Arcade Pool Snooker PSN !FULL!
Pool Paradise is a 2004 pocket billiards video game, developed by Awesome Developments, and published by Ignition Entertainment, released for Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 2, and GameCube. The game is the fourth game to be endorsed by professional snooker and pool player Jimmy White.
Arcade Pool Snooker PSN
Players control a virtual pool player at a beach resort, with pool tables inside different huts. Players have to work their way up the tournament ladder in order to unlock features and complete the game.
The game's features, according to Booners Interactive,[2] include 30 unique computer characters, with highly detailed hands, on an animated island with day and night cycles, and 8 virtual camera modes; 11 different game types and 5 modes of play, with 10 different tournament ladders, and 10 table sizes and shapes; and analog cueing, using a gamepad or a mouse. "Hidden features" throughout the game were also alluded to.[3] As well as various pool and snooker games, beach darts, a coconut shy, skee-ball ramp, and the original Dropzone arcade game are all unlockable.[4] Unlike previous games endorsed by Jimmy White, in Pool Paradise, White is a playable character, and is the best player in game.[5]
The game received "generally favourable reviews" on all platforms according to the review aggregation website Metacritic.[3][20][21] Alex Trickett of BBC Sport called the game "crisp, clean fun at a budget price"; however, he did call the game's soundtrack "uninspired". Alex Navarro of GameSpot enjoyed the European GameCube version months before it was released, stating in an early review, "Pool Paradise features a great gameplay design, as well as a ton of available pool games and side ventures."[9] He also suggested the game was very strong on its own merits commenting "even if Pool Paradise weren't the only available pool game for the GameCube, it would still be a strong choice for any billiards fan."[9] GameSpot later named it the best GameCube game of April 2004,[22] and nominated it for the year-end "Best Alternative Sports Game" award.[23] GameSpy and Game Informer gave the same European GameCube version a mixed review, two months before it was released in Europe, and nearly three months before it was released Stateside.[8][11]
With 3D Pool you can enjoy the ultimate billiards and pool experience in the comfort of your own home! Step up to the virtual table and show what you can do with a cue! In addition to the pool hall classic eight-ball, you can also play nine-ball, ten-ball and even snooker! Whether alone against the computer or in a duel against a real player on the same computer, you'll send balls careening across the table in four selectable, highly-detailed rooms as you work your way up the local high score list.
Brunswick Pro Billiards is the most realistic and immersive billiards game available for any platform. This is an officially licensed Brunswick product featuring real pool tables, pool cues, and billiard ball sets.
Though the pool simulation genre has certainly had some great games over the years, the primary bulk of these titles have only been available for the PC. Sadly, most console-based attempts at the sport of pool have generally not fared as well as their PC counterparts, thus leaving console-owning pool fans out in the cold. Jaleco's World Championship Pool 2004 for the PlayStation 2 changes all of this. It isn't the flashiest or even the most well-put-together pool game released in recent years, but it's easily one of the most feature-rich games of pool ever put onto a console, and it features an excellent variety of pool games, in addition to online support. Furthermore, it plays quite intuitively by allowing anyone--from the greenest of amateurs to the most seasoned of pool veterans--to pick it up and play without having to experience any sort of steep learning curve.
World Championship Pool 2004's controls are quite easy to pick up, while still managing to be very realistically designed. You first begin by lining up your shot using either the left analog stick or the directional pad. Depending on the difficulty level chosen, you will have the option of highlighting a path guide that shows where the ball you're aiming at will go and where the cue ball will go. After appropriately aiming your shot, you press the X button once to move to a power meter that determines how hard your shot will be. After that, another press of the X button brings you either to your shot animation, or in the case of a game that requires you to call your shot, you're brought to an overhead view that lets you select exactly which ball you're calling--as well as which pocket you plan to shoot it into. Additionally, during the setup of the shot, you can adjust the elevation of your pool cue by holding down the square button and moving the left stick up and down. You can also put a little English on the cue ball by holding down the circle button and moving the left stick. Even if you don't immediately understand what doing things like putting English onto a ball or elevating your pool cue does for you, the game's manual explains things pretty well, and all it takes is a minimal amount of practice. The PS2 version of WCP 2004 plays just as well as its Xbox counterpart and actually even seems to feature slightly tighter controls, comparatively.
