You have all heard the phrase, do this like your life depends upon it.  Well, that is exactly what you need to do in Galactic Bowling.  Bowl as if your life depends upon it…because it does.  Not just your life, every life on Earth depends upon how well you can bowl.   In this game, the Earth is in jeopardy by a race of aliens constructing an intergalactic highway….waitaminute, Arthur Dent…wrong story.

In reality, the aliens are planning to drain the Earth’s life force.  Good thing they love bowling.  Only by winning this intergalactic bowling tournament can you drive them away and save the Earth.  Of course, first you need to win the local tournament to become Earth’s champion.  Then it is off to compete against other alien races across the galaxy, with the fate of the world hanging in the blance.  The plot is intentionally silly, but is still felt one dimensional and sort of fell apart after the initial introduction.  The game did not give much of an indication how this intergalactic civilization came to be so bowling-centric, or why they are willing to let the fate of heir civilization hinge on whether you can beat them at this silly game.  Whatever the reasons, though, you will need to travel from one planet to the next taking on all bowling challengers.

The folks at Perpetual FX Creative were kind enough to provide me with a review copy of the game, so I fired it up on my first generation iPod Touch and prepared to save the galaxy from bowling denizens everywhere.  Let’s take a closer look.

The first thing I noticed about the game were the fantastic locations.  Although the first three games take place around the globe, you will quickly be spirited off to parts unknown…very unknown as the lanes can be found on distant worlds across the galaxy, each seemingly more inhospitable than the last. 

What I really liked here was that unlike most bowling games, it was not just the backgrounds that changed, but the whole lane.  As you progress, you will find loops, ramps, and even a possible worm hole or two.  Each lane takes on the characteristics of its location.  This is not your traditional bowling game.

In addition to exotic locations around the galaxy, you will also find plenty of other features which set this one apart from traditional bowling games.  First is the alternate game mode.  Like most bowling games, you can play this one using the traditional scoring.  Additionally, though, you can switch over to Battle mode, in which scoring is based upon the total number of pins you are able to knock over in a five minute period of time.  Speed and accuracy are the keys to winning battle mode. 

Of course, if you need a  little more practice, you can always eschew any of the up to three saved competitions, and take a run at controlling any of the game’s characters at any location in the game.  You can practice alone or play a duel against any opponent.  This allows you to practice at any difficulty level you wish; though it would have been nice if you could have played against another real life opponent.

I was also disappointed  to find that this was the only way you could play as one of the non-human characters.  It would be nice if, after completing the competition, you could play again as any character, rather than just being limited to the humans.

While you are playing the game, you will also find plenty of new surprises to help you along the way.  First, in addition to the ball, you are also armed with a laser.  Anytime you hit a pin, but do not knock it over, you will be given a few second to fire that laser at any remaining pins.  A pretty handy tool, even if you do not get to use it as often as I might have liked.

There are also five “Whammies” which you can unlock during the course of the game.  Once unlocked, you can earn a Whammy by hitting it with the ball.  These Whammies can be used at any time to disrupt your opponent’s gameplay.

Additionally, you will also unlock five special balls, which can be played at any time during the game.  It will take a little of your energy to use one, but the rewards can be well worth it.

Speaking of your energy, each time you knock over pins, you will earn some.  You can use this energy to use a special ball, or completely fill the meter to activate your super move.  Once activated, your super move will result in an automatic strike…and on to the next frame.

Before we wrap up, I should also talk about the controls, which are about as unique as the rest of the game.  The first thing you will need to do is set your position on the lane and spin on the ball.  To do this, just drag your finger left and right to position the bowler, or up and down to change the spin on the ball.  In the bottom right, you will see a power meter, just tap it repeatedly until you reach the desired strength for your throw, and then tap your bowler to set him in motion.  It is slightly more complicated than most bowling games, but once you learn how to play, it is really extremely intuitive. 

I am a huge fan of bowling games.  Heck, it is still my favorite game on the Wii.  And I absolutely loved the twists they put on the game with Galactic Bowling.  While remaining true to the traditional bowling game, they added significant new elements, including locales, obstacles, Whammies, and special balls.  They even added a storyline, even if it did have a few holes in it.  Despite all of this, I have a hard time recommending this game for $4.99.  Even in hard mode, many of the levels are far too easy, and the game is entirely too short.  As much as I enjoyed playing it, and journeying through the stars bowling in various exotic locales, I managed to complete Campaign Mode twice (in normal and hard difficulty levels) over the course of a weekend.   Because the game is so quick to complete, I was disappointed to find such a comparatively high price point ($4.99).  Sure, this is the kind of game which you can keep playing, even after you have completed campaign mode; I found playing the same levels again and again quickly lost its allure.  I really hope the developers expand upon this game to add more levels, challenges, and obstacles. 

What I Liked:

• Outstanding graphics
• Special balls and powers
• Whammie abilities
• Exotic locations and unique bowling alleys
• Intuitive controls

What Needs Improvement:

• The storyline is too one-dimensional
• Too few levels
• Too easy to win
• No way to play against other people
• Price

 Version reviews: 1.2

Developer: Perpetual FX Creative

Price: 4.99

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