Brunswick Circuit Pro Bowling
Developer(s)Adrenalin Entertainment (PC, PS), Point of View (N64)
Publisher(s)THQ
Platform(s)Nintendo 64, PlayStation, Microsoft Windows
Release
  • NA: September 29, 1998 (PC, PS)[1]
  • PAL: November 1998 (PS)
Nintendo 64
Genre(s)Ten pin bowling
Mode(s)Single player, multiplayer

Brunswick Circuit Pro Bowling is a sports video game released for Microsoft Windows and PlayStation in 1998 and the Nintendo 64 in 1999.

Gameplay

These are the following game modes:

  • Exhibition
  • Skins
  • Tournament
  • Career
  • Practice
  • Cosmic

There are different lane conditions and different balls that react differently (the actual bowling balls, however, were all reactive, though several balls in the game are depicted as straight balls) as well as a physics engine that simulates real-life bowling physics.

There are also Brunswick Pro Staff members such as:

Development

The N64 version of the game was showcased at E3 1999.[3]

Reception

The PlayStation version received favorable reviews, while the PC version received average reviews, according to the review aggregation website GameRankings.[4][5] Brunswick Circuit Pro Bowling's biggest supporters called the game addictive and the most accurate Bowling simulation ever.[7][13][22] More lukewarm reviewers, written by critics uninterested in bowling, suggested only hardcore fans of the sport may enjoy the game.[14][20] Jules Grant of The Electric Playground wrote in a three-month-early review of the PlayStation version that while there were different difficulty levels, there was no explanation of game rules and ball physics for those new to Bowling.[10]

A common highlight was the game's realistic simulation of the sport, particularly with the physics.[14][19] PC Gamer critic Joel Durham Jr. noted that the complexity of the pin movements led to varying, unexpected results: "Once in a while you’ll get lucky and a downed pin will roll into that last remaining pin for a strike; other times, you'll think you nailed the pocket but wind up with a split."[22] Next Generation said that the PlayStation version's "only downfall is that it's kind of a slow-paced game with forgettable music and general-looking graphics. Still, it's good in all the right areas of gameplay, and it plays well."[19]

Positive comments were made on the features, such as the high amount of them.[22][19] Durham Jr. and AllGame's Michael L. House claimed that the different oil patterns and gameplay modes, such as practice, incentivized players to improve their skills.[7][22] Wrote Durham Jr., "you'll be yearning to raise your average just a little bit, or trying to nail those three strikes you need in the tenth to break 200".[22] GameSpot's Jeff Gerstmann praised the video clips about the bowlers, calling them "the most hilarious gaming moments in recent memory", and recommended even non-Bowling fans to buy the game just to see them.[14] Game Informer enjoyed the replay option unusual in other games, and the Cosmic Bowling feature "because it's just too gaudy not to like".[11] IGN's Tal Blevins also loved Cosmic Bowling, calling it one of the game's best modes.[17]

Some reviewers generally found the presentation unspectacular.[19] Reviews of the PC version from Jonah Falcon of Computer Games Strategy Plus and Scott A. May of Computer Gaming World found the graphics to take too little advantage of the 3D acceleration hardware.[8][9] Blevins was repulsed by the still background crowd and little amount of sound effects, suggesting commentary audio should've been incorporated to spice up the experience.[17] Game Informer also disliked the lack of commentary, was annoyed by the repetitive crowd sound effects, found the player character animations limited, and noted there is "little happening onscreen, yet somehow the graphics are still choppy".[11] Grant and GamePro's Air Hendrix, although just as lukewarm, opined that it looked and sounded the best a Bowling simulation could.[10][23][lower-alpha 2]

Falcon and Grant targeted the player characters. Grant disliked the limited options of bowler customization, particularly when it came to faces, clothing colors, and the absence of female characters.[10] Falcon was outraged by the fact that there were no females, given that "bowling is one sport in which women are truly on par with the men, and have mixed pairs (like tennis and golf)".[8] Additionally, he called out their "creepy" faces as well as the inability to vary body types, thus making the characters too similar to each other.[8]

However, the visuals and sound were not without compliment, the player character animations a common highlight.[14][10] Blevins applauded the soundtrack, particularly its variety of styles, which "ranges from funky fuzz guitar jams that remind me of Interstate '76 to AC/DC inspired heavy-metal licks".[17] GameSpot's Jeff Gerstmann praised the use of several camera angles and "surprisingly good" music.[14]

Criticism was targeted toward the simple controls and setup. AllGame critic Anthony Baize argued the gameplay amounted to nothing more than pressing a single button frequently.[6] Grant, May, Hendrix and Durham Jr. claimed that, despite the simple controls and setup, the experience was made complex and "smooth" by aspects such as realistic and unpredictable pin physics, differing levels of ball responses to the controls, and changing oil patterns between bowling alleys.[9][10][23][22]

Brunswick Circuit Pro Bowling 2

A sequel, Brunswick Circuit Pro Bowling 2, was only released for the PlayStation. It featured more characters (now including female characters), an easier throw system and many others.