Though its basic gameplay mechanics are more than sound, where WCP 2004 really shines is in its gameplay depth. At its core, the game features several variations of the game of pool, including 8 Ball, 9 Ball, and snooker, as well as the more traditional, standard game of pool. Each of these games can be played in either single game or tournament form--except for snooker, which can only be played in a single game form. You can designate the number of frames in each game for a single round--all the way up to a best of 17 match--and you can customize features like location, table type, ball set, and the rules of the game. WCP 2004 also features a lengthy career mode in which you create your own customized player and then take him or her through a series of professional tournaments in hopes of earning enough cash so that you can purchase items in the game's shop mode. Items available in the mode include new clothing articles for your player, as well as new ball sets, tables, and pool cues. You can also store the trophies you win in the career mode.
Further adding to the depth of WCP 2004 are a couple of additional modes: trick shot and bonus game. The bonus game mode gives you a roster of seven games with unique rule sets. Some examples of these games include MineField, in which certain "mined" areas of a table cause balls to jump off the table if you hit them, and Unexploded Ball, which is played like a basic game of 9 Ball. However, if you don't get your shot off within a certain amount of time, the targeted ball explodes, and your turn ends. Most of these games are only simplistic variations on the basic pool games, but they're still quite amusing to play. As for the trick shot mode, here you are presented with a number of gimmicked trick shots that you must perform to unlock new shots. Think of it as the trick shot competitions you see on ESPN2--but without an opponent. Both of these modes are ultimately quite nice to have around and serve as enjoyable diversions from standard pool playing.
The last of WCP 2004's featured modes is its online support, which, while generally good, isn't nearly as fleshed-out as it could have been. Essentially, all you can really do with the interface is create or join a match. There are only two play modes available online: 8 Ball and 9 Ball. You can't play any of the other game modes online--not even snooker. On the plus side, playing both 8 Ball and 9 Ball online worked just fine, and both were plenty of fun overall. It is rather disappointing that there aren't more play options available for WCP 2004's online functionality, so ultimately, it makes the mode less appealing. We also had a little trouble finding opponents to play against online, since there was rarely anyone online to play against. With some persistence, we were able to track down an opponent or two, but you ought to be aware that it may be a bit difficult to locate another player.
Where WCP 2004 starts to stumble is in its presentational values. Graphically, the game looks decent, though pretty heavily dumbed-down compared to the Xbox and PC versions of the game. The various in-game environments are decently detailed and look like some of the typical locales you'd encounter when watching a professional pool tournament. However, some of the background touches, such as the crowd graphics, look pretty unpleasant when focused upon. Each of the 70 featured professional players looks good, with a nice assortment of body and facial details that make each look very true-to-life. Unfortunately, they don't animate quite as well as they should. Animations are rather jerky, and it actually seems like some frames are being dropped when characters move in for their shots. The on-table action all looks pretty much like you would hope it would. The balls reflect light nicely, the physics are top-notch, and all told, it's pretty authentic-looking. The only issue we noted involved occasional frame hitches with ball movement that wasn't apparent in the other versions of the game. This issue is pretty minor, but it is noticeable.
When you put the sum of World Championship Pool 2004's parts together, you'll find yourself with one of the better billiards outings released for consoles in quite a long time. Yes, there are things to complain about, such as the decidedly lackluster sound quality and the lack of online gameplay modes, but outside of these complaints, the game performs very well and provides you with enough variations on the game of pool to keep you entertained for quite a while. If you're a pool enthusiast with a PlayStation 2, you ought to give World Championship Pool 2004 a look. 041b061a72