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.)

The curling physics overall are great– the rocks don’t start curling until near the end of their run, making it possible to really bury rocks behind guards. The rocks also stay very straight with anything above about hack weight. When rocks hit, for the most part the physics seems accurate, but occasionally I’ve seen them take an odd bounce.

Curling 2010 allows you to play matches against very capable computer opponents, against friends in your living room, or, best of all, with friends across the globe using XBox Live. These matches are set up with a simple but effective lobby system, and if you have a microphone, you can chat with your opponent during the game. I have played several games against live opponents so far, and they are a lot of fun. Although you can not see your opponents broom or weight settings, each stone leaves a lightly colored trail, allowing you to see where the rock was aimed and when it started to break.

In addition to the standard matches, Curling 2010 also has several additions that provide even more value for the modest $3.00 price. There is a practice mode that lets you set up the house however you want, and then make a shot–so if you wanted to relive Jason Smith’s great draw in the eleventh end of the USA vs. Sweden match, you could set it up stone for stone. After your shot, you can reset the house back to its original setup with the press of a button, and different scenarios can be saved and replayed later. This feature makes Dadoo Games Curling 2010 stand out as not just a casual game, but a real curling simulation that has the potential to be a fantastic coaching aid.

To satisfy curler’s latent Pokeman instincts, Dadoo Games added a badge collecting feature. Every time you make a raise, tight guard, takeout, etc., you get a badge for that play. Then you can see how many times you’ve made a particular shot, and there are also achievements for earning a certain amount of badges. It seemed a little corny at first, but actually its kind of fun, and if you choose to ignore the badge system, it is not intrusive to the basic game at all.

This is a minor complaint, but Curling 2010 does omit one feature of curling: The ability to control a stone by sweeping ends as soon as it hits another rock. So for example if you’re peeling one of your own guards, in real life you could choose whether to sweep the shooter, the guard, or both. Similarly, when your opponent is shooting, you can’t sweep your own rocks or your opponent’s rock after it crosses the hogline. Admittedly, it would be difficult to map multiple sweeping possibilities to the limited buttons available on an XBox controller, but its something to think about.

If you have an XBox 360 with internet access, buy Curling 2010 by Dadoo Games as soon as there is a break in the Olypmics– this is a great value for a mere three dollars. And if you want to play online, my XBox Live username is “skildum”. Good curling!

And if you want to read an interview with Dadoo Game’s Bill Fowler, here it is on Gamespot.com.

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!

$5!

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. . .

From YouTube via dadooGames.

http://www.campbellssource.com/projects/wii-curling/

(if you don’t have flash)

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!

Click the “play” button to see the video:

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:

http://www.google.com/search?q=monkey+curling

Nagano Winter Olympics ‘98 for the Nintendo 64 is a compilation of several winter sports. It includes curling, and though simple, is quite enjoyable.

Review continues after the jump. . .

A game is four ends, with each team throwing four rocks per end. While throwing a rock, initially the perspective is from the hack. Line and weight are indicated by a green arrow projecting from the hack, and are set with the joystick. While lining up the shot, the “B” button toggles between in turn and out turn, and the directional buttons control the camera. This is a particularly useful feature, and allows the line and weight to be set while looking directly over the house. Once you have the line and weight where you want them, a press of the “A” button starts the delivery.

After the delivery, the perspective follows the rock down the sheet. Two sweepers follow along, and can be called on by tapping the “A” button. The developers did a nice job simulating the rock physics in this game. Although the graphics are rudimentary by today’s standards, the stones behave realistically. For example, curl is diminished by sweeping. The artificial intelligence employed by the computer opponent is pretty good, although there seems to be a little randomness to it. The computer will throw guards, take outs, and attempt to outdraw you depending on the situation. Sometimes, when faced with a guarded house, the computer will essentially give up the shot and throw a corner guard, rather than go for a more difficult take out or raise.

The best part of Nagano curling though, is the ability to play not against a computer, but against a friend sitting next to you on the couch. This is an inherrent strength of console platforms compared to PCs.

The sound quality is mixed. The sounds of the crowd are good, and there is enough echo in the sweepers’ grunts to make it feel like a big curling arena. The sound of the rocks, though, is not impressive: they neither roar down the ice nor crack when they collide. The music played before and after matches is completely inoffensive and forgettable.

Nagano is not a curling simulation, it is a curling video game. It lives up to this limited expectation. The game is nearly a decade old, yet remains entertaining for solo or group play. If you’ve got a neglected N64 console stashed in your closet, head down to All Game on 1st street and drop $7 on a copy of Nagano Winter Olympics ‘98. You won’t be disappointed. Overall, I give this game a B+.