AMF Bowling Pinbusters! is a bowling sports-based video game. It was released on Wii on November 20, 2007 and was released in America on the Nintendo DS on July 7, 2008.
Gameplay[ | ]
Main Menu[ | ]
In the main menu, there are four options:
- Bowl Now: Here, the player can either play a quick solo game or play against up to 3 other opponents.
- Tournament: Here, the player goes against both human and AI opponents in an 8-bracketed tournament.
- Mini Games: Here, the player can play one of two exciting games.
- Options: Here, the player can change various sound settings.
Bowl Now[ | ]
This is a game mode that is made for 1 to 4 players. One can play a practice game simply by selecting "1 player". Though, they can play the normal game mode by first selecting the number of human and AI players, then choose one of the 8 characters they wish to play, then finally, one of the seven venues (e.g. Brentwood Manor).
Tournament[ | ]
Between 1 to 4 players to enter a full tournament mode, though there are always 8 players in a tournament, and any additional space for a player not occupied by a human player will be occupied by an AI player. The number of human players and character(s) can be chosen here as well.
AI players can have three difficulty settings: amateur (easiest setting), semi-pro (medium setting), and pro (hardest setting).
Tournaments are single elimination and have three rounds. In each rounds, two players are matched up. Whoever wins this match will advance to the next round.
Mini games[ | ]
There are two mini games: Pool Bowl and Obstacles.
Pool Bowl[ | ]
Pool Bowl is like a game of pool on the lanes. The bowling ball is like a cue ball and the player must hit the eight ball into the pins.
Obstacles[ | ]
In this game mode, obstacles are placed directly on the lane, and the player must learn to control the ball well enough to hook around the obstacles and hit the pins.
Game settings[ | ]
In the game settings, the player can:
- Change the volume of the character voices.
- Change the volume of the sound effects.
- Change the volume of the game music.
Characters[ | ]
This is a list of characters in AMF Bowling Pinbusters!:
| Name | Description |
|---|---|
| Sally | She's the sweetest girl on the lanes, until you get in her way. |
| Sarge | A perfectionist, he practices a minimum of 4 hours every day. |
| Lenny | The king of the lanes, no one can match his styles of his moves. |
| Johnny | He's been bowling since he was 3. There is no way that he's going home empty handed. |
| Carmen | Her sharp fashion sense makes her the best dressed player on the lanes. |
| Big Money | He's as smooth as ice and always in control. |
| Roxy | She likes to warm up for her shows with a bit of bowling. |
| Cody | When he's not shredding waves, he's throwing strikes. |
Wii Version[ | ]
The Wii controller allows the player to mimic real bowling by using typical bowling movements. The game environment offers mirrored balls, hot neon lights, and strobe effects. Several mini games are available such as Obstacles and Pool Bowl.
Players can choose from eight unique characters, such as the Surfer, the Drill Sergeant, Punk Rock Girl, the Cowgirl, and the Rapper – each with their own personality.
Controls[ | ]
Menu[ | ]
| Key | Action |
|---|---|
| Power Button | Turn Power On or Off |
| A Button | Select Menu Items |
| B Button | Cancel Menu Items |
| Home Button | HOME Menu |
| + Button | Pause Menu |
Bowling[ | ]
| Key | Action |
|---|---|
| A Button | Toggle Aiming/Angle |
| B Button | Throw Ball |
| Up/Down on +Control Pad | Zoom View |
| Left/Right on +Control Pad | Aim/Angle Ball |
To throw a ball, the player must raise their Wii Remote to the chest, then hold the B Button, and swing back and forward as if rolling a real bowling ball. After that, they should twist the Wii Remote if they want to spin the ball, then release the B Button at the bottom of their swing.
DS Version[ | ]
In the DS version, which is developed by Vir2L Studios, there are 12 different characters and many different locations. Each character has his/her own special move, which is built up using "Psyche" meter. There are four gameplay modes: World Cup, Precision, Duckpins, and Practice. In addition to these gameplay modes, the DS version also supports several multiplayer modes; pass-and-play, wireless, and Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection.
Reception[ | ]
Like some past bowling titles developed by Mud Duck Productions, the Wii version of the game was universally panned by critics. One common complaint was that the game lacked an option to play left-handed. IGN gave the game a two out of ten, complaining about the offensive stereotypes and terrible gameplay, and pointed out that Wii Sports had a better bowling simulation for free. Gamesradar gave the game a four out of ten, stating, "It is, as a whole, considerably worse than what is one fifth of Wii Sports - in look, execution and enjoyment."