After Hours Athletes Review - Screenshot 1 of 2

Like Move Mind Benders before it, After Hours Athletes is a Blu-ray compilation of three previously PSN-only games, released in time for Christmas at a budget price. It sounds like a winning formula, but it's not quite up to the quality of its companion release.

For one thing, unlike Move Mind Benders there is no new title included: whereas MMB boasted an exclusive version of Lemmings, After Hours Athletes is solely recycled material. For your money you get Top Darts, High Velocity Bowling and Hustle Kings, three PSN titles we've already reviewed here at Movemodo, as well as all of their currently-available download content. It's a good package and a bargain: like MMB, it's cheaper to pick up this disc than each of the games separately, a bonus.

If you want to know what we make of each game, the best way is to read our original in-depth reviews; here they're intact and unchanged. Flick through our High Velocity Bowling review, Hustle Kings review and Top Darts review for the lowdown; if you're short for time, they scored 7, 8 and 8 respectively.

After Hours Athletes Review - Screenshot 2 of 2

As a quick run-down for each title, Hustle Kings is still one of the most realistic representations of pool and snooker we've seen on a HD console: excellent physics and a stack of things to do, including online play and trick shots, keep this fresh. Top Darts spices up its trip to the oche with some high-pressure party games, unusual boards and themes and even a simultaneous two-player mode, as well as some surprisingly stunning 1080p graphics.

High Velocity Bowling isn't quite as good as the other titles: now in its third release following a Blu-ray outing in North America and a global PSN appearance, it's a game that requires real dedication and patience to master, and certainly isn't one that casual players will get the most out of. Put in some time and practice and it opens up; if that sounds like your cup of tea, you'll be well served here.

However, the fact there's nothing genuinely new in this compilation — no new DLC and no exclusive game, for instance — makes it hard to recommend it to those who already own one or more of the games featured. Yes, it's a good price for three of Move's best sports games; yes, the included DLC does sweeten the deal; and yes, the balls in Hustle Kings are still really, really shiny. The games, despite being a year or more old, are still the best representations of their respective sports we've seen on Move, though that's not saying much considering the competition is the disappointing Brunswick Pro Bowling and mediocre WSC Real 11.

Conclusion

For anyone who hasn't dipped their toe into the PSN pool yet, this compilation is worth a purchase: three good games and their download content for less than the price of all three bought individually, it's a sensible package. However, other than price it's missing a reason to purchase over the individual games, with nothing really extra to sway PSN veterans.