Ludography
20/100
Critics1 review
Midnight Bowling cover

2008 · Gameloft · Bowling · Sports

Midnight Bowling

Nintendo console exclusive

Midnight Bowling is a bowling video game by Gameloft originally released for mobile phones. A version with enhanced graphics was also released for WiiWare, and under the name Midnight Bowling 3D for phones. It is part of Gameloft's Midnight series, which includes Midnight Pool, Midnight Casino and Midnight Hold'em Poker, and the game was also included in the Midnight Play! Pack compilation for the Nintendo DS. In November 2008, it was made available for the iOS via Apple's App Store.

Released
2 September 2008
Platforms
Legacy Mobile DeviceNintendo DSWiiiOS
Genres
BowlingSports
Developers
Gameloft
Publishers
Gameloft
Modes
MultiplayerSingle-player
Perspective
First person
Country
France
Age ratings
ESRB E

About

Midnight Bowling is a bowling video game by Gameloft originally released for mobile phones. A version with enhanced graphics was also released for WiiWare, and under the name Midnight Bowling 3D for phones. It is part of Gameloft's Midnight series, which includes Midnight Pool, Midnight Casino and Midnight Hold'em Poker, and the game was also included in the Midnight Play! Pack compilation for the Nintendo DS. In November 2008, it was made available for the iOS via Apple's App Store.

A sequel, Midnight Bowling 2, was also later released for phones.

Keywords

  • bowling
  • wiiware

Media

Midnight Bowling screenshot 1

The articlegameplay, story, development, reception

Gameplay

The game features a story mode which revolves around the player competing in a hipster-themed bowling tournament. In addition, along with quick play single and multiplayer modes, the WiiWare version also features a Party Mode, in which players race across a game board by completing challenges such as trying to bowl their ball through a loop or past obstacles.

On the Wii, players use the motion controls of the Wii Remote to bowl, miming the action to bowl in similar manner to Wii Sports Bowling.

Reception

IGN gave Midnight Bowling for WiiWare a 4.9/10, highly praising the presentation and Party Mode, but felt Gameloft "dropped the ball" with the controls, citing an "awful swing mechanic" that leaves it "almost impossible to roll the ball consistently and successfully". WiiWare World gave it a 2/10, citing the same control issues as IGN and stating it "throws everything Wii Sports did so well control-wise out of the window, replacing it with its own very weird control scheme" that may leave the player "wondering if this is some sort of cartoonish bowling inspired game that is not really bowling".

Releases by platformdates and regions as published

PlatformReleasedRegions
Legacy Mobile Device7 November 2005Worldwide
Nintendo DS4 June 2008Europe · North America 24 June 2008
Wii2 September 2008Japan · North America 6 October 2008 · Europe 10 October 2008
iOS4 November 2008Worldwide

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Collections1 collection

Platform libraries

Description adapted from its source, CC BY-SA 4.0.