| Pocket Bowling | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Developer(s) | Jaleco |
| Publisher(s) | Jaleco |
| Platform(s) | Game Boy Color |
| Release |
|
| Genre(s) | Sports |
Pocket Bowling is a bowling video game developed and published by Jaleco for the Game Boy Color. The game was a launch title for the Japanese release of the Game Boy Color and the first bowling game for the platform.
Pocket Bowling is an arcade-style bowling game. Players bowl in a ten pin bowling setup by aligning the ball along the alley and adjusting curve and power. [1] Players can select one of six characters who have different qualities in terms of power and technique. Games are played across ten frames with a maximum score of 300, including points scoring features such as strikes, spares, gutter balls and splits. [2]
Pocket Bowling contains several modes. 'Standard Mode', for one or two players, allows players to take turns to play a game. 'Tournament Mode' allows players to select a character and compete against four computer-controlled opponents in three games across four bowling alleys in a knockout-style elimination game. 'Training Mode' allows players to practice moves on a series of customisable layouts of pins. [3]
| Publication | Score |
|---|---|
| AllGame |   [2] |
| IGN | 4/10 [1] |
| Game Boy Xtreme | 76% [4] |
| Total Game Boy | 52% [5] |
Pocket Bowling received mixed reviews. Craig Harris of IGN stated that Pocket Bowling was "definitely the winner" of Game Boy Color bowling games, compared to 10 Pin Bowling , praising the "effort (that) went in to making the game as complete as possible" with several game modes. [1] Game Boy Xtreme positively assessed the game as "surprisingly playable". [4] In a negative review for Total Game Boy, Jem Roberts stated "there's very little to the graphics at all" and "there's hardly anything to the game itself", expecting a greater "challenge or sense of competition". [5] Brett Alan Weiss of Allgame similarly praised the lack of difficulty, stating "it's a shame Pocket Bowling is such an easy game to master. It has crisp graphics and a professional but fun presentation. The playfield is laid out well, the controls are tight and the pins behave realistically. This would have been a fun game to play when standing in line at the bank or waiting for a lane on league night. Unfortunately, the game is not worth more than a rental." [2]
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