10th Frame
| 10th Frame | |
|---|---|
 Cover art | |
| Developer(s) | Access Software |
| Publisher(s) | U.S. Gold |
| Platform(s) | Amstrad CPC, Atari ST, Commodore 64, DOS, MSX, ZX Spectrum |
| Release date(s) | INT 1986 |
| Genre(s) | Sports |
| Mode(s) | Single-player |
10th Frame is a ten-pin bowling simulation game created by Access Software in 1986, as a follow-up to the hugely successful Leaderboard golf game. Up to eight players could take part in open bowling or a tournament. There was a choice of 3 different difficulty levels - Kids, in which the ball always went straight, Amateur, and Professional.
Gameplay
The lane was viewed from behind the bowler, with the pins towards the top of the screen in a 3D perspective.
The scorecard for the current player was displayed above the lane. The player could move left or right on the lane before starting the run-up by holding fire. A target cursor could also be moved, by pushing up and then moving it left or right (pressing down returned control to moving the onscreen player's position). Once the fire button was held, a power meter similar to Leaderboard's was employed. The speed of the shot was determined by how long the button was held down. A small zone at the top determined if the player made an error, exaggerating any spin. When the meter started to descend on the right, it was stopped in the hook zone to determine how much hook/spin was applied - from straight at the top of the zone, to full hook at the bottom. Play was completed after the usual ten frames and any bonus balls. The animation used a similar sprite system to Leaderboard, and the falling pin physics were handled well.
Players could print out a scorecard at the end of a match.
Ports
The game was released on various home computers such as ZX Spectrum, Amstrad CPC, and Commodore 64. It was also released for the Atari ST and MSX. A Nintendo Entertainment System version was planned, but was eventually cancelled.
Reception
C&VG reviewed the Commodore 64 version in issue 65 and called it a Game of the Month with a 9/10 score. [1] ZZAP!64 awarded the game 85% in issue 22, calling it "another slick and extremely well programmed Access sport simulation".[2] Your Sinclair gave the ZX Spectrum conversion 7 out of 10, stating that "10th Frame requires a lot of skill and is a pretty good simulation". [3]
External links
- 10th Frame at MobyGames
- 10th Frame at World of Spectrum
- 10th Frame at Lemon 64