A Thinker in Space

For more information about this series, please see the introductory article here.

Time to tackle another Shockwave game from my childhood – Gutterball 2. I have been stuck on this article for a while because I was faced with a small challenge – how do you write an article about a game that has very little going on? This is now my 8^th Deep Cut on this site, and each of the others had a substantial game behind them. This one? This one is a bit tougher, and I can’t imagine this article is going to be very lengthy. However, it most certainly belongs in this collection – any game that has a soundtrack, map or any other aspect that lives permanently rent-free in my head should be included.

Gutterball 2 is the second game of three. The first is called Gutterball 3D, and is simply a less good Gutterball 2, which is why I have not reviewed it. The last game is Gutterball: Golden Pin Bowling, which was released as an app game. I tried this out, but it takes quite a while to unlock another lane besides the starting lane. The PC port of the app might be better, but I also have never had a desire to try it.

The Game

As you can tell by the picture above (and perhaps the title) Gutterball 2 is a bowling game. Now, don’t let that confuse you – this game is in no way shape or form a bowling simulator. Bowling simulators tend to be relaxing, and many try to create an authentic bowling experience. Gutterball 2 throws that out the window. First, throwing your ball is much more aggressive in this game than in traditional bowling, and a fling into the lane has a good chance of getting you a strike on every map except for one.

Second and perhaps most importantly, you can move your ball with your mouse after you have thrown it, allowing you to aim. This is a pretty fun feature, and something that I have not seen replicated in other bowling games.

The game itself has 5 bowling lanes, each with their own music. The starting three are basic, traditional lanes with fun settings, and the two unlockable lanes each have their own gimmick.

There are also a plethora of unlockable balls – you can get these by either winning games to raise cash, or by beating a specific CPU on a specific lane.

Does it hold up?

That is indeed the question with Gutterball 2. This game is genuinely fun – I’ll occasionally pop it open to play a round. I loved it when I was younger, especially the Wacky House lane. I would take turns playing with my brother (or, on occasion, my sister), and we would have a blast throwing the ball and knocking down pins.

This is the first time, however, that the wording of the question is critical for the answer. I am not asking whether or not the game is fun, but if it holds up today. And the answer? Honestly? It doesn’t. Not because it’s bad, but because it costs $7-10 depending on where you purchase it from, and there are tons of better games on the market.

That being said, Gutterball 2 still remains fun when played today. The graphics are a bit dated, and the feel of the game certainly makes you feel like you’re back in 2004. But it’s still pretty entertaining, and it was a ton of fun to play when I was younger. Now, you throw the ball a couple times, do a round or two, but the game doesn’t have much to offer beyond that. You can unlock other balls, but they don’t have a ton of special aspects to them (something that was updated in Gutterball: Golden Pin Bowling). They just have different art, and different stats (though the custom balls make the stats less significant).

Accessibility

Gutterball 2 is in the Shockwave/Big Fish Games void – it is tough to find anywhere else. Fortunately, it is usable as of last I checked on Windows 11 systems, something I cannot say for most of the games on these sites. Shockwave and Big Fish have an hour trial period for their games – if you want to try it out, this is the way to do it! Download the game and give it a whirl – maybe you’ll decide it’s worth the cost!

Final Thoughts

I have revisited Gutterball 2 multiple times in my life, and I am certain that I will return again. Nostalgia will call me back. Would this game call out to me if I didn’t have a nostalgic attachment to it? Perhaps, perhaps not. But it remains a chill experience that, though it is lacking in depth and content, has a satisfying gameplay loop short as it may be. It also is a lot of fun to play with a friend, if you are both equally interested in such a niche gaming market!

Recommended for younger players?

Gutterball 2 is totally innocent, and its repetitive gameplay can be a lot of fun for young players. There’s nothing particularly edifying about it, but there’s also nothing wrong with it.

Verdict: Yes.

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