Pool Party review (Wii)

Anyone who has spent countless hours in the pubs, youth clubs or community centres of the UK has probably drawn a cue back in anger and turned their hand to pool.

For those of us who take the game less seriously - and don't line up every shot as if they were Ronnie O'Sullivan - the beauty of the game is in its simplicity.

Unfortunately for Pinnacle, the makers of Pool Party on the Nintendo Wii, the ease of the popular game has been lost in this complicated, fiddly interpretation.

There are many aspects of this title that should be applauded - the graphics are smooth and realistic, the various modes add to its playability and it is technically accurate.

But all this is lost in the fact that it is not as simple to play as real pool. On first glance the controls appear simple, but playing even a single shot turns into an excruciating battle between man and technology.

Lining up a shot uses almost every button on the Wiimote, but, most disappointingly, the game does not make the most of the unique motion sensitive controller.

Unlike Pool Party's more primitive mini-game relation on Nintendo's Wii Play, the game is played without using a pool cue motion.

Pool Party requires a quick forward thrust of the remote towards the screen to play a shot. The result is more simple, but a lot less entertaining.

On the upside, the graphics are impressive; especially considering it is on the Wii. Critics have hit out at the console for getting the balance between visuals and gameplay wrong, but this cannot be said of Pool Party.

The tables look realistic and the movement of the balls is first-class, being both colourful and vibrant.

For the amateur Rocket Ronnie wannabes, the technical and realistic representation of the table sport is definitely a massive plus.

You can play a shot with the amount of backspin, cue angle or power that is desired and the balls will behave exactly as they would on a real pool table.

With lots of goodies to unlock and different versions of pool to be mastered, the game can be played for hours - if you don't throw down the Wiimote in frustration first.

While you can almost begin to forgive Pinnacle for putting the technical nature of the game before ease of gameplay, there is absolutely no excuse for its poor soundtrack.

The music on the game leaves a lot to be desired, being repetitive and irritating. In a game that is as slow-paced as pool there is a good opportunity for music to add enjoyment for the gamer - and in this case it is an opportunity missed.

Ultimately, the success or failure of this title depends on how much you love pool itself and whether or not you can master its twitchy controls.

If you are a hardcore pool buff who gets withdrawal symptoms when away from a table, or one who used to complain Big Break didn't have enough snooker in it, you will enjoy its realism and the range of shots at your disposal will be a joy.

However, if you like playing pool in a simpler, relaxed fashion, you will be rather disappointed. To gain a much wider appeal Pinnacle should have followed the lead of the Wii Sports title and reduced the game to a simple series of pool-like actions - or at least split the game so both sets of fans could be catered for.

Whereas the brilliance of Wii Sports might actually pose a threat to the livelihood of bowling alleys, pool hall managers will be able to sleep much easier after this release.

4.5/10

Leigh Jackson