Post by ryansilberman on May 6, 2018 1:15:22 GMT
So, prior to the year 2006 or so, there was a Gameworks near where I lived (It has since been changed to "Gameroom"). Before the drastic differences made to it since the name change, there was a large variety of arcade games ranging from classics like Mr. Driller, Marvel vs. Capcom 2, and Ms. Pac-Man to ticket games and few-minute distractions like Simpsons Soccer and Mario Kart Arcade GP.
There was this one game I've played there that I've never seen anywhere else since, however. My memories of it are actually pretty clear, but the big problem is that it never seemed to have a proper title screen. An autodemo plays before anyone takes control of the game, and when credits are inserted, it cuts straight to an interactive level selection screen. Or, lane selection, rather.
This is a bowling video game, and a rather elaborate one at that. The cabinet part is set up like the the machine-ish part you retrieve your ball from after rolling it (don't know what it's called, frankly) The game screen is projected, if I remember correctly on the wall. The controller is a sphere on the machine part that feels just like a real bowling ball - You roll it repeatedly to roll the ball in-game, as demonstrated in the lane selection screen. You roll the ball towards your desired lane to play.
There are three wildly different lanes. There is a timer that counts down the amount of time your turn can utilize. If the time's up, it moves on to the next frame.
The first is set up like traditional bowling; ten pins await the end of a linear, realistic alley.
The second takes place in a city, possibly inspired by San Francisco. I remember getting a lot of Sonic Adventure 2 vibes from playing in this one, albeit it was very annoying because you have to keep rolling the ball along roads where traffic is bound to bump the ball (the ball is roughly the size of the cars). Fighting the timer was a common occurrence here. And with all this going on, you still have to make sure you align the ball for hitting the ten pins at the end proper.
Lastly, the third lane takes place in the woods. Tall tree trunks and uneven ground make up the terrain here. While the timer isn't as much of a challenge to race as the city lane, navigation can still be a bit odd at times due to the widened layout. You still have to go a further way than usual to get to the ten pins at the end.
So that's my description of the bowling game. I've never seen it around ever again, and it's been at least 13 years since the last time I've known it existed. If anyone else can either track the game down and find more about it or acknowledge its existence as well, I'd love to know.
There was this one game I've played there that I've never seen anywhere else since, however. My memories of it are actually pretty clear, but the big problem is that it never seemed to have a proper title screen. An autodemo plays before anyone takes control of the game, and when credits are inserted, it cuts straight to an interactive level selection screen. Or, lane selection, rather.
This is a bowling video game, and a rather elaborate one at that. The cabinet part is set up like the the machine-ish part you retrieve your ball from after rolling it (don't know what it's called, frankly) The game screen is projected, if I remember correctly on the wall. The controller is a sphere on the machine part that feels just like a real bowling ball - You roll it repeatedly to roll the ball in-game, as demonstrated in the lane selection screen. You roll the ball towards your desired lane to play.
There are three wildly different lanes. There is a timer that counts down the amount of time your turn can utilize. If the time's up, it moves on to the next frame.
The first is set up like traditional bowling; ten pins await the end of a linear, realistic alley.
The second takes place in a city, possibly inspired by San Francisco. I remember getting a lot of Sonic Adventure 2 vibes from playing in this one, albeit it was very annoying because you have to keep rolling the ball along roads where traffic is bound to bump the ball (the ball is roughly the size of the cars). Fighting the timer was a common occurrence here. And with all this going on, you still have to make sure you align the ball for hitting the ten pins at the end proper.
Lastly, the third lane takes place in the woods. Tall tree trunks and uneven ground make up the terrain here. While the timer isn't as much of a challenge to race as the city lane, navigation can still be a bit odd at times due to the widened layout. You still have to go a further way than usual to get to the ten pins at the end.
So that's my description of the bowling game. I've never seen it around ever again, and it's been at least 13 years since the last time I've known it existed. If anyone else can either track the game down and find more about it or acknowledge its existence as well, I'd love to know.
