Image via nintendoworldreport.com
Not a moment to spare in Wii bowling
By Jessica Berget, Staff Writer
Bowling was once a national pastime, but gone are the days of bowling alleys, stinky shoes, and throwing 20-pound balls at pins. In other words, gone are the days of good, old-fashioned bowling. Today, bowling alleys have been replaced with living rooms, and bowling balls with Wii remotes, making modern bowling a much easier and more interactive experience. Wii bowling is no doubt easier than real bowling, which means that practicing in Wii Sports won’t necessarily lead you to a perfect 300 the next time you’re at the lanes. However, the game may improve your athletic ability more than you might think.
Wii bowling is much easier than real bowling in the way that it is like real bowling, but without the technical details that make real bowling so difficult. For instance, in Wii bowling the player does all the same movements as with real bowling, but the absence of the weight of the ball makes it so all the player has to do is swing their arm up in order to roll the ball. This is the aspect of Wii bowling I appreciate the most, as I am particularly weak and petite, so throwing 20-pound bowling balls is not exactly my thing.
Though this does make the game easier, that’s not to say it doesn’t improve athletic ability. In fact, it may improve your bowling game even more so. Without having to worry about the weight of the ball, Wii bowling allows the player to position themselves in a way that they will be sure to get a strike (or at least a spare). Bowling is all about geometry. Hitting certain angles and throwing at a certain speed will ensure that you get all those pins down, and Wii bowling is a great way to teach people exactly that.
The only thing Wii bowling does not teach you about bowling is how to throw the ball to the angles you want. Since the ball is extremely heavy, it makes it more difficult to aim or even get the speed you wanted to knock the pins down. It also makes it much easier to get gutter balls, because it’s harder to control where the ball goes. In Wii bowling it is so much easier to throw the ball where you want it to go, because there is no distribution of weight holding you back. This aspect in real bowling is what makes it so difficult to play if you are not a regular bowler.
Wii bowling is no doubt easier than real bowling, but when it comes down to playing the game, Wii bowling at the very least teaches the fundamental basics of real bowling, which is why I would say it improves your athletic ability. If you enjoy bowling as a sport. but can’t stand the physical attributes of the game, Wii bowling might be right up your alley.
