Bowling is one of the 8 sports currently in Nintendo Switch Sports, and one of the 5 returning sports.
Overview[]
The goal of Switch Sports Bowling is to reach a high score; it is one of the few non-competitive sports, in the sense that you aren't trying to defeat the opponent, merely outscore them.
Scoring[]
Open Frame[]
After your second shot, a pin is still standing. The score is simply however many pins you knocked down.
Spare[]
On your second shot, you knocked down every remaining pin. The total score for that frame includes your next roll. e.g.; On frame 1, you roll a spare, which is 10 points alone. Then, on the first roll of frame 2, you hit 5 pins. The score for frame 1 is 15.
Strike[]
On your first shot, you knocked down every pin. The total score for that frame is 10, plus the next 2 rolls. e.g.; You rolled a strike on frame 1, then on frame 2, you rolled 5 pins, and got a spare of another 5 pins. Your score for frame 1 is 20. Another example; You roll a strike on frames 1 and 2, and then a spare of 5 pins each on frame 3. Your frame 1 score is 25, and your frame 2 score is 20.
The Tenth Frame[]
Rolling a strike on the first shot gives you 2 extra shots. Rolling a spare on the second shot earns you one more shot. If the frame is open after the first 2 shots, you are given no extra shot.
Special Bowling[]
Based on Spin Control from Wii Sports Resort and Wii Sports Club, there are obstacles on the lane in the first 9 frames, including barriers and slopes. In offline mode, the players can choose between Beginner, Intermediate, and Advanced. In online, Special Bowling can be randomly selected while in Pro League, with each player's lane difficulty being selected for each frame according to the match's current standings (Lanes are either selected from an Intermediate/Beginner set, or from Advanced/Intermediate/Beginner, depending on the match).
Online vs. Offline[]
Offline bowling can be played with 1-4 players, with each either taking turns or playing simultaneously, a feature new to Nintendo Switch Sports. Just try to outscore your opponents. There are no CPUs.
Online bowling is different. There is a circa 16-second shot clock for each throw (Circa 22 seconds in Special Bowling; both preceded by a 6-second window to press A/▶ after "Preparing next lane…" before it's automatically pressed); failing to correctly throw the ball in time will have the throw be marked as a 0. You are matched up against 15 other players, and you try not to be eliminated over the course of 4 rounds:
- Round 1: Frames 1-3. Top 8 of 16 players, and anyone tied for 8th, progress to the next round.
- Round 2: Frames 4-6. Top 5 of the remaining 8 players, and anyone tied for 5th, progress to the next round.
- Semifinals: Frames 7-9. Top 3 of the remaining 5 players, and anyone tied for 3rd, progress to the next round.
- Final: Frame 10. Highest score after frame 10 wins. Players cannot see each others' points or use stamps until the final results are announced. No tiebreakers; ties for 1st will all be considered winners.
Earning points towards avatar items is also different and massively increased in bowling if you win. Playing this sport is recommended if there is little time left to collect avatar items.
Pro League ranking points are given based on the match position (Most commonly to the top 8), as well as to various other factors such as the player's current rank. At the lowest ranks, a 9th or even 10th place can give a few points, while at S rank a 5th place may not be enough to avoid a loss of points.
Tips[]
- To hook (make the ball curve), twist the controller. Simple, yet vitally important. This is more important starting from version 1.2.0, where it is slightly harder for pins to fall when the ball moves straight, but slightly easier for them to fall when the ball curves.
- From the point where you start standing (if you've set the bowling arm as right-handed in the settings), as you are about to throw the ball, putting a curve to the left is an easy way to get a strike.
- In online matches (and in contrast to in golf), pressing +/- to "Quit Spectating" can be done as soon as the round's results are announced, even if the prompt hasn't shown up yet. This can potentially save time in moving on to the next match.
Collection points[]
Applied in order from top to bottom:
- Play Bonus: 40 points
- Ranking Bonus: x1.?-2.0
- Strike Bonus: x1.1
- Three-Strike Bonus: x1.05
- Five-Strike Bonus: x1.05
- Scored 100+ Bonus: x1.1
- Scored 200+ Bonus: x1.05
- Event Bonus: x1.5, x2, or x3
Gallery[]
