SimBowl Lanes - Maxis Remodel

"Many have said that "life is like bowling" but no one can agree on how. Visit SimBowl Lanes and find out for yourself. SimBowl Lanes - representing the best family bowling in the greater downtown area."

I have a confession to make: I've never been happy with the bowling alleys that shipped with TS2. And after a relatively long search online for some replacements, I still wasn't completely satisfied. We have plenty of retro objects from Nightlife and other games, so I decided to make my own. The results are this "Googie architecture" inspired bowling alley. Googie is a part of the mid-century modern style, and takes inspiration from the Atomic Age. Conveniently, TS2 features quite a few objects in this style. So it became a perfect fit for my vision of a retro bowling alley.



While not sharing any similarities with the SimBowl Lanes that shipped with Nightlife, I am treating this as a total replacement of that lot. The one-story structure is partially inspired by a very dated bowling alley I used to go to as a kid, with weird textures and bright colors. It was a relic from another time, and it is a shame it is now gone.

With 8 lanes of bowling, the lot is perfect for a large outing. There are a few tables to grab a bite to eat, though the large wrap-around bar might be more your sims speed after they've rolled a few gutter balls. There are lockers for the "regulars" to keep their belongings, and a photo booth for those kid's birthday parties you'll inevitably attend here.



Housekeeping:
I have playtested this lot extensively, utilizing piqiwi's More Townie Sims Visit Community Lot mod, which I recommend but it is obviously not required (but it makes community lots more lively). There is, however, some crucial CC that is included in the file, and some not included but that you will want to download to play the lot properly.

To Play the Lot As Shown:
You must have HystericalParoxysm's "Bottomful Carpet" and Moonlight_muse's invisible tile installed. Both files are included in the download. Without these files, the CFE roof will not display properly. Credit to HegeRobert and this thread for the sloped ceiling solution. Sophie-David's 31% taller columns are used between the lanes, and reach the dummy level ceiling. If you do not install these, the lot will still look fine with the normal, standard height columns. The other CC I've included is decorative.

There are a couple of CEP-enabled recolors throughout the lot. Make sure you have CEP installed for them to display properly.

This lot is not set up to be played as a business, but I don't see why it wouldn't work. You'd need a host, waiter, cook, and a bartender or two. A ticket machine could be used to charge sims to bowl.

Part of my ongoing Maxis Remodel series. See my page for other remodels.
Please note, I created this lot on a PC with The Sims 2 Ultimate Collection, so you will need all of the EPs and SPs even though it does not use objects from all of them.


Custom Content Shown But Not Included (And Recommended)
Helios Maxis 2-Tile Blinds, by Windkeeper at TSR
Decorative Parking Spaces by MogHughson at MTS
More Decorative Slots for Maxis Furniture by Lord Darcy at MTS

The Decorative Parking spaces are not included because they are an object mod. Lord Darcy's Decorative Slots are not included because it is a behavior mod. Both downloads are available at MTS. The TSR content can be downloaded for free. The Grease Bar recolors are for the bar counter tops, and are highly recommended otherwise the bar will look funny with a different bar counter texture (silly EA leaving them out).

Lot Size: 5x4
Lot Price (furnished): 211505

Custom Content Included:
- Transparent Floor Tiles by RGiles
- Standard Parking Block by wndy26
- Basic "Bottomful Floors" for Easy Popcorn Ceilings by HystericalParoxysm
- Invisible Floor Tile by moonlight_muse
- Simple Columns That Actually Fit by Sophie-David
- Lazy Gardener's Delight Table Plant by plasticbox
- Lazy Gardener's Delight Table Plant by plasticbox
- Lazy Gardener's Delight Table Plant by plasticbox
- 3t2 Showtime Jukebox by Crisps&Kerosene