Previous Next

"Quiet please, the players are about to begin."" As the greasy haired bloke with the double chin and the monkey suit would say.

Yes folks, it's time to chuck on the ol' suit and bow tie and dim the lights 'cos snooker's here again. Well, actually it's American 3D Pool, but let's not argue about it. This game basically allows you to choose between pool or billiards although both games are the same as far as I'm concerned.

American 3D Pool is essentially a full 3D perspective pool and billiards simulation, but also boasts loads of other features including; two camera angles, automatic ball return, unique ball viewfinder for short range accuracy, 8 player tournaments, trick shot editor and 9 preset trick shots, to name but a few! The fast action, realistic gameplay and lots of colourful sprites make this game attractive as well as exciting even when playing a less than friendly 'friendly' competition against the 9 "hustler" levels of your computer opponent.

When playing pool, a one player game can be played against the computer or, alternatively you can try a two player game and attempt to hustle a friend. The idea of the game is to pot 3 balls of the same colour, then the black. Your colour is decided by the first ball you pot. This computer version has been made very realistic by featuring lots of realistic rules and situations. For example; hitting your opponent's ball before your own results in a foul and two shots are given to the other player, while potting the black before you should results in the other player winning the game. Games are played in straight sets, the winner being the one with the most sets.

In billiards, there are two cue balls, one white and one yellow. There is also a red 'play' ball, the winner being the one who reaches the set amount of points first. At the Break, the cue ball can be positioned anywhere in the D by pressing the fire button. Pressing and holding down the fire button increases your shot power. Pool and billiards both have a tournament option, where up to 8 players can battle it out in a knockout competition. The Trick Shot Editor allows special shots to be created by pressing certain keys. An extra feature with this game is an Action replay of the last shot taken.

Sound is very realistic, which adds to the excitement, making American 3D Pool extremely addictive. Unfortunately there is an occasional blur in the otherwise excellent graphics but this doesn't effect overall gameplay at all. Definitely a Smashin', Chillin', Skillin', Kickin' experience that promises to have your mum prising you off your Speccy for dinner - if you're into that sort of thing!

Label: Zeppelin Games Memory: 48K/128K Price: £3.99 Tape Reviewer: Toni Naquvi

I'm not really a pool player but I do appreciate a good simulation when I see one, and this game definitely falls into that category. 2D and 3D views complete the game and the big, well defined (if a little blurred at times) graphics make it pretty to look at.