  Personally, I tend to choose a ball and stick with it.  There was rarely a time when I felt a new ball was necessary.  So, I would have been perfectly happy to choose a ball only at the beginning of each game.

OK.  Now that we have our balls selected, it is time to bowl.  Typical bowling scores will be applied:

• One point for each pin knocked down.
• Knock down all ten pins ain one throw and you get a strike.  A strike is worth the ten points plus the total of your next two throws.
• Knock down all ten pins in two throws, and you will score a spare.  A spare is worth ten points, plus the amount of your next throw.

Those of you who have bowled before probably are following me pretty well, here.  Those of you who have not, well, you really should. 

There are two ways to control the action.  You can use the touchscreen and D-Pad controls, or you can use the really cool motion sensor technology, which uses your camera to detect motion and control the action.  Kind of like Wii…only different.

I first gave the game a try using the traditional settings (eg, D-pad and touchscreen).  I found these controls to be a bit cumbersome, but not particularly challenging to master.  As I mentioned above, you will first need to select a ball at the beginning of each throw.  This really seemed excessive to me.  Then, you can use the D-pad to position the ball across the the top of the lane.  Once you have chosen the your position, a red line will appear and drift from one side of the lane to the other.  This is your aiming line.  Hit the D-pad when you think it is point generally along the path you want the ball to follow.  Next, you will find the power meter.  Again, hit the D-pad to choose how much power to put into the throw.   This will also automatically launch the ball down the alley.  While the ball is in motion, hit the D-pad left and right to add spin.  Then, like all good bowling alleys, the computer will tally your score.

So far, this is really not much different from most other bowling games I have played.  Maybe a bit more complicated, with four different variables to control (position, aim, power, and spin), but generally along the same lines as most other games.  What really sets it apart, then, is the motion sensor control.  And this is just a really cool piece of technology.

The motion sensing control will utilize your phone’s camera to sense when the phone is moving.  Rather than aiming and selecting the power of the throw, all you have to do is swing your arm like you were really bowling (and please make sure you have plenty of room).   Very few games offer this level of interaction.  I was really impressed by how well the motion sensor works (unfortunately, like I said, I suck at bowling).  I did find, however, that it was not particularly well suited for this game.  When you are swinging your arm, it becomes almost impossible to see the screen.  By the time you get it back in front of your face, the ball is almost all the way to the pins, and you have missed the opportunity to add spin.  This quirk was most unfortunate.  I found myself wishing for an external monitor so I could fully enjoy the motion sensing action. 

I also really liked the fact that you can travel to various locations.  There are five locations, each of which (to the best of my knowledge) is an actual stop on the PBA tour.  I found it added something to the excitement of the game, knowing we were bowling in the same places as some of the great bowling tournaments in PBA history…OK.  I couldn’t really pull that one off at all.  But it is pretty cool to have a variety of locations, each with its own personality.  

  I did have one significant problem with the game, however.  The save option never seemed to work right for me.  It should work by remembering your status each time you exit the game.  This frequently failed for me, however, resulting in considerably lost progress.  Of course, when I lost a game, it never seemed to have a problem saving.

Overall, I really enjoyed this game.  I mean, come on.  How often are you realistically going to bowl against PBA professionals?  Uhm…probably never.  And even if you do, what are the odds that you will even be competitive, let alone knock their socks off.  Yet, that is exactly what you are called upon to do in PBA Bowling.  Go up against some of the best in the world…and win.  Very nice.  Of course, I liked the idea of the motion sensing controls, however, I did not find they were particularly appropriate for this game.  Throwing the ball required you to take your eyes off of the screen for a fairly significant period of time.  Nonetheless, it was fun to play around with the motion sensor and marvel at how far technology has come.  No gutterballs on this one.  PBA Bowling is a straight strike from Concrete Software.

Vital Stats:

Name: PBA Bowling

Developer: Concrete Software

Version: 1.02

Tested on: Sprint Mogul with Windows Mobile 6

Also Available: Blackberry, Symbian, and other mobile phones

Where to Buy: Concrete Software

                      JAMM Store

Price:             $14.99

Trial:             Yes, with limited gameplay

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