Firebird
Orlando M. Pilchard (hmmm)
£7.99

There can't be anyone who doesn't know the rules of Pool, but I suppose for Nicko's sake I'd better explain them.

There's a white cue ball which you hit with a long stick, and the aim is to make the cue ball knock into other balls so that they fall into one of six pockets. The first player to actually get a ball down stays with that ball's colour for the rest of the game. Foul shots are incurred by hitting another colour before any of your own, potting a ball of your opponent's colour, potting the cue ball, or not hitting any balls at all. Foul shots award your opponent a free turn.

Unlike the normal game of Pool, there's no cue in this version: you have to imagine a line between the cue ball and the centre of the screen which represents the cue ball.

In the proverbial mists of time, there were millions (well, a few) Pool/Snooker/Billiards games, and, quite frankly, none of them would even sell on a budget label these days. Clearly Firebird have tried to modernise the old style of flat two-dimensional graphics and very simple gameplay. The graphic revamp has worked tremendously, with a huge Freescape-style table and reasonably smooth ball movement.

The gameplay, however, hasn't worked as well. There's a limited amount you can do with a game which is mainly a social activity. The character set is ugly, and unfortunately, the pool table has a few discrepancies (like the way the pockets of the table stick out like pieces of carboard!), and the shading of the balls is a bit unrealistic. Still, it's a new angle on an old format - personally, though, I think it's overpriced.

MIKE

Interesting idea, and it works a treat. It's a sort of cross between that brilliant game known as Pool and Freescape. I am now totally addicted. The graphics are pleasant, the 3-D looks convincing and, although the table seems very blocky and unatractive, it moves smoothly from side to side and up and down. The game of Pool itself is good when you play against another person, but if you play the computer be warned - it's one of the worst cheats around. There's one thing I don't understand, why have the programmers put such stupid names in.
NICK

Kixx
£3.99 cassette

Pool nuts get well ratty if you say their hobby's the sign of a misspent youth. What do they expect? The only place you find full-sized tables is in the boozer! Even then they're not level, the cloth looks like a dog's wiped its bum on it and the cues are either missing a tip or banana-shaped!

Luckily, those jolly nice peeps at Kixx have re-released 3D Pool so you can enjoy the fun without the passive smoking and drunken slobs!

Dispensing with the bog-standard overhead view, 3D Pool features snazzy Freescape-type graphics, allowing full 360° perspective around the table and eye-level view.

It's impressive stuff on first play - you spend more time walking round the table than playing shots (Terry Griffiths, eat yer heart out)! Rotation of the table is a little jerky but doesn't affect gameplay.

Too many pool and snooker sims are let down by bad execution - the balls don't move properly, they never stop rolling, or the power of shots bear no relation to that offered by the control.

Fortunately, this is not the case in 3D Pool. The control method is difficult at first, as the cue is not illustrated - the inlay asks you to imagine it! This isn't as annoying as it sounds, though, and once you've got the hang of it you're away.

There's loadsa options on offer. Tournament play pits your skills against computer-controlled opponents, ending with a final against Maltese Joe. Trouble is, all the computer bods play like Steve bleedin' Davis, so you can forget the final!

In practice mode, you play one frame against anyone exact Joe. There's no chance to practice on your own, which is a bit of a pain, but you can take on a mate. The set trickshots we pretty fabby too, and there's even a trickshot editor included (not guilty - Ed)!

Overall presentation's a weeny bit weak, with poor intro screens and an unclear power display. The graphics are functional if unremarkable, and if you don't like the screen and border colours change them to suit yourself.

Obviously, all this takes toll on running speed - it's slow and the balls flicker a little as they collide. Even so, presenting a game like this on the Speccy is a mammoth task. 3D Pool is an incredible achievement and how they squeezed it into 48K of memory is beyond me. If you're into snooker sims, this is an essential purchase!

Firebird
£9.99 cass/£14.99 disk
Reviewer: Sean Kelly

It seems as though pool and snooker games have been hitting the Speccy market thick and fast over the past few years. You know the kind. View from above, hit the ball in the direction of the marker style. But this new one from Firebird is a whole new ball game. It has a much more realistic 'round-the-table' 3D style, with a totally different kind of control system. And it's great.

