GameSpot Review
It's a shame there aren't more bowling games out on console systems today. In the abstract, bowling games can appeal to the senses in ways similar to golf. Most, if not all of the action is strategized before the ball is actually sent on its way so that at the moment of release, players relinquish the reins of control and rely on the game engine to process whether or not the execution was effective. Unlike bowling, golf's mainstream appeal has paved the grass green for golf games on both consoles and PCs. Bowling titles, on the other hand, appear to be financial roulettes for game developers. Enter Milo's Astro Lanes, developed by Player 1 and published by Crave Software for the Nintendo 64 - the system's first and only bowling title. Player 1 adds plenty of twists to the game of bowling in an attempt to spice up the game of bowling, but in the end, this also becomes the game's undoing.
In a sweeping thematic decision, everything in Milo's Astro Lanes swings with the happy-go-lucky veneer of the atomic golden age from the 1950s. The end result is that the art direction is strikingly Jetson-esque, sans the Flintstones contrast. It's the 22nd century, and you're Milo, a "techno-wiz" who spends his days honing his skills for the Astro Games (bowling). The Astro Games are televised across the universe and attract competitors from all reaches of the galaxy. The manual excitedly points out that "the Astro Games uses an exciting blend of bowling and miniature golf, both extremely popular during the 20th century!" Go figure.
Milo's Astro Lanes has two main modes of play: league and versus. In league mode, you compete against other Astro Bowlers for the elusive Astrolight Trophy while unlocking all 12 lanes available in the game. Each bowler begins by selecting an Astro Ball, which has no effect on performance, only aesthetics. Aside from Milo, there are five other characters you may choose from. As expected, each character has different throwing characteristics, which can play a role in your bowling style. There is something strangely appealing about the heavy-handed kitsch found throughout Milo's Astro Lanes. While the character design is generic, it is also offbeat enough to stir up cult-status affections, if you're into that sort of thing. Planetary, galaxy, and cosmos make up the three different categories in league play. There are four lanes per league - you must progress through each one in order to ascend towards the Astrolight Trophy. The matches are standard ten-frame games run on established bowling rules (spares, strikes, three tries in the tenth frame if you spare or strike, etc.) Controls in Milo's Astro Lanes are very straightforward. The A button throws your ball down the lane, while the B button cycles through available power-ups, and the R button is used to zoom in on the pins (in case the in-game graphics are too blurry, and no I'm not kidding). The control stick is used to move an arrow that determines the strength and hook desired on each throw. All in all, the game is a snap to learn. There are also "puzzle" bonus lanes that Milo and his cohorts will need to pass in order to move forward. These puzzles are one-frame games where you will need to take down all the pins within three tries. Bonus lanes also help you accumulate power-ups, which is Milo's Astro Lanes' most important offering to the bowling genre. Versus and practice modes are also available, and each is fairly self-explanatory. Unfortunately, you will only be able to access the lanes already unlocked in one-player league mode, which tends to put a damper on the pick-up-and-play mentality so important to classic party games. --Chieh Chou
--Copyright ©1999 GameSpot Inc. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part in any form or medium without express written permission of GameSpot is prohibited. GameSpot and the GameSpot logo are trademarks of GameSpot Inc.
Manufacturer Description
A cosmic blend of 3D miniature golf and bowling. Sound cool? It is cool. Set in a retro-future wonderland Milo's Astro Lanes transports you to space-age settings where you can challenge the finest - and strangest - bowlers in the universe. Best of all you can ditch those nasty old bowling shoes you have to wear at your neighborhood bowling lanes.
