Milo's Astro Lanes

Given its reputation for being a bottom-of-the-barrel N64 game and Blockbuster dust-collector, I went into Milo's Astro Lanes with very low expectations. I emerged pleasantly surprised. Okay, it has its issues, but it's far from bad.

A bowling game, Milo's Astro Lanes spices up the sport with a space setting, a variety of wacky lanes and a strangely appealing cast of quirky characters. After selecting a ball and character--all of which seem to be only cosmetically different, unfortunately--you're dropped into a Diddy Kong Racing-inspired hub world from which you visit lanes to compete against your rivals.

Visually, the game is a little rough around the edges, but not bad, and the music, a sort of alien jazz, is rather good. The controls are simple and the action plays decently enough, though the ball and pin physics are rudimentary and occasionally result in odd outcomes. The nature of the game's setting means your ball's journey will sometimes be affected by obstacles and dynamic terrain, adding a little variety to the simplistic gameplay. Additionally, powerups collected off the lanes allow you to enlarge your ball, split it into three and more, as well as harm your opponent's chances when they take their turn by, for example, dropping a bomb onto the lane. It doesn't always prevent the game from feeling a little slow and repetitive, but it helps.

Though a flawed game that would've benefited from more development time, Milo's Astro Lanes is a unique and relaxing experience that I found to be oddly endearing. Despite its problems, it's difficult not to enjoy it at least a little.