Sprt: RocketBowl [by Large Animal Games]

Game Review:  Rocketbowl
Release: September 2004
Genre: Sports
Developer: Large Animal Games
System Requirements:  600Mhz, Windows 98/2K/XP/Me, 128MB RAM, 16MB Video Card
Players: 1
Price: $19.95
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Rocket Bowl is not just another bowling game. The premise is simple: at the 1958 World’s Fair, the public is being introduced to “rocket bowling,” which is straight up bowling… except you play it on a miniature-golf style course with rocket-controlled bowling balls. The 1950’s art design and music are fantastic!

Right off the bat, the player is hit with an incredible amount of 50’s culture. Art, music, cartoons, the words “atomic,” “togetherness,” “____-o-matic,” and, of course, bowling. You get to choose your character, name him or her, then you’re ready to play.

This game is super fun to play! The player starts out with your standard, black bowling ball, and after making a few bucks by knocking down “dollar pins,” or hitting little $5 coins on the course, you can buy bigger, better bowling balls. Each ball upgrade has rocket boosters attached, which you can use to control your ball mid-course. The balls also have unique properties enhance the game play: speed, agility, amount of rocket boosts, etc. All that needs to be done to bowl the ball is to click the “start bowl” button, wait for the power meter to end where you want it to, and click “bowl.”

The lanes in RocketBowl are really the thing that makes it completely different than any other Bowling game. In RocketBowl the playing field is wide open with all the pins from the 10 frames being set out in different areas of the same large playing area. The lanes are also not your typical straight affairs. There are hills, valleys, bridges and a whole set of different obstacles in this game which provide a quite an exciting challenge.

You can work your way up the courses then compete in special tournaments against AI players, and perhaps win some extra cash if you come in 1st, 2nd or 3rd. There are five courses, and five tournaments to enter. This adds a lot of replay value, especially with all the upgrades you can buy, but there’s one obvious question: why is there no multiplayer?! Wouldn’t you love to be in a wacky bowling tournament online or with your buddies?

Don’t let my minor gripes fool you though: this game is a lot of fun to play. With an awesome retro attitude that stays consistent throughout the whole game, and a variety of exciting balls and courses, there’s a whole lot of entertainment here.

Graphics: 8
The 2D artists are quite talented, and the graphics are clean and bright, but, knowing the capabilities of the Torque engine, the 3-D graphics are rather disappointing. The courses are really just simply textured terrains and the bowling balls have only a hint of being reflective. I think better use of bump mapping and detail mapping would have done a lot for the graphics. Still, the GUI sets the perfect tone, and the totally 50’s World’s Fair atmosphere gives this game a lot of character.

Sound: 9
The soundtrack behind the game is a fun, smooth doo-wop composition, and the occasional brass hit whenever you get a strike make the atmosphere consistent. The pins and bowling sounds are very accurate and environmental.

Game Play: 8
The game play is quick, intuitive, and fun. You just need to click, wait for a power meter, and click again, then you’re off. The flaw in this is that putting it on maximum, or near maximum power is sufficient… every single shot. If you aim the ball right, you’re likely to get a strike on near max power every shot, without fail. Also, I would like to see keyboard shortcuts.

Value: 8
There are a ton of bowling ball upgrades you can get here, and the varying capabilities of the balls make this a pretty comprehensive game. It is easy to find a ball that you play well with, and you can really become pro at it. Online play is the main thing missing.

Concept: 8
Bowling, a mini-golf, and rocket games alone are not unusual. Combining these works out well and makes an interesting game.

Fun: 9
The style and easy-to-learn game play make this bowling game a lot of fun. The seemingly limitless supply of unique bowling balls draws you in and makes you want to keep playing. The AI is rather easy to beat and so without a multiplayer option, the tournaments lack the excitement that would come from real competition. In any case, as a single player game, this is a winner.

Overall: 8
While some might find the graphics a little too simple, there is a lot of fun to be had in Rocket Bowl. This has to be the most entertaining bowling game I’ve ever played and is sure to be an indie hit!

Added: January 17th 2005
Reviewer: Samuel Merrill
Score:
Hits: 5468
Language: english