Only a few characters and bowling alleys are available at the beginning of the game. More are unlocked as you continue to beat World Cup mode over and over again playing as different characters. Unlocking new content does provide incentive to play through the game numerous times, but it's a process most will work on in more than one sitting over a longer period of time. Pinbusters is good in brief sittings; anything beyond a few matches tends to get a bit dull, due to the controls essentially entailing hitting the same single button and guiding the ball with the D-pad ad nauseam.

In matches, you'll take turns bowling against your opponents. For the uninitiated, the goal is to knock down the greatest number of pins in two throws per round. Getting a strike or a spare will lead to higher scores, and the bowler who comes out on top with the most points by the end will be crowned victor. Pinbusters throws in a psyche mechanic, offering a subtle twist on the basic gameplay. Your psyche meter will increase as you wrack up the points. You can spend it to psyche opponents out by opting to place an obstacle pin randomly in their lane each round or let it build and eventually unleash a spectacular special move.

The simple controls make the game easy to play on the go, but they're a little to basic for their own good. After moving your bowler left or right to determine which side of the lane to aim down, you'll hit the A button to lock in your selection. The camera then changes to a side-view of your bowler. Pressing the A button once starts the throw, and pressing it again when your arm reaches a circular indicator will provide maximum power. Once the ball is rolling you can adjust its trajectory slightly by pressing left or right on the D-pad. The controls are rather perfunctory; Pinbusters is a completely missed opportunity to use the DS touch screen. All of the action plays out in 3D on the top screen, and the touch screen only displays the scorecard. At least having optional touch controls would have afforded players the opportunity to switch things up a bit. Hitting the same button every once in a while gets pretty boring. You can basically play through entire matches on auto-pilot with minimal concentration by using a single finger.

In addition to the Word Cup, two other modes provide minor variation on the bowling gameplay. Duckpins is a slightly different style of bowling with a smaller ball and alternate rules, and precision mode will test your ability to take out specific pins without disturbing others. Also, a pass-and-play mode is one of the smartest additions, since it allows no-fuss multiplayer sessions; good luck trying to find someone to play against on the Nintendo WFC. Even with the different play modes, the gameplay really just boils down to a hell of a lot of straightforward bowling. If you don't love bowling, this is one game to avoid like the plague. Even so, you're likely to have more fun going out and enjoying the real thing.

By Nathan Meunier
CCC Staff Contributor