Real vigor on your front view!
You are standing on lane now!!
Virtual Bowling is real sports game simulate bowling enjoyment.
Weight of bowl, right hand left hand, configure many settings, you can enjoy game more profound.
Notice:
Please read notice sheet and instruction card to player and guardian.
Please use Virtual Boy indoors.
Please take a rest sometimes when you play game long time.
Please avoid game when tired or long playtimes.
Please use Virtual Boy after adjust right.
Please don't use this during 0 years old to 6 years old where eyes are growing
process.
Released in JPN, developed by Athena
and brought out 22 December 1995, original price: 5800 Yen, serial#: VUE-VVBJ-JPN, genre:
bowling (sport), backupcapacity: game has no backupcapacity;
Language accessibility: Perfect, everything is in English.
Want more Athena bowling games? Pick up their Super Bowling titles on the
GB (1990), NES (1991), SNES (1992), GBC (1998) & N64 (1999).
Main screen & menus:
Ingame:
*the 4 dodgy (non-magazine) screenshots & below text by Neil Schuldenfrei
The rest of the 25 in-game screenshots you can view by clicking here:
#14, #15,
#16, #17,
#18, #19(map),
#20, #21,
#22, #23,
#24(rank1), #25,
#26, #27
(turkey),
#28, #29,
#30, #31,
#32, #33
#34(v.bowl.end), #35
(game ending),
#36, #37
(congratuRations)
Intro Music Tune & Gaming Music Tune
Neil says: So, what about the game itself? Well, VBowl is, not surprisingly, a bowling game! But it has some of the BEST 3D on VB, and some of the most awesome graphics! This is one of the FEW VB games with a FIRST-PERSON PERSPECTIVE. (Even Nester's doesn't have that! Nester's gives you a "from-behind-the bowler" perspective. VBowl is TRUE first-person perspective.) Not only that, but you can also see replays from the PERSPECTIVE OF THE PINS (as I'll explain below)!
And check this out: ALL GAME PLAY IS IN ENGLISH!!! That's right -- it's ALL in English, so you won't be fumbling around figuring out what to do. It's EASY to figure out, but challenging to play! And, like ALL VB games, it plays on ANY VB system. Just pop it in, and you're ready to go.
This game has some of my all-time favorite VB moments:
- The voice on this is great! It's a Japanese woman, speaking in English. At the title screen, she practically yells "VIRTUAL BOWLING!". Boy, is SHE excited! It then starts with a graphic of the alley (great 3D!), and the word "GOOD LUCK" superimposed. You hit the start button, and she says "GOOD luck", emphasizing the wrong word! It makes me laugh every time I play!
- When you miss a pin, she yells out "Oh, No!" She sounds so shocked and disappointed that you almost WANT to miss, just to hear her say it again!
- When you roll a strike or a spare, the game goes into instant replay, with a camera angle FROM THE PERSPECTIVE OF THE PINS, with the ball rolling towards you! Very cool! It also tells you your ball speed, in both mph and km/hr.
- If you roll a "turkey" (a bowling term for 3 strikes in a row), a giant turkey comes running toward you, and SPLATTERS ONTO THE SCREEN in front of you! Very funny!
- If you roll 4 strikes (or more) in a row, 2 dancing turkeys appear on screen, under the banner "Exciting Play!"
There are 3 modes of play:
- STANDARD MODE: This is normal, 1-player bowling;
- TOURNAMENT MODE: You'll take on 4 other (computer-controlled) players in a series of games at 4 different venues. It starts with a cool 3D graphic showing the 4 buildings you'll be playing in -- they get fancier as you go. At various times during the tournament, the other players will appear on-screen to taunt you with on-screen (not voiced) barbs IN ENGLISH. Don't let them unnerve you!
- TRAINING MODE: Very cool! In Training Mode, YOU decide which pins to shoot for! Before each ball, you pick which pins you want to have standing. So you can practice picking up splits, shoot for all 10, or pick any combination you choose. Is that cool or what???
There are also a variety of options, including:
- BOWLER TYPE: Choose "Normal Bowler", "Power Bowler", or "Technical Bowler".
- ALLEY WAXING: This is cool! You decide how much of the alley is waxed -- none , half (the half with the pins), or all. As any bowler knows, waxing the alley changes the ball speed and dynamics, so it's a whole new game when you alter this option!
- OTHERS: Other options include the standard stuff: ball weight, left/right-handed bowler, and music on/off.
Let's face it -- many of the VB Japan-only titles were NOT among the best of games. But Virtual Bowling is a refreshing exception. This game is really great! Fun to play. Great graphics. Awesome touches that make it stand out from the crowd.
