<s>
is	O
a	O
1995	O
sports	O
video	O
game	O
developed	O
and	O
published	O
by	O
Athena	O
in	O
Japan	O
for	O
the	O
Virtual	B-Device
Boy	I-Device
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
the	O
game	O
,	O
the	O
player	O
participates	O
in	O
a	O
series	O
of	O
bowling	B-Application
tournaments	O
consisting	O
of	O
four	O
10-frame	O
matches	O
at	O
various	O
alleys	O
against	O
computer-controlled	O
opponents	O
,	O
in	O
order	O
to	O
obtain	O
a	O
high	O
score	O
and	O
progress	O
further	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Virtual	B-Application
Bowling	I-Application
was	O
created	O
by	O
Athena	O
,	O
a	O
developer	O
known	O
for	O
their	O
bowling	B-Application
games	O
,	O
with	O
producer	O
Sakae	O
Nakamura	O
heading	O
its	O
development	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
game	O
was	O
reportedly	O
rushed	O
to	O
market	O
amid	O
Nintendo	O
planning	O
to	O
cease	O
support	O
for	O
the	O
Virtual	B-Device
Boy	I-Device
,	O
becoming	O
one	O
of	O
the	O
platform	O
's	O
last	O
official	O
Japanese	O
titles	O
alongside	O
Bandai	O
's	O
SD	B-Application
Gundam	I-Application
Dimension	I-Application
War	I-Application
,	O
and	O
was	O
produced	O
under	O
a	O
very	O
limited	O
run	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
It	O
is	O
considered	O
by	O
gaming	O
journalists	O
as	O
one	O
of	O
the	O
rarest	O
,	O
most	O
valuable	O
and	O
sought-after	O
Virtual	B-Device
Boy	I-Device
titles	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Virtual	B-Application
Bowling	I-Application
garnered	O
mixed	O
reception	O
from	O
gaming	O
publications	O
since	O
its	O
release	O
;	O
criticism	O
was	O
geared	O
toward	O
the	O
odd	O
physics	O
,	O
lack	O
of	O
multiplayer	O
and	O
unbalanced	O
scoring	O
mechanics	O
,	O
but	O
its	O
sense	O
of	O
realism	O
,	O
playability	O
and	O
use	O
of	O
the	O
Virtual	B-Device
Boy	I-Device
's	O
hardware	O
were	O
commended	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Virtual	B-Application
Bowling	I-Application
is	O
an	O
arcade-style	O
sports	O
game	O
similar	O
to	O
World	O
Bowling	B-Application
on	O
Game	B-Device
Boy	I-Device
and	O
Nester	B-Application
's	I-Application
Funky	I-Application
Bowling	I-Application
,	O
where	O
the	O
player	O
participates	O
in	O
one	O
of	O
three	O
modes	O
of	O
play	O
available	O
:	O
Standard	O
,	O
Training	O
and	O
Tournament	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Gameplay	O
is	O
viewed	O
from	O
a	O
first-person	O
perspective	O
;	O
the	O
player	O
adjusts	O
their	O
position	O
and	O
aim	O
using	O
the	O
left	O
and	O
right	O
d-pads	B-Device
.	O
</s>
<s>
Virtual	B-Application
Bowling	I-Application
was	O
developed	O
by	O
Athena	O
,	O
a	O
game	O
developer	O
known	O
for	O
their	O
experience	O
with	O
bowling	B-Application
titles	O
such	O
as	O
World	O
Bowling	B-Application
(	O
1990	O
)	O
for	O
Game	B-Device
Boy	I-Device
.	O
</s>
<s>
Like	O
all	O
other	O
Virtual	B-Device
Boy	I-Device
games	O
,	O
the	O
title	O
sports	O
a	O
red-and-black	O
color	O
scheme	O
and	O
uses	O
stereoscopic	O
3D	O
visuals	O
to	O
create	O
the	O
illusion	O
of	O
depth	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Following	O
a	O
final	O
call	O
issued	O
by	O
Nintendo	O
regarding	O
Virtual	B-Device
Boy	I-Device
releases	O
before	O
ceasing	O
support	O
for	O
the	O
system	O
,	O
Athena	O
,	O
alongside	O
Bandai	O
,	O
J-Wing	O
and	O
Taito	O
,	O
reportedly	O
rushed	O
their	O
titles	O
to	O
market	O
in	O
order	O
to	O
recoup	O
investment	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Virtual	B-Application
Bowling	I-Application
was	O
originally	O
slated	O
for	O
a	O
December	O
8	O
launch	O
by	O
Athena	O
,	O
but	O
was	O
published	O
on	O
December	O
22	O
instead	O
and	O
was	O
housed	O
in	O
an	O
eight	O
megabit	O
cartridge	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
It	O
served	O
as	O
one	O
of	O
