10 Pin Shuffle Review

I’d like to meet the individual who has the record for being the worst at an iPod game. I’d like to meet that individual because I am certain that I have beaten that record. Maybe it’s just that I am terrible at shuffleboard in general, or maybe it has to do with something completely unrelated. When it comes to 10 Pin Shuffle however, I am horrid.

10 Pin Shuffle is a shuffleboard based game that allows the player to try out bowling with a weighted disk, known as a puck (if you don’t believe me ask Wikipedia), or go with the more traditional shuffle-board style game play. Each game mode contains varying levels, and bowling has different game modes as well. After a player beats a level, a higher difficulty opponent is unlocked.

The standard shuffleboard game offers three different game modes. Players can test their shuffleboard expertise against the AI of the iPhone or iPod Touch, play in a peer to peer setting over Bluetooth or Wi-Fi, or go head to head with people in the same room. Don’t worry if you are unsure of the rules, as I realized I had no idea what constituted point gain. There is a nifty how-to guide that sets it up nicely.

Where this game really shines is in the shuffleboard bowling game play. There are two game modes for bowling. The first is a more traditional approach to bowling. Get more pins then your opponent after 7 frames of bowling to win. The alternate approach to bowling is called 10 Pin Poker. Players take turns trying to get strikes and spares. Each strike gains two poker cards, each spare gains one. After obtaining 5 cards, additional chances for cards are won by continuing to play through 10 frames of bowling. The player at the end with the best poker hand is the winner.

As I’ve already stated, I stink at this game. My wife and I played this in two player mode while we waited to see the doctor for her monthly pregnancy appointment, and she whooped me good. It really is a unique experience versus games I have played in the past. Being a big Wii-Bowling fan, taking a bowling game portable is a big plus, and the added unique factor of making it a shuffleboard based game is a great addition.

Graphically 10 Pin Shuffle is a sound game. There were no inconsistencies and the detail of each item, including the puck being flipped over to show the smooth surface that it uses on the board, are well done. The sound effects are really good, and highly customizable. Just want to play with some background music? The settings offer a highly customizable set of sound options, so that sound effects in general could be turned off, or individual aspects can individually be turned off. The settings also offer sensitivity adjustments, for those looking for a higher challenge, as well as a few name and graphics adjustments.

10 Pin Shuffle certainly isn’t a deep game, but what it is designed to do, it does well. I’m sure plenty of you out there have the ability, and the patience, to develop your touch shuffling skills and really master this game. There is a lot of detail put into how the puck runs along the board itself. The how to guide even describes a multi-finger approach to releasing the puck for accuracy. It’s supposed to mimic a strategy that expert shuffleboard players utilize for accurate shots.

Overall you’ll find quite a bit of fun with this game, either alone or with fellow players. If you’re looking for a good shuffleboard title, and maybe interested in fresh and dynamic approach, 10 Pin Shuffle is a good choice.