History Main / BowledOver

* The upcoming MassivelyMultiplayerCrossover ''PlaystationMoveHeroes'' has "Bowling" as one of the five weapons classes, joining the Frisbee of Death as [[ImprobableWeaponUser Improbable Weapons]].

* One of the stages of the Japanese game show ''TakeshisCastle'' involved dressing the contestants as bowling pins and having a guard roll a giant ball at them.

* One of the stages of the Japanese game show ''TakeshisCastle'' involved dressing the contestants as bowling pins and rolling a giant ball at them.

* Both ''VideoGame/SuperMarioGalaxy2'' and ''DonkeyKongCountryReturns'' feature {{Mooks}} shaped like bowling pins for you to run over with {{Rolling Attack}}s.

Related to FoeTossingCharge. Compare HumanChess.

* ''Anime/ExcelSaga'' '''literally''' did this. On a mission to discover what the most popular sport in the country is, Excel and Hyatt get a job at a bowling alley right before it gets taken over by an evil terrorist group that wants to prove bowling is the world's greatest sport. Hyatt, a pair of TV hosts and Excel and Hyatt's idol singer doubles get held hostage in one of the lanes, in giant bowling pin costumes waiting to be knocked down by the evil group's balls. Until Excel uses her bowling balls to save them all and beat the bad guys.

* In ''TheLionKing'', we first see Timon and Pumbaa playing "bowling for buzzards".

* Harry knocks one vampire into an audience full of them during a duel in ''[[TheDresdenFiles White Night]]'', and Lampshades the resulting mass knockdown as "Bowling for Vampires!".

* The ''PhineasAndFerb'' episode "Bowl-R-Ama Drama" has P&F try to set a record for the world's biggest bowling ball. Meanwhile, Dr. Doofenschmirtz's minions are giant penguins, suspiciously shaped like bowling pins, attacking the town in a triangular formation. The ball gets away from them, and... well, you can guess what happens next.

* A CouchGag in one episode of ''TheCritic'' had IndianaJones running from that boulder, which then hits a bunch of Nazis who just happen to be there, and, well, you know...

* In ''{{Day of the Tentacle}}'', there's a bowling ball that you see for nearly the entire game, but which is too heavy to pick up. In the climax, our heroes are merged into one body, and the Evil Minions guard their captive in bowling-pin formation. Guess what? The three heroes together are now strong enough to pick up the bowling ball. If you can get past the BigBad who's now guarding the room it's in...

* ''ExcelSaga'' '''literally''' did this. On a mission to discover what the most popular sport in the country is, Excel and Hyatt get a job at a bowling alley right before it gets taken over by an evil terrorist group that wants to prove bowling is the world's greatest sport (It's ExcelSaga what do you expect?) Hyatt, a pair of TV hosts and Excel and Hyatt's idol singer doubles get held hostage in one of the lanes, in giant bowling pin costumes waiting to be knocked down by the evil group's balls. Until Excel uses her bowling balls to save them all and beat the bad guys.

** During the climax of Day of the Dark Mite! Batman rides one of the [[ItMakesSenseInContext Tweedle brothers and sends Joker, Catwoman, Riddler and Two Face flying.]]

* There was [[InexplicablyIdenticalIndividuals an Officer Jenny]] in the ''{{Pokemon}}'' episode "I'm Bowling For Thieves" who carried around a bowling ball and used it on criminals like this.

* ''BatmanTheBraveAndTheBold'': In the BatmanColdOpen of one episode, the Sport Master traps a championship bowling team in giant pins and rolls an oversized bowling ball at them. Batman saves the day by breaking the ball, with his fists.

* Both ''SuperMarioGalaxy2'' and ''DonkeyKongCountryReturns'' feature {{Mooks}} shaped like bowling pins for you to run over with {{Rolling Attack}}s.

* Officer Jenny in the ''{{Pokemon}}'' episode "I'm Bowling For Thieves".

* {{Pac-Man}} did a variation early in the episode "Around the World in 80 Chomps". The Ghost Monsters were arranged like bowling pins, and Pac-Man approached them like a bowling ball. Instead of knocking the ghosts down, he chomped them in his usual manner.