the	O
last	O
official	O
Japanese	O
Virtual	B-Device
Boy	I-Device
games	O
published	O
alongside	O
SD	B-Application
Gundam	I-Application
Dimension	I-Application
War	I-Application
,	O
also	O
released	O
on	O
the	O
same	O
day	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
It	O
is	O
considered	O
by	O
gaming	O
journalists	O
as	O
one	O
of	O
the	O
rarest	O
,	O
most	O
valuable	O
and	O
sought-after	O
Virtual	B-Device
Boy	I-Device
titles	O
;	O
It	O
became	O
a	O
rare	O
collector	O
's	O
item	O
that	O
commands	O
high	O
prices	O
on	O
the	O
secondary	O
game	O
collecting	O
market	O
,	O
due	O
to	O
being	O
produced	O
under	O
a	O
very	O
limited	O
run	O
of	O
copies	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Some	O
hobbyists	O
load	O
the	O
ROM	B-General_Concept
image	I-General_Concept
onto	O
actual	O
Virtual	B-Device
Boy	I-Device
cartridges	O
and	O
sell	O
reproduction	O
copies	O
online	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Virtual	B-Application
Bowling	I-Application
received	O
mixed	O
reception	O
from	O
gaming	O
publications	O
since	O
its	O
release	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
However	O
,	O
they	O
commended	O
its	O
sense	O
of	O
realism	O
,	O
playability	O
and	O
use	O
of	O
the	O
Virtual	B-Device
Boy	I-Device
's	O
qualities	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
Japanese	O
book	O
Virtual	B-Device
Boy	I-Device
Memorial	O
Commemorative	O
Guidebook	O
gave	O
the	O
title	O
an	O
average	O
rating	O
,	O
stating	O
that	O
"	O
It	O
's	O
pretty	O
good	O
,	O
as	O
long	O
as	O
you	O
do	O
n't	O
think	O
about	O
why	O
you	O
should	O
take	O
the	O
trouble	O
to	O
bowl	O
with	O
this	O
hardware.	O
"	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
contrast	O
to	O
the	O
other	O
publicacions	O
,	O
a	O
writer	O
for	O
British	O
magazine	O
Retrogames	O
was	O
more	O
positive	O
towards	O
the	O
game	O
,	O
giving	O
positive	O
remarks	O
to	O
the	O
visuals	O
for	O
making	O
good	O
use	O
of	O
the	O
Virtual	B-Device
Boy	I-Device
's	O
hardware	O
,	O
and	O
the	O
skittle	O
sprites	O
for	O
their	O
animations	O
and	O
realistic	O
physics	O
,	O
while	O
finding	O
the	O
sound	O
to	O
be	O
"	O
chirpy	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
writer	O
stated	O
that	O
the	O
game	O
was	O
"	O
a	O
refreshing	O
return	O
to	O
a	O
simple	O
yet	O
addictive	O
gaming	O
format	O
"	O
and	O
regarded	O
it	O
as	O
one	O
of	O
the	O
best	O
Virtual	B-Device
Boy	I-Device
titles	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Retrospective	O
commentary	O
for	O
Virtual	B-Application
Bowling	I-Application
has	O
been	O
more	O
positive	O
,	O
with	O
some	O
considering	O
it	O
one	O
of	O
the	O
best	O
games	O
for	O
the	O
platform	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Nintendo	O
Lifes	O
Dave	O
Frear	O
found	O
the	O
game	O
to	O
be	O
a	O
"	O
very	O
impressive	O
bowling	B-Application
sim	O
"	O
,	O
praising	O
the	O
3D	O
visuals	O
,	O
atmospheric	O
sound	O
,	O
responsive	O
controls	O
,	O
tournament	O
mode	O
and	O
catchy	O
music	O
but	O
also	O
criticized	O
this	O
latter	O
aspect	O
for	O
being	O
repetitive	O
,	O
as	O
well	O
as	O
the	O
default	O
power	O
metter	O
setting	O
for	O
enabling	O
easy	O
strikes	O
and	O
lack	O
of	O
a	O
saving	O
system	O
to	O
keep	O
high	O
scores	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Retro	O
Gamer	O
also	O
commended	O
its	O
number	O
of	O
customizable	O
options	O
,	O
detailed	O
graphics	O
and	O
simple	O
bowling	B-Application
system	O
,	O
regarding	O
it	O
as	O
one	O
of	O
the	O
best	O
titles	O
for	O
the	O
Virtual	B-Device
Boy	I-Device
.	O
</s>
<s>
Retronauts	O
writer	O
Jeremy	O
Parish	O
called	O
it	O
one	O
of	O
the	O
stronger	O
titles	O
for	O
the	O
Virtual	B-Device
Boy	I-Device
and	O
found	O
it	O
to	O
be	O
better	O
than	O
Nester	B-Application
's	I-Application
Funky	I-Application
Bowling	I-Application
.	O
</s>
