Bowling, available on the Atari 2600, is a video game that consists of six different variations. Each game comprises 10 frames, and the objective is to knock down as many of the ten bowling pins as possible. At the start of each frame, the player has two attempts to roll the bowling ball down an alley. The bowler, positioned on the left side of the screen, can move up and down the alley to aim before releasing the ball. In four of the six variations, the ball can be directed before it hits the pins. A strike occurs when all pins are knocked down on the first roll, while a spare is obtained by knocking all pins down on both rolls. The player’s score is calculated based on the number of pins knocked down in all 10 frames, as well as the number of strikes and spares achieved.
The odd-numbered variations are single-player games, while the even-numbered ones allow two players to alternate frames.
Games 1 and 2: The bowling ball can be steered in one direction after being thrown. Games 3 and 4: The bowling ball can be directed up and down after being thrown. Games 5 and 6: The ball travels straight and cannot be steered.