[[AC:VideoGames]]
* The upcoming MassivelyMultiplayerCrossover ''PlaystationMoveHeroes'' has "Bowling" as one of the five weapons classes, joining the Frisbee of Death as [[ImprobableWeaponUser Improbable Weapons]].
* Both ''SuperMarioGalaxy2'' and ''DonkeyKongCountryReturns'' feature {{Mooks}} shaped like bowling pins for you to run over with {{Rolling Attack}}s.
* In ''{{Day of the Tentacle}}'', there's a bowling ball that you see for nearly the entire game, but which is too heavy to pick up. In the climax, our heroes are merged into one body, and the Evil Minions guard their captive in bowling-pin formation. Guess what? The three heroes together are now strong enough to pick up the bowling ball. If you can get past the BigBad who's now guarding the room it's in...
* ''MetroidPrime 3'' has an area where ten enemies are lined up like bowling pins and marching forward. Players who see this for what it is and run into them as a morph ball are rewarded with an achievement.

* One of the stages of the Japanese game show ''Takeshi's Castle'' involved dressing the contestants as bowling pins and rolling a giant ball at them.

* In ''[[ReunionShow Resuce from]] GilligansIsland'' the Skipper and Gilligan rescue Mary Ann from a wedding that neither she nor the groom wants to go through with by [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZidiQoccneA#t=82m18s scooping her up]] in a wagon full of watermelons just before they get to the "I Do"s. A bunch of people run after them, and they [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZidiQoccneA#t=84m18s throw the watermelons at the chasers]] to make them stop. Comes complete with bowling SFX and Gilligan {{Lampshading}} "Hey Skipper, I got a strike!" (Apologies for the ads)
* In ''MyNameIsEarl'', Earl is [[ItMakesSenseInContext trying to convince a policeman that he should be a bowler]]. He shows him the list of misdeeds he is trying to fix, the policeman immediately reacts by arresting him as it's more of less an evidence of his numerous crimes. Earl tyries to run away, and he knocks him down, but lets him go afterwards, because he did that with a bowling ball, thus proving Earl's point.

* A {{Peanuts}} Sunday strip has Lucy making a very large (bowling-ball sized) snowball. Many other characters taunt her for this and walk off. Lucy proceeds to roll the ball down the sidewalk, scattering everybody (except Charlie Brown) like proverbial tenpins. Lucy has another ball in reserve, and the final panel shows Charlie Brown getting bowled over, commenting about "picking up the spare".

* Both ''SuperMarioGalaxy2'' and ''DonkeyKongCountryReturns'' feature bowling-pin shaped {{Mooks}} for you to run over with {{Rolling Attack}}s.

* MetroidPrime 3 has an area where ten enemies are lined up like bowling pins and marching forward. Players who see this for what it is and run into them as a morph ball are rewarded with an achievement.
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* Both ''SuperMarioGalaxy2'' and ''DonkeyKongCountryReturns'' feature bowling-pin shaped {{Mooks}} for you to run over with rolling attacks.

[[AC:Unsorted]]
* The upcoming MassivelyMultiplayerCrossover ''PlaystationMoveHeroes'' has "Bowling" as one of the five weapons classes, joining the Frisbee of Death as [[ImprobableWeaponUser Improbable Weapons]].
* One of the stages of the Japanese game show ''Takeshi's Castle'' involved dressing the contestants as bowling pins and rolling a giant ball at them.

* It happens in ChalkZone to a group of cartoon penguins who enjoy being knocked down.

* In ''[[ReunionShow Resuce from]] GilligansIsland'' the Skipper and Gilligan rescue Mary Ann from a wedding that neither she nor the groom wants to go through with by [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZidiQoccneA#t=82m18s scooping her up]] in a wagon full of watermelons just before they get to the "I Do"s. A bunch of people run after them, and they [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZidiQoccneA#t=84m18s throw the watermelons at the chasers]] to make them stop. Comes complete with bowling SFX and Gilligan {{Lampshading}} "Hey Skipper, I got a strike!" (Apologies for the ads)
* In ''MyNameIsEarl'', Earl is [[ItMakesSenseInContext trying to convince a policeman that he should be a bowler]]. He shows him the list of misdeeds he is trying to fix, the policeman immediately reacts by arresting him as it's more of less an evidence of his numerous crimes. Earl tyries to run away, and he knocks him down, but lets him go afterwards, because he did that with a bowling ball, thus proving Earl's point.