To change your bowling ball in Wii Sports, hold a direction on the Wii Remote’s control pad while the screen is black just before the game starts. The direction selects a ball color; it does not change the ball’s speed, weight, or performance.
The timing can be easy to miss, especially if you press the control pad after the lane appears. Follow the steps below to get the timing right, see which direction selects each color, and fix common problems if your ball stays the default shade. You’ll also learn what this trick does—and what it does not do.
How to change bowling ball in wii sports
Choose Bowling from the Wii Sports menu, then press and hold a direction on the Wii Remote’s control pad during the transition to the game. Keep holding it as the screen fades to black, and release it once the bowling screen appears. Your ball should show the color linked to that direction.
The key is to press the control pad before the black screen, not after you can see the lane. If you wait until your character or the lane appears, the color selection window has passed. In that case, back out to the menu and try again from the beginning.
- Point the Wii Remote at the screen and select Bowling.
- As the game begins loading, press and hold one direction on the control pad.
- Keep holding through the black transition screen.
- Release the direction after the bowling screen appears, then check the ball.
Use one direction at a time. Pressing several directions together can make it unclear which color you selected. If you want another color, return to the menu and repeat the process with a different direction.
Which control-pad direction selects each color?
In the original Wii Sports bowling game, the control-pad directions select these alternate ball colors:
| Direction held | Ball color | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| Up | Blue | Keeping the familiar default look |
| Right | Gold | A bright, easy-to-spot alternative |
| Down | Green | Choosing a clearly different color |
| Left | Red | Another bold color option |
If you do not hold a direction during the loading transition, the game uses its standard blue ball. The color is a visual preference, so choose the one you like or the one that is easiest to see on your television.
These directions apply to the original Wii Sports bowling game. If you are playing a different bowling game or a later release, its controls may not match. Check the title on the game’s main screen before troubleshooting the original-game steps.
Why the timing is easy to miss
The color choice is made during a short transition between selecting Bowling and entering the match. The game does not pause to display a color-selection menu. Instead, it reads the direction you are holding while the screen fades out, which is why the change can feel hidden.
Think of the input as a loading-screen shortcut rather than a setting you change during play. It will not work when you are standing at the lane, choosing a shot, or watching a replay. If you missed the transition, you need to start another game to choose again.
Press the direction as the game starts loading
After selecting Bowling, do not wait for a prompt asking you to choose a color. No such prompt appears. Press and hold the direction as the game moves into its black transition screen, then keep holding until the bowling scene comes up.
Keep the selected direction held steadily
A quick tap can be unreliable if it happens before the game checks the input. Holding the direction through the transition gives the game time to register it. You do not need to press the Wii Remote’s large A button or the trigger at the back for this color trick.
What to do if the color does not change
If the ball remains blue, check the timing first. Most failed attempts happen because the direction was pressed too late, released too soon, or held during the wrong part of the game. Try again from the menu and hold one direction continuously through the black screen.
- Waited until the lane appeared: The selection window is over. Return to the menu and start Bowling again.
- Released during the fade: Hold the direction until the bowling scene is visible, then release.
- Pressed more than one direction: Repeat the process with one direction only.
- Used the wrong control: Press the directional pad, not the A button, B trigger, or a button on the Nunchuk.
- Started a different game: Confirm that you selected Bowling in the original Wii Sports.
For a clean test, choose a direction you have not tried, hold it from the loading transition until the lane appears, and check the ball before taking your first turn. If the ball still stays blue, return to the menu and repeat the sequence carefully. There is no need to change a system setting or calibrate the Wii Remote for this feature.
Check that the control pad is responding
If other directional inputs also fail, the problem may be the Wii Remote rather than the color trick. Test the control pad in a menu where its arrows should move a selection. If it does not respond there, check the controller’s batteries and connection, then try another Wii Remote if one is available.
A controller issue is more likely if the directional pad fails across multiple menus or games. If menu navigation works normally, focus on the timing of the loading-screen input instead.
Does the ball color affect bowling performance?
No. The color change is cosmetic: it changes how the ball looks, not how it rolls. It does not add spin, increase power, make pins easier to knock down, or change the weight of the virtual ball.
Your result depends on how you release the ball and direct your throw, not on whether the ball is red, green, gold, or blue. If you want to improve your score, pay attention to your release timing and aim rather than changing colors as if they were equipment upgrades.
Can you change the color during a game or for another player?
You cannot use this loading-screen shortcut to change the ball color in the middle of an active game. The input is read as the game starts, so changing it means returning to the menu and starting Bowling again. That makes the trick useful for choosing a look before a match, not for switching colors between frames.
The color choice is made through the Wii Remote used during the game’s start-up transition. In multiplayer, players can take turns selecting Bowling and try the same directional input as the next game loads. If the game does not apply the color a particular player expects, repeat the selection with that player’s Wii Remote and check the ball after the lane appears.
Do not confuse the color shortcut with choosing a different Mii or changing a player’s bowling technique. Those are separate parts of the game. The direction held during the transition changes the ball’s appearance only.
Does this trick work in Wii Sports Resort?
The steps above are for the original Wii Sports. Wii Sports Resort is a separate game, and its bowling mode and controls may differ. If the directional input does not select a color, first confirm which game you are playing instead of assuming the original shortcut is broken.
The same caution applies to other bowling games on Wii. A shared console does not mean every game uses the same hidden controls. Check the game title and its on-screen instructions before repeating a shortcut from a different release.
Common mistakes to avoid
The most common mistake is looking for a menu option labeled Ball Color. The original game does not present a regular settings menu for this choice; the color is selected with a directional input during loading. Once you know that, the process is quick and repeatable.
Another mistake is expecting the color to improve your score. It does not alter the physics or give you an advantage. Pick a color for visibility or personal preference, and use the normal throwing controls to focus on the shot.
Finally, do not hold the direction throughout the entire match. The game needs the input during the start-up transition. After the bowling screen appears, release the control pad and play as usual. Holding it longer does not add an effect.
A simple way to remember the steps
Remember the sequence as select, hold, wait, release: select Bowling, hold one direction as the screen turns black, wait until the bowling scene appears, and release. The timing matters more than pressing quickly or changing any other controller setting.
If the color does not change, restart the selection rather than trying to correct it during a throw. A deliberate attempt from the menu is usually simpler than guessing when the game will read the input.
To change bowling ball in wii sports, hold one direction on the Wii Remote’s control pad as the game transitions through the black screen. Release it when the bowling scene appears; the direction changes the ball’s color, not its performance.
Try the sequence from the Bowling menu and use one direction at a time. If the ball stays blue, repeat the attempt and focus on holding the input through the transition.