Brunswick Circuit Pro Bowling Review

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(More customer reviews)Bowling 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.

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Brunswick Circuit Pro Bowling slides onto the Nintendo 64 with a faithful recreation of the professional alley-going experience. Pick from six modes of play, including practice, skins (i.e., bowling for dollars), exhibition, tournament, career, and the Las Vegas-based, glow-in-the-dark cosmic bowl. Assuming the role of one of seven pro bowlers, each with unique playing characteristics, players compete using Brunswick Circuit Pro Bowler rules, equipment, and lanes (14 in all). Though you can't design your shoes' color scheme, a create-a-bowler feature allows players to customize appearance and general playing characteristics.
To recreate a realistic bowling experience, ball and pin physics are like the real thing and intuitive controls, closely resembling golf game setups, allow players to control launch speed and influence hooks and rolls. Avid fans can host virtual leagues with the game's six-player multiplayer mode.

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Sonic Free Riders Review

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(More customer reviews)Let me introduce Sonic, master of the most grueling thigh workout on the Kinect. You probably thought you'd need to buy an exercise title featuring a screaming trainer to get a good workout. Well, it turns out this little racer will bring you to your knees as you use your whole body to twist, turn and jump your hoverboard through 16 tracks.
You can upgrade your board gear temporarily with energy pickups like a soda rocket or fully to extreme gear, which is available in both board and bike formats. The hoverboard reacts like a snowboard on steroids. Maneuvering requires your whole body:
*Cornering involves bending your body forward at the waist or backwards to steer;
*Jumping is self-explanatory but power jumping requires you to crouch down for a few seconds before leaping into the air;
*A kick dash is completed using a kick gesture using your back foot with a good follow-through;
*Braking requires squaring your shoulders toward the screen; and
*Your hands are kept busy to catch rings, grab horizontal bars, wipe away foggy screens and to cling to the bottom of trains (?!).
The game provides an extensive tutorial along with a host named Omochao, who also serves as the game commentator. I highly recommend casual gamers take the time to go through the tutorials. This isn't a bowling game you can simply step up and play.
I completed two racetracks and slumped into the couch. A trickle of sweat ran along my spine, my legs trembling. Brain synapse fired in all directions and soon I was hearing Robert Klein wailing on the harmonica and singing "I can't stop my leg."
The gameplay is not as extensive as the granddaddy of kart racers, Mario Kart DS. However, what Sonic Free Riders lacks in depth is more than made up with by the physical racing experience that comes from using the Kinect system. Even my 8-year old son stopped after competing in four consecutive races to catch his breath and get a drink of water.
So, what are the negatives?
*The controls are not perfect. Don't let early frustration turn you away. The game doesn't respond as smoothly as it would if we were gripping steering wheels. We found it helped to recalibrate the Kinect for this game and widen our playing area a couple feet to allow side-by-side racing.
*The menus are maddening. I'm tired of sweeping options left and right. Game designers need to hold back their Kinect zeal. Keep the menus basic, like a simple drop-down menu format, and save the wild moves for the game itself.
*The online features aren't that attractive. Fortunately for us, with four in our family, there's plenty of competition at home.
In summary, if you are willing to invest practice time, this is a fun, family game that also delivers a good full-body workout, too. With the initial library of Kinect games including dogs like Game Party: In Motion, "Sonic Free Riders" is a good value, especially for kids. Rating: Four stars.
Hey, look. My leg stopped.

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Penny Racers Party: Turbo-Q Speedway Review

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(More customer reviews)Bought this game for my little brother (he is 7 and an avid Mario Kart player). This game has several strong points going for it: great pick up and play game play with the Wii wheel for all ages (he is 7, I am 22 and it presents challenges to the both of us), also there are many, many cars from such as real models (NSX, Skyline, Lancer Evo, etc) to comical fake models such as a bowl of ramen noodles and monster trucks. Also the ability to customize and tune your car is a wonderful addition when compared to the static karts in Mario Kart. You can unlock something with a first place in most every race so right from the get go, the game gives you motivation to keep playing.
The game lacks in a few areas when compared to Mario Kart however. The weapons are not as fun or as diverse as in MK. Also, the graphics are a bit rougher but not by too much. Lastly, the track selection is not nearly as vast as in Mario Kart, but I have not unlocked all of them so that could change in the days to come. Still, most races take place on a few tracks, but are just run on different circuits or in different directions to keep things interesting/challenging.
All points aside, Penny Racers is a great game and when used with the Wii Wheel it makes for an enjoyable experience for all ages.


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Welcome to the Penny Racing Party! Where else can you race a customized Pop Up Pirate alongside officially licensed cars?Exclusively on the Wii, Penny Racers Party brings buckets of fun with 50+ vehicles to customize; from Nissan, Toyota, Honda and more, to crazy concoctions like the rubber ducky or the groovy panda! Easy to learn controls mean 1-4 players can race head to head through wild and wacky courses, or test your skills with mini-games like bowling or wind-up dash! So charge your batteries – it\'s Penny Racing time!

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