See also

Notes

  1. ↑ In GameFan's viewpoint of the Nintendo 64 version, one critic gave it 89, and the other 94.
  2. ↑ GamePro gave the PlayStation version 3.5/5 for graphics, 2.5/5 for sound, 4.5/5 for control, and 4/5 for overall fun factor.

References

  1. ↑ Jebens, Harley (September 29, 1998). "Bowler Readied for Retail [date mislabeled as "April 28, 2000"]". GameSpot. Red Ventures. Archived from the original on February 23, 1999. Retrieved February 23, 2021.
  2. ↑ IGN staff (December 22, 1999). "The Biggest Thing Since 'Kingpin'". IGN. Ziff Davis. Retrieved February 23, 2021.
  3. ↑ Sullivan, Ben (May 14, 1999). "THQ, NOVALOGIC MAKE STRONG SHOWING". Los Angeles Daily News. Archived from the original on March 22, 2016. Retrieved August 11, 2021 – via The Free Dictionary.
  4. 1 2 "Brunswick Circuit Pro Bowling for PC". GameRankings. CBS Interactive. Archived from the original on May 21, 2019. Retrieved February 23, 2021.
  5. 1 2 "Brunswick Circuit Pro Bowling for PlayStation". GameRankings. CBS Interactive. Archived from the original on May 21, 2019. Retrieved February 23, 2021.
  6. 1 2 Baise, Anthony. "Brunswick Circuit Pro Bowling (N64) - Review". AllGame. All Media Network. Archived from the original on November 15, 2014. Retrieved February 23, 2021.
  7. 1 2 3 House, Michael L. "Brunswick Circuit Pro Bowling (PC) - Review". AllGame. All Media Network. Archived from the original on November 15, 2014. Retrieved February 23, 2021.
  8. 1 2 3 4 Falcon, Jonah (November 23, 1998). "Brunswick Circuit Pro Bowling". Computer Games Strategy Plus. Strategy Plus, Inc. Archived from the original on June 27, 2003. Retrieved February 23, 2021.
  9. 1 2 3 May, Scott A. (April 1999). "It's a Strike! (Brunswick Circuit Pro Bowling Review)" (PDF). Computer Gaming World. No. 177. Ziff Davis. p. 206. Retrieved February 23, 2021.
  10. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Grant, Jules (June 24, 1998). "Brunswick Circuit Pro Bowling (PS)". The Electric Playground. Greedy Productions. Archived from the original on November 14, 2003. Retrieved February 23, 2021.
  11. 1 2 3 Fitzloff, Jay (January 2000). "Brunswick Circuit Pro Bowling (N64)". Game Informer. No. 81. FuncoLand. Archived from the original on May 31, 2000. Retrieved February 23, 2021.
  12. ↑ "Brunswick Circuit Pro Bowling (PS)". Game Informer. No. 67. FuncoLand. November 1998. p. 82.
  13. 1 2 Higgins, Geoff "El Nino"; Rodriguez, Tyrone "Cerberus" (February 2000). "Brunswick [Circuit] Pro Bowling (N64)". GameFan. Vol. 8, no. 2. Shinno Media. p. 68. Retrieved February 23, 2021.
  14. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Gerstmann, Jeff (November 2, 1998). "Brunswick Circuit Pro Bowling Review (PC)". GameSpot. Red Ventures. Retrieved February 23, 2021.
  15. ↑ Gerstmann, Jeff (October 8, 1998). "Brunswick Circuit Pro Bowling Review (PS)". GameSpot. Red Ventures. Retrieved February 23, 2021.
  16. ↑ Boulding, Aaron (January 21, 2000). "Brunswick Circuit Pro Bowling (N64)". IGN. Ziff Davis. Retrieved February 23, 2021.
  17. 1 2 3 4 Blevins, Tal (October 13, 1998). "Brunswick Circuit Pro Bowling (PC)". IGN. Ziff Davis. Retrieved February 23, 2021.
  18. ↑ Harris, Craig (October 2, 1998). "Brunswick Circuit Pro Bowling (PS)". IGN. Ziff Davis. Retrieved February 23, 2021.
  19. 1 2 3 4 5 "Brunswick Circuit Pro Bowling (PS)". Next Generation. No. 48. Imagine Media. December 1998. p. 128. Retrieved February 23, 2021.
  20. 1 2 "Brunswick Circuit Pro Bowling". Nintendo Power. Vol. 130. Nintendo of America. March 2000. p. 122. Retrieved July 30, 2021.
  21. ↑ "Brunswick Circuit Pro Bowling". Official U.S. PlayStation Magazine. Vol. 2, no. 2. Ziff Davis. November 1998.
  22. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Durham Jr., Joel (January 1999). "Brunswick Circuit Pro Bowling". PC Gamer. Vol. 6, no. 1. Imagine Media. Archived from the original on March 3, 2000. Retrieved February 23, 2021.
  23. 1 2 Air Hendrix (November 1998). "Brunswick Circuit Pro Bowling Review for PlayStation on GamePro.com" (PDF). GamePro. No. 122. IDG Entertainment. p. 174. Archived from the original on July 2, 2004. Retrieved November 25, 2021.
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