_______ _________ ________ ________ __ ___ _______ / \ / \ [ _ ] [__ __] [ ] / / [ ____] / ____\/___ ___\ [ [_] ] [ ] [ ] / / [ [ [ / [ ] [ __] [ ] [ ]/ / [ [___ \ \___ [ ] [ \ [ ] [ ]\ \ [ ___] \__ \ [ ] [ ]\ \ [ ] [ ] \ \ [ [ \ \ [ ] [ ] \ \ _[ ]_ [ ] \ \ [ [___ _____/ / [___] [__] \__\ [______] [__] \__\ [_______] \ / _________ ______ ________ _______ _______ \______/ [ ] / \ [ __ ] / _____] [ ] [ _____] / \ [ [ ] ] / / [ ____] [ [_____ ( __ ) [ [__] ] / / [ [____ [ ] ( ( ) ) [ __] [ [ [ ] [ _____] ( (__) ) [ ]\ \ \ \ [ ____] [ ] ( ) [ ] \ \ \ \ [ [_____ [ ] \ / [ ] \ \ \ \_____ [ ] [___] \______/ [__] \__\ \_______] [________] _____ _____ __ __ __ _ _ __ _ ________ [ \ / \ [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ]\ \ [ ] [ ] [ \ / \ [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] \ \ [ ] [ _____] [ [) )( ) [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ( [ / ( _ ) [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ( [ / ( / \ ) [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ( _____ [ == ( ( ) ) [ ] __ [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ( [ ] [ \ ( \_/ ) [ ]/ \[ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ( [___ ] [ \ ( ) [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ (______[ ] [ [) )( ) [ /\ ] [ ]___ [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ / \ / [ / \ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] \ \[ ] [ ] [_____/ \_____/ [__/ \__] [______] [_] [_] \_[_] [___________] _________________ __ ____________________ [ ] / \ [ ________________ ] [ ] / \ [ ] [ ] [ ] / \ [ ] [ ] [ ____________] / __ \ [ ] [ ] [ ] / / \ \ [ ] [ ] [ ]______ / /____\ \ [ ] [ ] [ ] / \ [ ] [ ] [ ______] / \ [ ] [ ] [ ] / __________ \ [ ] [ ] [ ] / / \ \ [ ] [ ] [ ] / / \ \ [ ] [ ] [ ] / / \ \ [ ] __[ ] [ ] / / \ \ [ ] \ [ ] [ ] / / \ \ [ ]_______________\[ ] [____] /____/ \____\ [____________________]\ \ \ Version 1.0 \ \ \__\ -By BenG =============================================================================== =============================================================================== TABLE OF CONTENTS A. About This FAQ B. Legal Info C. Update History D. Controls E. Gameplay I. Basic II. Advanced F. FAQ G. Credits H. Contact Me =============================================================================== Section A =============================================================================== This is my FAQ for the game Strike Force Bowling. It is on the Playstation 2 and it came out in 2004. It was released by Crave Entertainment. It is a sports game based on real-life bowling. You play through many great levels and try to win tournaments against strong AI opponents, or even your friends. A great thing about this game is it's many modes. You'll read more about these later, but let me just tell you, there is more than just a tournament in this game, there is many modes that will keep you entertained for a while. That being said, let's begin! =============================================================================== Section B =============================================================================== LEGAL INFO This FAQ is copyrighted to me, BenG. Its contents may be saved and printed for personal use and personal use only. You may not sell this information for any kind of profit. Also, this FAQ is only allowed on the following websites: www.gamefaqs.com/ (GameFAQs) www.gamespot.com/ (Gamespot) www.neoseeker.com/ (Neoseeker) www.cheatcc.com/ (Cheat Code Central) www.supercheats.com/ (Super Cheats) If you would like to put this FAQ on your website, please send me an e-mail requesting access to it (see CONTACT ME at bottom of this guide). You are not allowed to put this guide on your website without prior written consent from me. If you see this FAQ on any website that is not listed above, please contact me immediately. =============================================================================== Section C =============================================================================== UPDATE HISTORY: 9/20/05: Submitted to GameFAQs 9/27/05: Neoseeker and Cheat CC asked for permission for this guide, and since they both asked so nicely, I gave them access. I hope there is no problems... 1/15/06: Heh, I haven't touched this thing in a while, anyway, just a few minor changes, updated email address, 1 new FAQ question, and the ASCII title was tweaked slightly so it looked better. 1/27/06: Just updated contributor info. 1/30/06: Finally got info for last bowler. 2/1/06: Super Cheats granted permission to use guide. =============================================================================== Section D =============================================================================== BASIC CONTROLS Menus: Start - Continue X - Select Highlighted Option [triangle] - Back Control Pad/Analog Sticks - Move cursor ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- In-Game: X: Start Approach, Stop Bar for Control and Power [triangle]: Back O: Ball change Left-Right: Move Bowler, Change Aim Up-Down: Increase/Decrease Amount of Spin on Ball, Move Forward, Move Back =============================================================================== Section E =============================================================================== I. BASIC GAMEPLAY This section will list many different things about the game. It will hopefully tell you everything that you need to know that you can find in this game, and how to use it/them correctly. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- BOWLING BASICS: Pins are set up and numbered as followed: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 This is what they are talking about when they say, "You left the 4 pin" or "You left a 7-10 split." I may talk of pin numbers and ifI do, the numbers are right here, just in case. The lingo: Strike- Knocking all pins down on first ball in a frame. Spare- Knocking all pins left down on your second ball. Getting a spare is sometimes called "clearing" a frame. Turkey- Getting three strikes in a row in a game. X-bagger- Consecutive strikes more than three, with the number filled in. Ex. 4-bagger, 6-bagger. Split- When you leave two pins with a space in between them, neither of them being the head pin. Head pin- The first pin in the rack. Curve- Putting spin on the ball so that instead of going straight, it turns on the lane. Approach- Your steps before you throw the ball, just before the lane. Gutter- The slots on either side of the lane, getting stuck in one counts as a zero for that frame. Pocket- Right in between the 1 and 2 pins for a right-hander, between the 1 and 3 for a left-hander, the best place to hit if you are going for a strike. High/Heavy- Almost hitting the pocket but hitting a little too much of the head pin. Light- Almost hitting the pocket but not hitting enough of the head pin. Release- The way that the ball comes off of your hand, very important in where the ball will end up. Sorry if that lingo was kind of simple. I don't mean to insult your intelligence or anything, I just wanted to make sure we all know what I'm talking about, because sometimes I don't, so you better know. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- STATS: Stats in this game are very simple and every bowler has completely customizable stats. The stats work like this: -Each Bowler can only have 39 stat points -There is no way to get more than 39 at any time -Each bowler has three categories: STRENGTH, ACCURACY, and CURVE -Each category has 20 slots -You can move stats around as you wish among these three slots -You don't have to use all 39 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- STAT CATEGORIES: Strength - Increases you ball speed and power. Having a lot is good, but make sure you have enough accuracy to know where the ball is going to go! Accuracy - Increases the length of the red line that tells you where your ball will go. A high accuracy is good for beginners, and you can reduce it as you practice more and use those stats for more hook and strength. Curve - Increases the amount of spin that you put on the ball. This is without a doubt the most difficult category to balance. It will take you a long time to find an amount of curve that you are comfortable with. This category must balance well with strength, to get the desired hook on the lane. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- BOWLERS: Remember, all bowlers are customizable in stats but I will list their default stats. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Bowler #1: Name: Mary Anne Gender: Female Handedness: Right Age: 28 Origin: USA Default Stats: 13 strength, 13 accuracy, 13 curve My rating: 4/10, a great beginner bowler, but once you get the hang of the game, you'll tire of her. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Bowler #2: Name: Diego Gender: Male Handedness: Right Age: 42 Origin: Spain Default Stats: 18 strength, 8 accuracy, 13 curve My rating: 6/10, decent layout, not much hook, just a little at the end. Good for beginners. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Bowler #3: Name: Bambi Gender: Female Handedness: Right Age: 18 Origin: France Default stats: 6 strength, 20 accuracy, 13 curve My rating: 7/10, little hook, easy to aim. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Bowler #4: Name: John Gender: Male Handedness: Right Age: 54 Origin: USA Default stats: 15 strength, 12 accuracy, 12 curve My rating: 3/10, hardly any hook, decent strength and not very good accuracy. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Bowler #5: Name: Sung Mi Gender: Female Handedness: Left Age: 19 Origin: South Korea Default stats: 10 strength, 19 accuracy, 10 curve My rating: 4/10, lefties are difficult to control, and her layout isn't very good either. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Bowler #6: Name: 7-10 Gender: Ummm, he's a robot... Handedness: Right Age: 6 Origin: Factory Default stats: 20 strength, 15 accuracy, 4 curve My rating: 6/10, straight and powerful. