Dadoo Games released “Curling 2010″ for the XBox360 this week– the full version is available for the amazing price of $3.00! It is downloaded through the XBox Live service directly from your game console, or through your web browser by following this link. The amount of bang for your buck is tremendous. You can see screenshots from the game here, and videos here.
I’ve spent a bit of time with Curling 2010 since its release, and I can confidently say this is the best curling video game available for any console system today. Rather than make a winter sports compilation, this game is focused solely on curling, and it is clear that Dadoo thoroughly understands curling. In the basic match game, the standard competition rules, including the free guard rule, are in effect (although the number of ends per game, number of stones per end, Canadian versus international free guard rule, etc. are all changeable parameters– in fact you can set up a game with up to four teams, and four stone colors!).
The setting is an outdoor curling sheet, set in a valley surrounded by snow covered spruce. There are no cartoon characters or avatars to control; you basically act as skip and set a hovering broom to set the aiming point. You also set the weight with the left and right triggers, and turn with the X and B buttons. Once you have everything set to your satisfaction, press the A button to release the stone. Sweeping is accomplished by alternating left and right trigger buttons as the rock glides down the sheet.
(Click the “more. . .” link below for the rest of the review.)
Its been a while since I got the first inkling that someone was working on a serious curling simulation for the XBox360. The project by Dadoo Games, now called “Curling 2010″, has matured into a great looking curling game. The game is currently in play testing, and will soon be available for download through the Xbox Live service for the unbelievably reasonable price of $5.
For this you get the ability to play against a computer or friends at home or over the internet. If the video above is representative of the graphics and rock physics in the actual game, it will be awesome. I especially like the design choice to trade cheesy cartoon characters and pseudo-stadium settings typical of most console curling games for the more serene outdoor setting. I am eagerly awaiting the release of this game!
Here is a tantalizing hint that someone is working on a curling game for arguably the dominant gaming console, the Xbox 360:
The graphics are pretty spartan but quite adequate, if the physics and gameplay are accurate. Their website only says “coming January 2009″. I guess we’ll have to wait and see. . .
I’ve written about curling video games for the Nintendo Wii before, but this one is in a class all its own. Michael Campbell, a student at Ravensbourgh College of Design and Communications in the United Kingdom, developed a prototype curling game using a projector and camera mounted in the ceiling, and a heavily modified Wii controller. Check out the description on his website, and click “play” on the video below for a demonstration.
For some reason, there aren’t that many curling video games. But with the growing popularity of the sport, hopefully that will change in the future.
Hudson Soft, a Japanese game developer, is planning a March 3, 2008 North America launch for a sports compilation video game on the Nintendo Wii console. The game will contain volleyball, badminton, figure skating, and. . . curling! The game has already been released in Japan under the title “Deca Sporta”, but the title for the US version of the game has not been determined yet.
The Nintendo Wii is a real departure from all previous game consoles, in that the games are not controlled solely by buttons and joysticks. Instead, games are controlled by pointing, shaking, rotating, and otherwise moving the entire controller (called a Wii-mote). The idea is to make gaming more physically interactive, and it delivers on that goal.
The Wii console should be perfect for a curling game. Below is a screenshot showing a delivery, and a YouTube video showing how the Wii-mote is manipulated to control the delivery and sweeping. I can’t wait for this game to come out!
The discontinued PC game “Take Out Weight Curling 2″ is now being carried to my home by the most competent employees in the home delivery business. I will post a detailed review soon.
The search for excellence in curling video games took a detour to Monkey Curling, a game that plays in your web browser. While ultimately unenjoyable, the premise is amusing: You control a gorilla who slides a smaller monkey (or possibly a baby gorilla) towards the house.
The control of the shot is a little tricky, and involves clicking the monkey and moving your mouse to set the direction and weight. As the monkey slides down the ice, its path can be altered by an orangutan who controls a slowing magnet or an accelerating fan from a platform which slides along with the shot.
I give this game a D+, the plus for creativity and the D for execution. It isn’t fun enough to bother getting good at it. Try it yourself from the numerous sites that host monkey curling:
The maple in my backyard is starting to show orange leaves, and I’m thinking about curling. But the club doesn’t open for almost two months! No matter, I will curl in silico. If I only knew which curling video game was the best. . .
Nagano Winter Olympics ‘98 for the Nintendo 64 is a compilation of several winter sports. It includes curling, and though simple, is quite enjoyable.
