- Gutter BallBowling is one of America's great pastimes and it is a given some companies will develop video games based on it. THQ tries but fails somewhat. It may be because they didn't spend enough time working on it, didn't care or bowling is too hard to make into a game. To be fair the physics of the game are quite good. It is no easy task to bowl a high 200 game and 300 seems improbable. The various oil patterns of the different venues also adds to the challenge. The problem in this game is less than stellar graphics. The crowd watching looks like cardboard cut-outs (maybe thats what they use at real tournaments come to think of it)and the bowlers themselves are woeful. The create-a-bowler feature is OK but there is virtually no variation in faces meaning the bowlers all look the same, except the pros who look somewhat as they should. The music is terrible and turning it off is recommended. There are some pluses though. As mentioned before the game is challenging and there are several venues and tournaments to be played. Even on the easy setting it's tough. In closing, the game has a below average look with above average bowling physics. If you love the latter you will probably like the game but if you want it to look good too you might as well jump in your car and go yourself.
