I figured I would download the demo for Elf Bowling 7 1/7: The Final Insult, just to get into the holiday mood.  But I ended up purchasing it so I thought I would give a brief overview of the game.  I grabbed it on Big Fish because I had some game credits, but you can do a search for the title and find plenty of other options for picking it up. Obviously, there have been previous iterations of this game, but this is the first one I’ve ever tried.  The basic idea is that you are bowling, except the pins are replaced with funny little elves.  Tired of wrapping presents and writing out cards?  Just crush some helpless elves and you’ll be infused with the holiday spirit in no time.

The mechanics are pretty simple.  You set the starting location of the ball and the speed before launching it. There is no arcade-ish element to this (as there is in, say, Hot Shots Golf)…you pretty much have total control.  And, since this is more about fun than a realistic bowling experience, you actually control the ball with the mouse once it is rolling.  That’s really where the skill comes into play.

You can also pick up a number of crazy bonuses.  Want boxing gloves attached to your ball?  How about a giant magnet to pull your opponent’s shot off course?  There are a ton more and there is some strategy involved in knowing when these bonuses are best used.  You can also counter an opponent’s dirty trick with a bonus of your own.  Did they throw down sandpaper?  Just shrink the gutter so you can go around it.  Did your enemy supply the elves with shields?  Take them out one by one on the rebound with a basketball.

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