Game Focus writes: "If there's one thing modern bowling is missing, it's rocket propelled balls. But according to Rocket Bowl, a clever and fun addition to the Xbox Live Arcade, bowling isn't entirely awesome until you've got lanes set up like golf courses, complete with ramps, loop-de-loops, and basically no rules."
Pros
* Great style, ambiance and look
*Fast paced bowling allows for quick matches
*Easy controls and accessible gameplay allow for non-gamer gaming
*Rockets… Bowling balls… What else do you need to know?
* Risk/Reward for collecting stars unlocks awesome new lanes
Cons
* Unlocking new stuff takes a while
* Hitting the same courses gets old once you've memorized the tracks
Justin Mette President of 21-6 and Lead Developer for RocketBowl answers a few questions about the game.
SBG:
"Traditional bowling scoring rules are (mostly) in effect here. Key differences are these: you've got three rolls each frame instead of two, and you can use your roll on frame 6 to go pick up stray pins from frame 2 or play ahead and knock over a few from frame 9.
At the end of the day bowling is more fun in person and zany miniature golf has already been done on the Live Arcade service (3D Ultra Minigolf). Forcing the two concepts together is entertaining for a game or two, but you probably won't be back for more."
Despite the things RocketBowl gets right, most players are more likely to pick up on this thread of general lack of ambition over anything else. The basic mechanics take some interesting directions within the confines of a bowling game, but the game's actual content is just an afterthought, offering only the bare minimum and lacking the depth to keep anyone outside of the devoted from coming back.
