World Championship Pool 3D - 2009 > Mobile3DWorld

World Championship Pool 3D - 2009

By goyami @ Saturday, November 08, 2008 :: 988 Views :: 0 Comments :: Sports

Pool games seem to be perfectly suited for mobile entertainment. After all, who wants to pay $50 to play pool, a graphically simple game, on a console or dedicated handheld? World Championship Pool by I-Play and Blade Interactive racks up a very nice 3D pool playing experience for your mobile device without making you put up big bucks.

Unlike another recently released mobile pool game, Steve Davis Pool Star which continues to favor the overhead table view, World Championship Pool 2009 lets you rack em’ up in a dynamic 3D environment which adds a stroke of realism to the game. Think Midnight Pool 3D with sharper table graphics, more of a tournament feel and thankfully no “Sweet Home Alabama” ricocheting through your brain while you line up your shot.

The all-important ball physics feel spot on over the nice purple felt as you settle in to your match and a hush falls over the audience. As your non-distinct opponent sizes up the table you’re treated to various viewing angles giving you essentially the best seat in the room. At the brake the camera shifts to a behind the pocket view whenever a ball is potted and you’re given a quick replay. If multiple balls are sunk you’re given multiple behind the pocket replays and the crowd will respond with enthusiastic applause.

When it’s your turn at the table you have a variety of useful choices in views. Starting with a down the cue view that can be angled up or down with the d-pad which you also use to line up your shot left and right. You can then switch to an on-the-table target ball view for more precision by pressing 3. Continue pressing 3 for a closer target ball view and overhead table views to check your position. Then to control the cue ball press * and a ghost cue will come up where you add spin. To take the shot press the center d-pad and a standard power bar starts up. The view then switches to you taking your stroke. If the camera then switches behind a pocket you’ve probably made the shot as you get to watch it drop in. It all works smooth and effortlessly and allows you to get extremely precise in your shot making.

So precise in fact that you will be making combinations, banks and doubles before you know it. Which brings up the only weakness in this title which is the AI. A championship caliber player will run almost every wide open table he sees. These opponents miss some pretty standard shots even in the championship finals making WCP seem a tad easy at times with all the arrows and views at your disposal.

Within the championship mode you can build up your player stats in accuracy, position and power by making harder shots. Other than added power, I didn’t notice these stats adding much to the game play. There are also a wealth of challenge modes starting from introductory banks, combos and doubles to more complicated challenges with preset tables. Then there is a survival challenge involving the 3 game types (8-ball US, 8-ball UK and 9-ball) where you compete against the clock. The challenges all have leader boards and awards and must be completed consecutively to unlock the next challenge.

WCP has good ball-knocking sound in an otherwise quiet environment befitting a tournament atmosphere. An added feature is nice audience response to the shot making. An easy pot will elicit polite applause, a difficult shot or combo enthusiastic applause and an easy miscue will bring a collective groan.

World Championship Pool 2009 3D is a pretty sweet stroke for my mobile device and gets

41/2 stars as it drops into my side pocket.

Reviewed by G.Yamaguchi - Nokia N73

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