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Bowler #7: Name: Newton Gender: ??? Handedness: Right Age: 92 Origin: Vega JV Default stats: 7 strength, 12 accuracy, 20 curve My rating: 6/10, good if you can get used to it, very difficult setup however. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Bowler #8: Name: Bones Gender: Male Handedness: Left Age: 412 Origin: England Default stats: 18 strength, 3 accuracy, 18 curve. My rating: 7/10, the low accuracy and left handedness makes him difficult to control, but if you can pull it off, he's a strong shot. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- BOWLING BALLS: Remember, light balls will bounce off of the pins while heavier balls will drive right through them. Make sure you choose your ball carfully based on the situation. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Ball #1: Name: Blue Monster Weight: 16 lbs. Cover: Resin Core: 3 piece Hooking ability: 8/10 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Ball #2: Name: Lightning Weight: 16 lbs. Cover: Sanded Core: 3 piece Hooking Ability: 8/10 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Ball #3: Name: Bone Crusher Weight: 20 lbs. Cover: Metal Core: Solid Hooking Ability: 1/10 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Ball #4 Name: Paradise Hammer Weight: 12 lbs. Cover: Coconut Core: Liquid Hooking Ability: 8/10 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Ball #5 Name: Halloween Bomber Weight: 8 lbs. Cover: Pumpkin Core: Hollow Hooking Ability: 8/10 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Ball #6 Name: World Destroyer Weight: 18 lbs. Cover: Mud Core: Magma Hooking Ability: 5/10 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Ball #7 Name: Pharoah's Magic Weight: 15 lbs. Cover: Stone Core: Solid Hooking Ability: 3/10 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Ball #8 Name: Double Dragon Weight: 16 lbs. Cover: Stone Core: 3-piece Hooking Ability: 7/10 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Ball #9 Name: Gunslinger Weight: 15 lbs. Cover: Wood Core: Solid Hooking Ability: 4/10 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Ball #10 Name: Strike Master Weight: 10 lbs. Cover: Plastic Core: 2-piece Hooking Ability: 2/10 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Ball #11 Name: Inferno Weight: 15 lbs. Cover: Plastic Core: 2-piece Hooking Ability: 5/10 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Ball #12 Name: Light Slammer Weight: 12 lbs. Cover: Urethane Core: 2-piece Hooking Ability: 5/10 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Ball #13 Name: Eliminator Weight: 16 lbs. Cover: Urethane Core: 3-piece Hooking Ability: 7/10 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Ball #14 Name: Big Strike Weight: 14 lbs. Cover: Resin Core: 3-piece Hooking Ability: 10/10 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- LEVELS: Remember, there's a night-time version of each level that is unlockable, hit up on the selected level and see what you need to complete to unlock that level's darker version. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Level #1: Bowling Alley Level 1 is just your plain old average bowling alley. There is people bowling all around you as well. This level is very bright, sometimes too bright, and it might even throw off your vision a bit. The oil placement is fairly heavy, so you will not hook too much. This is one of the best levels and it is very consistent. It is very good for practicing on and a great level to put a tournament on as well. Music is a little annoying, sounds kind of like elevator music. Most similar to actual bowling experience in this level, it will be the standard for all the other levels in this game, which get wilder and wilder. But overall, a great level for beginners and for experts that are just warming up or practicing. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Level #2: Pirate Ship Level 2 is a pirate ship that sways back and forth over the ocean. There is little side walls, and you won't get very much pin action here. The music is sea-worthy, and the graphics are good. Sometimes it seems like the swaying of the ship actually moves your ball. My brother says that it does, but I'm not entirely sure at this point. If it does, it effects the ball very little. The oil pattern is medium on this lane. I would not suggest this lane for beginners, because it quite tricky to get used to. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Level #3: Hawiian Dock I guess that this level could be pretty much any beach, but I like to call it Hawaiin. Anyways, this is the worst level in the entire game. There is no side walls or back board, so the pins just go right out into the ocean as soon as they are hit! This makes many spares completely impossible, and strikes are very hard, even for experts at the game. I would definitely steer you away from this level. Maybe play it once for the experience, but this level is just not worth your time. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Level #4: Egyptian Structure It looks very Egyptian in this level. The pins are a little off-shaped, and the oil is medium-light. This level is pretty good, but can get frustrating at times. The level takes a little while to get used to so I would not recommend it to beginners. The lanes do look very cool in design though... ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Level #5: Medievel Castle This is a strange level. The pins are rathar oddly formed, and the featured ball for the level is a pumpkin. The lanes are dark, and it is difficult to see the gutters sometimes. The oil pattern is medium-heavy. Sometimes this level can be tough for beginners, so it's not recommended unless they feel up to the challenge. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Level #6: The Moon This is one of my favorite levels. The oil pattern is rathat heavy, and the pins look like little missles. The level has excellent back board and side wall bounce, so it is very good for picking up tricky spares and things like that. Overall, this is a very good level and I would recommend it to beginners, because it is a very consistent level with lots of oil. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Level #7: Old West The pins are beer bottles, interesting. This is actually another pretty consistent level. The oil pattern is just medium, and there is some pretty good bounce on the back board and side walls. The pins fall pretty easily as well. Overall, consistent level, highly recommended for beginners. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Level #8: Chinese Bridge Probably the second best level in the game. Very consistent with a heavy oil pattern. The music is very calm, and the lighting is very nice. It is easy to see everything, and the pins fall pretty well. The level also features excellent side wall bounce and great back board bounce. Very highly recommended to beginners. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ******************************************************************************* NOTE: The rest of the levels are unlockables. You will need to complete a certain task to unlock them. Also, they are very similar to their counter parts, so their summaries will be shorter. ******************************************************************************* ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Level #9: Cosmic Bowling Same as level 1 except that the lanes are darker. The lane is harder to see so I do not recommend this to beginners. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Level #10: Dark Pirate Ship Same as level 2, still not recommended for beginners. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Level #11: Dark Hawaiin Dock The most challenging level of the game. Not recommended for beginners. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Level #12: Dark Egyptian Structure Same as level 4, darker, more challenging. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Level #13: Dark Medievel Castle Same as level 5 only darker and less consistent. Not recommended for beginners. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Level #14: Mars Exactly the same as level 6 except for the scenery. Recommeded for beginners. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Level #15: Dark Old West Same as level 7 except a little darker and less predictable. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Level #16: Dark Chinese Bridge Same as level 8 only darker and still consistent. Recommeded to beginners. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- II. ADVANCED GAMEPLAY This section will contain tips and secrets that will allow you to perform better. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- POWER TECHNIQUES: You'll notice on the power bar that there is a little green line, which seems to be your target, with little yellow strips next to it. The control line is similar, only reversed and beneath it. What does the green strip mean exactly? It will give you a slower line for the control, with good power. If you are a beginner, then I suggest you aim for the green strip in both power and accuracy. However, what would happen If you let hit the X button after the green strip, or not at all? Some pretty awesome things. I discovered that not hitting the X button while it is selecting the power will lead to automatic max power, all the way at the right end of the bar. This is a cool little trick that can be useful, but should be used only when necessary. Why is that? Well, it is impossible to get a green in accuracy with max power. You can get a little to the right or left of the green, but never directly on it. Plus, the bar that selects your accuracy will get much quicker, which you can get used to through practicing. So when should you use max power? Only use it if you have practiced it before and are prepared for the results. You have to line up your shot differently, and you need to have quick eyes and quick hands. Good situations to use this in are splits. Big splits. The kind you would normally just say "forget it, I'll get one of them," those kinds of splits. Remember, spares are very important, so only use this technique if you feel comfortable with it. While on the subject of not hitting the green bar, how about going slower? I don't see why not. The problem is, if you feel you need to slow down for more hook, you will find it difficult to stay consistent in your shots. I'm not saying it's impossible but it is very challenging and not recommended by me. