League Bowling

League Bowling[lower-alpha 1] is an arcade game released in 1990 by SNK for the Neo Geo console and arcade systems.[1][2] The game was unique in that it was the first arcade to put emphasis on bowling. The players controls characters with red and blue hair and can select balls from 8 to 15 pounds.

League Bowling
European Arcade flyer
Developer(s)SNK
M2 (PlayStation Network)
Publisher(s)
Platform(s)
Release
Genre(s)Sports
Mode(s)Single-player, multiplayer (up to eight players via link-up)
CabinetUpright
Arcade systemNeo Geo MVS

Modes
Gameplay screenshot.

League Bowling has three types of modes, played up to 4 players.[3]

Regulation

Played just like a normal game of bowling, with 300 being a perfect score.

Flash

Values of 100 to 500 will flash on a randomizer during the time the bowler throws his shot. A strike adds the bonus flash value to the score accumulated at the end of the game.

Strike 90

Played just like regulation except that a strike adds 90 points to the next two shots, and a spare adds 60 points to the next shot. 30 points are awarded in the case of a field goal (throwing the ball in between the 7 and 10 pins).

In addition, it also has the option to link up to 4 Neo-Geo MVS machines to become the 8-player game. This is the only Neo-Geo game that features the 8-player support. The 8-player gameplay video are shown on YouTube with the link below.

Reception
Reception
Review scores
PublicationScore
AllGame(Neo Geo) [4]
Consoles +(Neo Geo) 68%[5]
GamePro(Neo Geo) 23 / 25[6]
Hobby Consolas(Neo Geo) 85 / 100[7]
Hobby Hi-Tech(Neo Geo CD) 6 / 10[8]
Joystick(Neo Geo) 80%[9]
(Neo Geo) 80%[10]
Mega Fun(Neo Geo) 70%[11]
Micom BASIC Magazine(Neo Geo) [12]
Neo Geo Freak(Arcade) 6 / 20[13]
Player One(Neo Geo) 91%[14]

In Japan, Game Machine listed League Bowling on their February 1, 1991 issue as being the eighth most-successful table arcade unit of the year, outperforming titles such as Super BurgerTime and Final Fight.[15] The game met with mixed to positive reviews from critics. Many critics criticized its controls for being a bit awkward, but for one of the first arcade bowling games, it's passable. Also, many critics praised its humorous style of graphics and the characters, especially the reactions from the player if he gets a strike, spare or misses.

Ports

Tom Fulp, the founder and CEO of Newgrounds, ported the game to Flash in 2002. The port features no ball selection, a regulation mode only, fewer animations, and the different player's sprites are the same.

Later on 2010, SNK Playmore releases the NEOGEO Station, which includes the emulation of the game and other Neo-Geo games for the PlayStation 3 and the PSP.

On July 12, 2011, Virtual Console version for the Wii was released in Japan.

Easter Egg

Nadia, from the anime "Nadia - The secret of the blue water" can be seen cheering in the background.

Amusements Arcade UK: Butlin's Minehead list

Notes
  1. Japanese: リーグ・ボウリング Hepburn: Rīgu Bōringu

References
  1. "Oh! Neo Geo Vol. 17 - リーグボウリング". Beep! MegaDrive (in Japanese). No. 52. SoftBank Creative. January 1994. p. 142.
  2. "Neo•Geo CD: The Arcade In A Box - League Bowling". GamePro. No. Premiere Supplement. IDG. Spring 1996. p. 105.
  3. League Bowling user's manual (Neo Geo AES, US)
  4. Knight, Kyle (1998). "League Bowling (Neo Geo Advanced Entertainment System) - Review". AllGame. All Media Network. Archived from the original on 2014-11-14. Retrieved 2019-06-26.
  5. Aerstut, J.B. (July 1991). "Neo Geo Review - League Bowling". Consoles + (in French). No. 0. M.E.R.7. pp. 148–149. Archived from the original on 2018-10-19. Retrieved 2019-10-18.
  6. "Neo Geo For Real! - Previously Played... - CyberLip". GamePro. No. 30. IDG. January 1992. p. 103.
  7. del Campo, Manuel (September 1993). "Neo Geo - ¡A Jugar A Los Bolos! - League Bowling". Hobby Consolas (in Spanish). No. 24. Axel Springer SE. p. 92.
  8. "Reportaje - Clásicos en CD -- Titulos disponibles para el nuevo formato de SNK: League bowling". Hobby Hi-Tech (in Spanish). No. 1. Axel Springer SE. March 1995. p. 28.
  9. Demoly, Jean-Marc (March 1991). "Tests - Neo Geo - League Bowling". Joystick (in French). No. 14. Anuman Interactive. p. 134.
  10. "Console News - Neo Geo: League Bowling". Joystick (in French). No. Hors-Serie 3. Anuman Interactive. July–August 1991. p. 59.CS1 maint: date format (link)
  11. Noak, Philipp; Hellert, Stefan (August 1993). "Special - Neo Geo - League Bowling". Mega Fun (in German). No. 11. CT Computec Verlag GmbH & Co. KG. pp. 28–30. Archived from the original on 2018-10-21. Retrieved 2019-06-26.
  12. Yanma; Itabashi (July 1992). "Super Soft 大特集 - 今、『NEO・GEO』がおもしろい！: リーグボウリング". Micom BASIC Magazine (in Japanese). No. 121. The Dempa Shimbunsha Corporation. p. 208.
  13. "NF編集部にまる - ネオジオゲームㇱインレビュー: リーグボウリング". Neo Geo Freak (in Japanese). No. 25. Geibunsha. June 1997. pp. 124–128.
  14. Drevet, Cyril (May 1991). "Tests De Jeux - Neo Geo - League Bowling". Player One (in French). No. 9. Média Système Édition. p. 36.
  15. "Game Machine's Best Hit Games 25 - テーブル型TVゲーム機 (Table Videos)". Game Machine (in Japanese). No. 396. Amusement Press, Inc. 1 February 1991. p. 21.
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