Sprt: 3D Pool Pro [by Videoworks]

Game Review:  3D Pool Pro
Release: July 2004
Genre: Sports
Developer: VideoWorks
System Requirements: 800MHz, Windows /95/98/ME/2000/XP, 128Mb RAM, DirectX 8.0+
Players: 1-2
Price: $16.00

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I like to play pool, but in general I've disliked pool video games. The controls are always weird, and they never really allows you to do fun shots, like banking an airborne ball off the wall. There have been a few 3D pool games out there, such as GLBilliards and foodbilliard, which are both open source, but suffer from horribly controls or no sounds. 3D Pool Pro, while not necessarily as pretty, is definitely the most well polished of the games I've seen.

While the controls do take some getting used to, they are intuitive enough that the game plays quite smoothly. You also have the choice of using the mouse for everything or using keyboard controls. You can play 8-ball or 9-ball, and can do so in training, in a standard game, or in a tournament. The tournament plays almost like a story mode, where you must defeat members of your family, then move on to the different arenas and their respective tables to defeat tougher opponents to compete for World Champion.

3D Pool Pro features a nice tutorial mode to get used to the different controls and features, such as jump shots and putting English on the ball. You can play on your own as long as you want, trying out the different moves and figure out the best angles. Earlier tournament games and the standard game provides an aiming aid in the form of an arrow to show where the ball will reflect. While it is generally useful, it is not always accurate, especially if you put English on the ball or do a jump shot. Luckily, it can be turned off if it gets in the way more than it helps. There is the Standard game, where you can play against an AI opponent or another player. As of the time of this writing, there is no online multiplayer option, but VideoWorks is working on adding one in a subsequent version of the full game. Even if you can't find someone to play against, the AI's skill can be configured before you start a game, providing enough challenge and variety to keep you gaming.

The physics for the most part is accurate, although I did find it acted funny if you do a jump shot on your break and have the cue ball land in the middle of the rest of the balls. Also, putting English on the ball results in some wacky and unrealistic turns if you hit the ball hard enough. Of course, this could be fun to see happen if you set the mouse sensitivity really high so the slightest movement sends the ball flying. I also had some minor graphical glitches, but I found this only occurred on my machine with the ATI Radeon 8500. The menu background would disappear, followed shortly by the menu itself, which was frustrating when trying to save your game or exit it.

Even so, I found 3D Pool Pro to be a great game that is fun to play. If you're a fan of pool and billiards games, this is one to check out.

Graphics: 8/10
Even though the screenshots on VideoWorks' website had some gorgeous, high-quality graphics, in actual playing, I didn't see the same. More probably to do with the ATI Radeon 8500 than the game itself, there were minor graphic glitches, such as shadows that were supposed to be on the table overlapping nearby balls. The environments aren't very detailed and even though they don't impact the game itself, they do detract from the overall experience. The highly detailed balls contrasted with the low quality tables that made it hard to differentiate the borders and the tabletop.

Sound: 5/10
The sound effects of the balls hitting and entering pockets were fairly accurate sounding. The different tables were in different environments, and while they had no music, there are different ambient sounds. Unfortunately they are repetitive and quickly get old, especially in the Arcade. The game does not provide a way to turn off sounds in game, so you need to change your speaker volume to play in silence or play with sound effects and music together.

Game Play: 8/10
The ability to play with both the keyboard and the mouse, and the intuitiveness of each, lets you get into the game quickly and easily. There is a learning curve, but it is not very steep. The mouse control can be tweaked, allowing for powerful shots with a flick of a wrist or more control as the user sees fit.

Concept 8/10
Some 3D pool games suffer from a lack of sound, terrible physics, or horribe controls. 3D Pool Pro's controls are easy to use, the physics are pretty accurate, and while the ambient sounds can get annoyingly repetitive, the 3D sound effects add to the overall enjoyment.

Value 8/10
Even after playing through the tournament games, you can still challenge yourself against the varying AI difficulties. Having two players in the same room is also a great way to extend the fun of this game. And if you would prefer to just mess around, there is always training where you play as long as you want.

Fun 7/10
Once you get used to the controls, you can find it plays just like in real life. The menu glitch gave me some grief, and it sometimes crashed as well. Aside from those problems, I had a great time doing jump shots, putting English on the ball, and otherwise playing good (or bad) pool, just like in real life.

Overall 7/10
Aside from the repetitive ambient sound and the glitches between my video card and the crashing, I found this game to be well done. 3D Pool Pro recreates the game in an intuitve and fun way. Fans of pool should definitely look into this game.
Added: August 21st 2004
Reviewer: Gianfranco Berardi
Score:
Hits: 5700
Language: english