"Bowling - Strikes = Championship Bowling"

I had this game when I was a kid and I loved it. Eventually, I traded it away, and I have not had a chance to replay it until recently. I shouldn't have played it again, as now the Championship Bowling legend is spoiled. It's simply not as much fun to play now as it was when I was 10. Here's the breakdown, as I see it:



Graphics: Nothing special. Games like this don't need amazing graphics. The characters are drawn adequately well, and ball/pin animation is acceptable. SCORE: 7.



Sound: Annoying. Very, very annoying. This is one of those games that I have to mute while I listen to my stereo. Who programs this junk? SCORE: 2.



Playability: This game is fun at first, but after you realize the major flaws, it becomes less and less fun. The biggest difficulty I have with this game is that it is seriously IMPOSSIBLE to get a strike. I've been ''real'' bowling before many times, and even a player with minimal ability like myself can score a strike once in a while by sheer happenstance. In this game, it appears you have to line yourself up in one and only one spot and throw at the perfect angle with the perfect speed. Nothing seems random. I bowled six full games in a row, and ended up with only two strikes total, one of which I wasn't even trying for. On the other hand, spares are simple to make, even 7-10 splits! Unless you only scored a three or lower on your first ball, there is really no excuse to miss the spare if you are trying. Another problem is that some of the characters throw the lightest-weight ball as if it were the heaviest. This is probably a game bug that no one caught, but it is still very annoying. How anyone can score a perfect game in this is beyond me. SCORE: 4.



Challenge: This is a difficult game, but for all the wrong reasons. Bowling a game over 250 seems impossible, and I don't really see why it would be worth mastering this game for hours just to see a small animation of a trophy. However, Championship Bowling does make a competitive two-player game. If one person misses a spare, that person usually loses. SCORE: 8.



Overall: Like I said earlier, the major flaws with this game outweigh the small thrills. The only redeeming quality is the two-to-four-player mode. Sadly enough, this IS the best bowling simulator for the NES. You're better off going to the real lanes with a few buddies, renting a pair of shoes and having some real fun. OVERALL SCORE: 5.

Reviewer's Score: 5/10, Originally Posted: 09/21/01, Updated 09/21/01