This is my review of the newly released Strike Zone Bowling homebrew for the Atari 2600. Available for purchase on the Atariage website.
https://store.atariage.com/products/strike-zone-bowling-atari-2600?variant=42563247276150
Background
Strike Zone Bowling is a modern homebrew game for the Atari 2600 Developed by Edward Smith and Kevin Mosley. It is considered a follow up to a similar title named “Pro Bowling” also developed by Edward Smith. The game is lauded for its immersive “down-the-lane” 3D perspective, a sophisticated swing-meter mechanic for controlling ball spin, and imagery intended to capture the atmosphere and experience of a bowling alley visit.
It stands in stark contrast to the original 1978 Atari Bowling, featuring a substantially larger 32KB ROM size, more complex gameplay, and narrative elements like celebration animations and post-game scenes.
Game Description:
The game opens with a short sequence of images, beginning with a spinning bowling ball, followed by a view of the bowling center entrance as your car pulls up to the front door. From there, the player moves to the shoe selection screen, which functions as a choice between single-player and two-player modes. Notably, shoe rentals are priced at only $2 per bowler. Once shoes are selected, the main game screen appears, presenting a realistic first-person, behind the bowler view of the lane. Before play begins, you can choose either a male or female bowler through the use of the “TV Type” switch and the background colors can be adjusted using the console’s “select” switch. Pressing up on the controller will begin the game.
Gameplay
The game follows a specific sequence for every throw of the ball. You move the bowler left or right using the joystick to find your ideal starting position on the lane. Pushing up on the joystick starts the bowler’s approach and activates the Shot Meter at the bottom of the screen. The meter increases to its maximum width and then begins to decrease. You must press the button while the meter is decreasing to release the ball. The timing of your button press determines the ball’s spin. To make the ball hook right, press the button before the meter returns to zero while it’s in the yellow section. To make the ball hook left, press the button after the meter passes zero and is in the green section. For a straight throw press when the meter when it is centered at zero.
Pressing down on the controller will display the current frame you are in.
The difficulty settings control the speed of the meter. Personally I have to play in the “Easy” mode in order to have a chance. The faster the meter moves the more difficult it is to pull off the shot you are attempting.
Scoring
The scoring system follows standard ten-pin bowling rules, with the goal of achieving a perfect score of 300. Points are awarded based on the number of pins knocked down, with bonus scoring for strikes and spares. A strike occurs when all ten pins are knocked down on the first throw of a frame. If pins remain after the first throw, the bowler is given a second attempt to clear them; successfully doing so results in a spare. Earning strikes and spares is highly advantageous, and consecutive strikes provide additional scoring bonuses. In the tenth and final frame, the player has the opportunity to throw up to three strikes. Pressing down on the controller after the first strike in the tenth frame displays a single plus sign, while pressing down after the second strike displays two plus signs. The current score is prominently displayed on the top left of the corner of the screen.
Strategy
Success in the game largely depends on properly timing the shot meter. My suggestion would be to position your bowler in the same spot at the start of each frame to maintain consistency. After achieving three consecutive strikes, you enter the “zone,” where landing additional strikes becomes easier. While in the zone, the shot meter is more forgiving, meaning you don’t have to be as accurate with the meter in order to strike.
Graphics
The graphics in Strike Zone Bowling mark a major improvement over the original Atari bowling game, transitioning from a simple side view to a more immersive down the lane perspective. To enhance the sense of depth, the designer alternates the lane’s color scheme. The game also features several pleasant visual touches, including animated sequences for strikes and spares. In addition, there are brief cutscene-style images shown at the beginning and end of the game. After a match concludes, players are shown an image of the snack bar, restroom, pool hall, or video arcade, depending on their performance. Players can choose between a male or female bowler, and the back wall color is user selectable. After three consecutive strikes, the wall automatically turns red to signal the player has entered “the zone”.
Overall the graphics are pretty good considering the console this game was designed for. I appreciate these additional graphical touches.
