website/content/software/robot-bowl.md

title, tags, years, params

title	tags	years	params
Robot Bowl	bowling sport	1977	image specs screenshots machines company oc_id source /media/museum/software/arcade_robotbowl_ss0000.png label value year of release 1977 label value companies Exidy label value type game label value media arcade cabinet label value systems Arcade label value number of players 1 - 2 players (alternate) label value staff Howell Ivey, Edward Valeau title subtitle text image menu / options /media/museum/software/arcade_robotbowl_ss0000.png title subtitle text image menu / options /media/museum/software/arcade_robotbowl_ss0002.png title subtitle text image attract mode /media/museum/software/arcade_robotbowl_ss0001.png title subtitle text image player one starts /media/museum/software/arcade_robotbowl_ss0003.png title subtitle text image move your player left or right /media/museum/software/arcade_robotbowl_ss0004.png title subtitle text image ball is rolling /media/museum/software/arcade_robotbowl_ss0005.png title subtitle text image strike! /media/museum/software/arcade_robotbowl_ss0006.png title subtitle text image /media/museum/software/arcade_robotbowl_ss0007.png title subtitle text image hmmm, split one... /media/museum/software/arcade_robotbowl_ss0008.png title subtitle text image /media/museum/software/arcade_robotbowl_ss0009.png title subtitle text image 171 final score, not good enough... /media/museum/software/arcade_robotbowl_ss0010.png title subtitle text image arcade cabinet /media/museum/software/arcade_robot-bowl_cab_1.png /museum/misc-arcade-video-games /companies/misc 678 url date https://web.archive.org/web/20230601061255/http://www.old-computers.com/museum/software_detail.asp?id=678 2023-06-01

This is the first Bowling arcade video game and maybe even the first bowling video game ever. The only other bowling games released as early as 1977 are the RCA Studio II version, and Meadows Lanes (arcade, by Meadows Games) an almost exact copy of Robot Bowl. Apparently Meadow Games copied Exidy and not the contrary (though Meadows Lanes is even more crude graphically than Meadows Lanes).

To play the game (1 or 2 players), you have to move the bowler into position, bowl the ball fast or slow, and then hook the ball left or rigth.

In opposition to most other early Bowling games released later, you place your bowler where you want. Sadly this tend to make the game much too easy, strikes being fairly easy to achieve. Other games usually move automatically your bowler (or ball) continueously from left to right, challenging the player to throw the ball at the right moment.