E3 10: Brunswick Pro Bowling PS3 impressions

11:00 PM on 06.19.2010   |   Conrad Zimmerman

13 comments

For a very long time following the release of the Wii, I found myself playing the Wii Sports bowling game more than anything else the console had to offer. It only seems appropriate that the first and only experience with the PlayStation Move at this year's E3 would find me chucking a ball down a lane at unsuspecting pins.

Picking up the Move controller to play Brunswick Pro Bowling felt immediately natural. Lining yourself for a throw utilizes a few motions, but does so simply. Holding down a button and moving left and right will adjust either your position on the line or the angle of your throw, depending on which is selected at the time. Switching between the two is done by flicking your wrist vertically or horizontally. The wrist flicking bit was a little finicky and would occasionally decide that the motion had not occurred sharply enough but barely qualified as an inconvenience.

Throwing the ball is, again, easy. You've probably done this bit before. Spin can easily be applied with a twist of the controller and it's impressively responsive to input of this variety. 

So, it's fun. It doesn't try to reinvent the wheel, but gives it some better tread. The visuals are serviceable but far from exciting. An interesting feature of this particular budget bowling title is that it will have a range of thirty balls players can use, running a variety of different weights, colors and designs. It seems as though Crave is more crafting a bowling simulator than a game, which is something I can get behind.

If there's a PS3 user out there who has long harbored jealousy of Wii fans and their motion-controlled bowling, Brunswick Pro Bowling will likely get the job done. Multiple gameplay modes and half a dozen alleys to play on should add value to this title, which is due out in the fall.