Sound
A simple tune plays when the game first powers on. The in game sound effects are fairly basic but effective. I guess the greatest compliment I can give the sound effects is that they don’t have me reaching for the mute button. Distinct sounds accompany the ball rolling down the lane and the pins being hit, while strikes trigger additional effects, including an exploding sound and crowd applause.
Difficulty switches
The consoles difficulty switches are used to set individual challenges for each player. The left difficulty switch controls the setting for player “1”, while the right difficulty switch controls player “2”. Setting the switch to the “B” position allows for standard gameplay, whereas the “A” position causes the shot meter to move faster. This increased speed requires more precise timing to successfully control the ball’s spin and curve.
Game variations
There are not a whole lot of variations to this game. You can choose between a male or female bowler using the TV type switch on the console, you have the ability to change the shot meter speed with the difficulty switches and the select switch will allow you to change the back wall color. It is my understanding on the Modern VCS there have been a few special limited time visual updates including a holiday-themed scene for Christmas and a Halloween update.
Easter eggs
I am not aware of any specific easter eggs in the game although there are score based endings that change the final image once the game concludes. There is sort of a hidden controller feature. When the spare or strike animations are playing pressing left on the joystick will pause the animation, while pressing the button skips it.
Suggestions for Improvements
As a bowler, there are a few improvements I would have liked to have seen. It would have been nice to have an option for a left handed-bowler, and it could have been easily implemented by horizontally flipping the player sprites. One major upgrade I would have liked to have seen is, displaying the overall score sheet. Instead of only showing the current frame when pressing down, displaying the entire game’s scoring summary would allow players to quickly see their strikes and spares at a glance. A high score save feature would have been a nice addition. Along the same lines, support for the AtariVox with added speech samples would have been a great bonus.
Packaging
I really enjoy the artwork for Strike Zone Bowling. The visual design of the packaging was created by William Thorup, whose original artwork is used consistently across the box, manual, and cartridge label. The main illustration features three figures wearing gloves, two posed as if they have just rolled a strike, while the third is shown having just released a bowling ball.
The pins are depicted exploding in all directions, adding a strong sense of motion and excitement. On the back of the manual is an image of a bowling lane showing a ball’s trajectory, with the AtariAge logo as a watermark.
While we’re on the topic of the artwork, I’m curious to hear your thoughts on AI-generated artwork. I’m not suggesting that’s what this is, but I have noticed packaging and labels on other products that clearly are. Personally, I prefer artwork created by human beings, but I can understand especially if you are a one person show, how convenient it would be to just ask AI to do it’s best.
Anyhow, Included with the box purchase is a bonus 10″ x 14″ poster which has the same box artwork only larger. I’m a big fan of having physical game manuals, and this one does not disappoint. It’s vibrant, printed on thick paper stock, and filled with colorful game screenshots. Credit to AtariAge for consistently delivering high-quality materials across all of the games they offer for sale.
Ports
I don’t know of any ports other than the fact that it is also available on the modern Atari VCS console.
Purchasing Information
You can purchase Strike Zone Bowling in both physical and digital formats depending on the platform.
For the Atari 2600, from what I can tell it is only available on the Atariage store for about $50.00. That price includes the following:
- A 32K game cartridge.
- A professionally printed box.
- A 12-page, full-color manual.
- 10″ x 14″ poster
The game can be purchased digitally for the modern Atari VCS console for about $4.
Conclusion
Strike Zone Bowling succeeds in not only creating a satisfying game play experience but it also simulates the culture of bowling. From the opening scene outside the bowling center, to renting shoes and hanging around after the game with score dependent hangout scenes. The game captures the full atmosphere of a night at the lanes. I appreciate all the attention to detail that went into making this game. I really like the in “the zone” play mode, which simulates the idea that when you are in that zone, the gameplay comes easy, almost without even trying. It can be argued the harder the game is, the less fun it is to play, so implementing a novice mode is something I certainly appreciate. There was a lot of polish added to the game in the form of animated cut-scenes and game ending images. The game has that “one more try” effect. I keep wanting to try playing again to improve my score.
Available both as a physical cartridge from AtariAge and digitally on the new Atari VCS, I consider Strike Zone Bowling to be the definitive bowling experience on the platform.
