Before the days of digital balance boards and body-strapping cardio sensors, games were more about fun and less about running on the spot and counting calories. I’m talking about late night pizza and a bunch of mates kicking back with a round of darts, pool or ten-pin bowling.

Enter Puma After Hours Athletes, featuring High Velocity Bowling, Hustle Kings and Top Darts. It’s an affordable collection of three PlayStation Network exclusive games including the latest downloadable content all crammed inside a shiny Blu-ray disc.

When you start After Hours Athletes you enter the lobby and choose which of the three games you want to play by flicking the Move controller from side to side. There’s a slight bug, however, that prevents you from getting back to the lobby once in-game, so you’ll have to quit the entire game, enter the lobby again and choose another activity. Aside from that small glitch, the games themselves proved worth the hassle in the end.

High Velocity Bowling is a technical bowling game with a casual spin to it. Each motion reacts to the slightest twist and turn of your arm. Being fit won’t do you any good here - all it takes is a good technique. Whether you prefer hard-hitting straight shots or skilful spins it’s all down to refining your method. What sets this game apart from the other two titles is its break-away cartoon-like style. Instead of focusing on realism, you’re encouraged to explore the crazy and zany side of bowling – as if those ridiculous bowling shoes weren’t enough. The richness of colour and wide range of balls to choose from each with varying abilities keeps the interest going.

The characters you have to choose from seem somewhat stereotypical but you soon learn that each has there own strengths and weaknesses, varying in power and technique. Once you are comfortable that you’ve mastered your technique you can compete in online multiplayer modes, some singleplayer head-to-head matches and the tournament ladder.

Hustle Kings has got to be one of the most detailed billiards-come-pool simulation games to date. Not only does it offer a great deal of control on the table but it also brings in the whole idea of earning in-game currency off other players by means of betting or simply beating them outright. And did I mention that it’s in full high definition? Prepare to get lost in the life-like detail and physics as every strike is measured with painstaking accuracy – and don’t forget to chalk your cue.

At first it takes some time to set up shots holding the Move controller as a cue: finding the right angle or position, applying spin to the cue ball, locking your shoot and finally pulling back and unleashing one almighty strike. You soon get into a rhythm though and the projected guidelines from the cue ball help you plan and fine-tune your shot with the utmost care.

If all that is not enough there are some slick trick shot challenges that are great to show off with in the company of others. And while the background music gets tiring and repetitive, you’ll be happy to know you can simply slap on some of your favourite tracks from your PS3 and still hear those artificial ivory balls click and bump their way across the table.

Top Darts is a stunning example of exactly just how photo-realistic games should be in glorious 1080p, sporting very impressive high quality textures, reflections and subtle lighting. There are a few locations to choose from, each with their own distinctive look and feel, from a humble Irish pub to an exotic Hawaiian beach cottage.

Make the game your own with the fun character creation feature that uses the PlayStation Eye camera to superimpose your face on a character template, creating a rather unique avatar to be used in the game. The controls are fussy at first but getting your first bull’s eye is well worth it. Holding the Move controller as you would a dart in your hand, you aim, lock and release (without actually letting go of the controller…).

Traditional dart players will enjoy Round the Clock, 301 and 501. There are also the more challenging game modes like English Cricket, Soccer and Tic-Tac-Toe with full instructions and rules. All of the above game modes can be played locally with up to eight of your mates or online as you make a name for yourself in the leagues and cup competition. If you feel the need to up-skill yourself, there are a couple of nifty singleplayer exercises that train your knowledge of the dartboard, accuracy and reflexes.

All three games in After Hours Athletes are delivered in full high definition with magnificent attention to detail and all the latest downloadable content. If you haven’t already played the PSN versions, I suggest getting this bundle from a pure value point of view – it will sit right at home next to Sports Champions.

Purchase: