Keep in mind that Strike Force Bowling is a budget title, and the game actually looks pretty good. The developers have added strange and interesting locales and surroundings to the otherwise sterile looking sport of bowling. The game is overly colorful and even cartoony at times, and for good reason; bowling lanes are hosted by places like pirate ships, ancient Egypt, and even the moon. The character models, for what it’s worth, are nicely detailed and move with a, ahem, unique fluidity.

The sound is equally suiting. The crack of the ball on the pins is strangely satisfying, and location specific effects complement things well. The music, while nothing mind blowing, fits the bizarre feeling of the game, but also retains some of those seedy bowling alley tunes.

Strike Force Bowling is based on what the name implies, bowling. However, while offering a great bowling experience, the game also provides some nice twists on the old sport. This game is definitely nothing short of a complete overhaul on the bowling genre, and I would even go as far as to compare it with other twisted games the likes of Hot Shots Golf. It definitely isn’t as deep as games like that, but as a budget title it has a lot to offer.

First and foremost the game offers a straightforward and solid bowling experience. Playing against friends or AI, the core experience is one that shouldn’t be missed. Open play allows up to four human or AI players to take part in the classic 10-pin bowling format.

Strike Force Bowling also has a tournament mode for you to enter along with 31 other players, and your friends can jump in here as well. This mode is kind of long and drawn out, since the prize doesn’t do you much good in the way of broadening the game. You win, you get a trophy and then it’s over. Most people will want to just stick with the regular mode.

Practice and Challenge modes are good ways to beef up your ball-rolling skills. The Challenge mode will present you with increasingly more difficult pin arrangements, and it’s your task to hit as many of them as you can.

The most offbeat part of Strike Force Bowling is the Golf mode. Here, players can bowl their way through an 18-hole ‘course’ of unique, not to mention strange pin arrangements. You’ll face setups like fifteen pins in an X formation, and each lane has its own par setting. This is also the place to unlock new players, which helps to keep the game fresh after you exhaust yourself on regular old bowling.

Strike Force Bowling definitely takes some skill to get the hang of. The less than adequate instruction manual won’t clue you in on the inner workings of your shots, so you must employ a trial and error strategy to gain the knowledge you’ll need to master this game. Expect to spend a lot of time in Practice mode.

Strike Force Bowling gives you a small assortment of different bowlers to choose from when playing, each with their own skills at throwing and curving the ball. These stats can be altered, so there are some customization abilities here, just don’t expect to be able to go all THUG on it. After you’ve got your player figured out, it’s time to choose the ball you want. The balls are as varied as the courses, ranging from normal 15 pounders to pumpkins and coconuts. Each has its own surface type which will affect how it will react on the lane and a core that will decide how well it will knock down pins.

A target line and spin counter are presented to you before you throw the ball down the lane. Pick your spin, set the angle of approach, and then it’s off to a golf game-style control bar that requires your best reflexes to set accuracy and power. This whole system is simpler than it sounds, and it actually works out quite well once you’ve got it all figured out.

Strike Force Bowling is what a budget title should be; a fun little game with lots of replayability. Despite its drawbacks, the game turns out to be quite fun, and can easily be enjoyed by players of all ages. For those of you who were too afraid to take that fateful trip to your local bowling alley, now is your chance to shine without embarrassing yourself in front of the pros.