Family Bowling (1998)

Developer: Nichibutsu
Publisher: Nichibutsu, HAMSTER
Platforms: PlayStation 3, PlayStation, PlayStation Portable
Genres: Simulator

The 3D catalog: game boxes on wooden shelves, with the cat sitting at the counter next to its greeting.

The catalog in 3D

The same catalog has a room you can walk around in. The cat behind the counter is the AI Catbot, and they pick real games from it when you tell them what you feel like playing. Nothing is for sale, here or in there. Go in from here and this game is already out on the counter, with more like it waiting on the shelf next to it.

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How it feels

A breezy, easygoing bowling sim meant for casual play with friends or family rather than intense competition.

casuallightheartedfamily-friendlyrelaxingsimpleaccessiblelow-stakesrepetitive

About

Family Bowling (also known as Wai Wai Bowling in a later release) is a bowling game that features 2 courts at the beginning of the game (Prism Town & Liberty Planet), 12 characters (only 4 are available at the beginning of the game) & 2 game modes: - Free or Tournament mode: In this mode there are 4 possible playable characters to choose (Maki, Kazuhiko, Shota & Ichika). The player can select also the number of opponents and if he wants that they will be computer or player opponents. - Challenge Mode: In this mode the characters are the same as in free mode but here the gameplay is about different bowling challenges that the player has to try to clear. The gameplay as usual in the bowling games begins with an overview of the court where the player has to select the direction of the shot, after that the character direction and finally select the power and effect of the shot. At the beginning the player can change the name of the bowler and also select if he want a right-hand or lefty player. The game allows up to four human players (using the same controller, not a multitap) to play at the same game.

Screenshots

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More by Nichibutsu

This page is from Underplayed Gems, a catalog of older and overlooked games. Not quite it? You can browse by platform and genre, or take this one into the 3D catalog and ask the Catbot for something closer.