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ACCURACY TECHNIQUES: When it comes to control, things are pretty self-explanatory. Things get easier and easier through practice, and you get very comfortable with the control. You will notice however, the accuracy isn't always %100 accurate even if you gt right in the green. Sometimes you are better off letting the bar drift to one side of the green bar a little. I can't really explain because it depends on the bowler and the situation, but just try new things often. Have fun with the games different abilities. =============================================================================== Section F =============================================================================== FAQ 1. Q: What is the best stat layout to use? A: This is a difficult question because it is really all down to preference. I have several different saved layouts that I mess around with, and I got to them basically by tinkering around with all sorts of different layouts. One of my favorites is pretty obvious: 20 strength, 19 accuracy. It's kind of boring but it so powerful ad accurate that it makes for one of the best layouts I know. It is especially good with the Bone Crusher ball, 20 pounds flying down the lane from a max-strength bowler, tell me that's not frightening! I also tried 19 strength, 20 curve. It's tricky to hit the pocket at first, but once you find the sweet spot, that power and hook combined can do some hefty damage. Those are just a couple setups. You can try pretty much everything and get it to work, you just have to practice. :) 2. Q: How do I unlock...? A: It's all written at the codes section on GameFAQs. I actually myself submitted most of it... 3. Q: What does a "dark level" mean? A: Dark really isn't a very good word in this situation. The levels referred to are the levels that you unlock in the game. The difference in most of them is that they are the same level only at night. So "dark" doesn't mean evil or anything, just dark. Like in lighting. 4. Q: Where can I find this game? A: This game can be found in pretty much any game store with Playstation 2 games, and it will only be $10 at max, since that's what I paid for it brand new. Don't be turned off by how inexpensive it is, trust me, I would pay for this game if it was $30 or $40 even. Think of Katamari Damacy, great game, cut-price. Not the best of examples but it proves not all inexpensive games are bad. 5. Q: Is there any difference between the bowlers? A: Not much. They are all customizable in stats, so there is only a few differences between each bowler. One, their default stats. Two, their handedness, which actually plays a huge factor, since I got used to bowling with right-handers, I have trouble bowling with left-handers. And the third, and most obvious, their appearance, which doesn't really matter. Other than that, the stats are what are important. 6. Q: Are the pin physics any good in this game? Most games are very unrealistic... A: The pin and ball physics in this game are amazingly life-like. They react exactly like an actual pin would. I would know too, since I am a regular (real-life) bowler, I know how pins react from experience. The physics in this game are simply amazing. 7. Q: Are there any major glitches that you know of? A: I've seen very few glitches. One was sometimes, your ball or pins will go through other pins. This is weird, but not something to be concerned about because it happens very rarely. Other than that, this game is pretty glitch-free. 8. Q: Why do the bowlers move so gittery at the approach? I've never seen professionals doing that... A: Most likely, it's not planned, it's probably just the games graphics lagging a little bit, causing the approaches to sometimes look strange. =============================================================================== Section G =============================================================================== CREDITS: Me, for typing. My PS2 for being awesome. GameFAQs for hosting this. You people for reading. Users: BannedAccount, jimfish, Jammerbam, Metal Celebi, sylenis, Red Snake, TwistedCrow, bluedestiny72, and others down at Random Insanity for keeping me entertained, while I slacked off on real work. =============================================================================== Section H =============================================================================== CONTACT ME: Rules: Bad- Spam Chain mail Flames Screamers Good- Comments Questions Corrections (grammar/spelling) Please follow the rules: E-mail- [email protected] AIM- BdevilJ =============================================================================== I can't believe you actually got this far... Thanks for reading! Copyright BenG 2005 -End Document-