Party Island: Bowling 2-in-1

How many regular ten-pin bowlers do you know who have washboard stomachs and sparkling smiles? And, that aside, how many regular ten-pin bowlers do you know who play with their shirts open and toned tums on show in the first place? It's a sad fact, but UK bowling alleys are hives for spotty teenagers, plimsolls sprayed with vinegar and salt-encrusted chips squashed into cheap upholstery – you'd be hard pressed to find many beefed up sun worshippers hanging out at your local 'RollaBowl'.

But that's because we tend to play our bowling inside. Perhaps if we took our pins down to the beach we'd revolutionise the sport, turning it into the glitzy glamorous game portrayed here. Yes, if you're thinking this sounds altogether too familiar, that's because it is. This has all happened before, in the form of Party Island's first foray into the world of sport – Pool 2-in-1. Bowling 2-in-1 (or Party Bowling, as it's otherwise known) applies exactly the same formula to the sport, adding hot guys and gals, beach balls and social networking into the mixing pot.

And, in the same way, the end result is just as successful – it's amazing how different a sport can look in a slightly different light. Party Island's light is one that places almost as much emphasis on how you look as it does how you play. Indeed, choosing an avatar – and then using the credits you earn during play to pick up extra clothes and trinkets – is an essential part of the game's Career mode (incidentally, if you've already indulged in Party Pool, you can use your already existing avatar in Party Bowling), and Digital Chocolate has taken great time and care to ensure that each rival you play has a distinct sense of character and range of talents.

But all this would fall apart if the bowling itself was not up to standard, and I'm pleased to report that it is. Taking what might be described as a 'light' approach to the sport, almost all of the actions involved – from power, to placement, to direction – are controlled by scrolling gauges, with the aim being to tap the '5' key when the gauge is in place.

You can add spin along the way (the '4' and '6' keys dragging the ball left or right in motion), but often it's power that is key here. Many a strike can be found by aiming direct-centre and applying just a little force to the throw, rather than just blasting it down the alley and hoping for the best.

However, Party Bowling isn't always about scoring a strike. Along the way you'll be required to perfect other kinds of shots, such as avoiding sand deposited to slow your ball's bath, taking out specific pins while avoiding others, and – very early on – scoring a strike with a beach ball in a heavy wind.

All of these tasks, while challenging in their own way, add variety to play and spice up proceedings. Veering away from straight bowling encounters makes Party Bowling an entertaining and consistently surprising package – boredom never gets the opportunity to rears its ugly, flat head.

Flexibility is also key: just as in Party Pool, if the developer's take on social networking isn't to your liking, you need never skip down to the beach and indulge in the party, but these frivolous elements do give Party Bowling an added magnetism that could and should ensure that Digital Chocolate's Bebo-cum-Second Life Party Island range lives a little longer than some of its rivals.

It's perhaps surprising, but by merging these two entirely separate elements, our candy-sweet friends have unearthed something rather special – here's to the next party. I'm working on my abs as we speak.