The rules of pool should be familiar to most of you, but for those who think that green baize is something to do with Kermit's bum, then here are the basic rules. The primary aim is to pot all your balls (either 'spots' or 'stripes', depending upon who pots a ball first), and the black, first. This may sound straightforward, but as with most ball simulations, tactics and gameplay count for lots more than just charging in at full speed.

With 3D Pool, the aim is to progress through a knockout tournament of three preliminary rounds to finally meet the current UK and European Champion, 'Maltese' Joe Barbara. The computer Players are all formidable opponents, but although they were supposed to have different playing techniques, they all seemed fairly similar to me.

The 3D effect of the game is created by using two colours with different shading patterns. (If you don't like the particular colour combinations, changing the combination is straightforward - just one of the many 'editable' features which add to the games versatility.) The control system is a little difficult to get used to, but once mastered, executing a shot couldn't be simpler. There is a representation of the cue ball in the top centre of the screen, with a tiny black dot indicating where it will be hit. This will influence which direction the cue ball will bounce off the ball it hits. So if you strike it at the bottom, it will 'screw' backwards after being hit. Similarly, if you strike the cue ball slightly on the right hand side, it will ricochet towards the right after contact. Understand? Good. The strength of the hit is displayed in a meter to the right of the cue ball. And though there is no cue as such (which makes the game a little confusing at first) the cue ball is always hit towards the top centre of the screen, where the marking cue ball is.

To estimate the shot you want, you have to move round the table to check it's lined up correctly. This is dead easy, as you can move round the table in both directions. and also move up and down, to view the table from practically any angle. The speed of the picture regeneration as you move round is pretty impressive, and adds greatly to the game's addictiveness. The 3D presentation certainly makes this an excellent game to play, and probably the most accurate simulation of pool we are ever likely to see on the Speccy.

Perhaps because there is so much involved in this simulation, the computer controlled players do take a good while to think about playing even the most straightforward of shots. Waiting while the computer 'hmmmms' about shooting is the most boring aspect of the game. This aside though, the frames don't take long to finish, as once you've grasped the control method, potting the balls is extremely straightforward. But I reckon that once the novelty of the sophisticated presentation has worn off, boredom could set in very fast. Possibly with this in mind, a selection of trick shots and a 'trick shot editor' have been included, which do add to the game, but only as a temporary diversion.

All in all, if you are a fan of pool or snooker, then you won't be disappointed by adding this game to your collection. But I suspect that it's appeal to other games players will be limited.

Kixx
£3.99 cass
021 625 3388
Reviewer: Rich Pelley

3D Pool? Isn't that a flip screen platform and ladders Monty Mole-esque game requiring pixel-perfect jumping, shooting, and manoeuvering in order to out-puzzle each screen in turn?

Nope. That's Rick Dangerous. 3D Pool is in fact a 3D pool game, the '3D' part arriving via the impressively fast shaded monochrome graphics where (in an original feature) the table is rotated and titled around the cue for direction, spin and strength setting purposes, and the 'Pool' from the fact that you can play the computer in a tournament, your friend in two player mode, or when times are lonely, yourself in two-player mode.

And as a 3D pool game, 3D Pool couldn't be much better, the graphics are a treat and the game play instantly accessible, addictive, and enjoyable. It is easy to pot the balls (but not to beat the computer opponents) and you can even design and then play trick shots if you like. The only problem as that the computer has to 'think' for agges before playing even the most straight forward shot. Frustrated? You will be. And then there's the argument that any pool game, 3D or not, will inevitably get doing after a while. But then again there's the argument that for four quid, you couldn't really buy a much better 3D pool game than this. Personally, I'd give my vote for the latter.

Label: Telecomsoft
Author: In-house
Price: £7.95
Memory: 48K/128K
Joystick: various
Reviewer: Jim Douglas

3D Pool is easily the most enjoyable game I've ever seen all month. It's neither graphically excellent, nor full of fast nail-biting action, but it's got playability that outstrips every other game.

There have been a few pool games around in the past, but all have fallen down in various respects. Many had slightly tacky control methods, from the very early simulations that asked what angle you wished to cue the ball, and how hard (a pool shot comprises more than two parameters) up to even relatively "advanced" programs with extendible cues and accurate representations of the table set-up.

Not so here! Although the initial visual representation is pretty poor-the screen is green and black with horrific stripey balls and cross-hatching (about the only graphics system designed specifically not for use on the Spectrum). If you can stand to accustom yourself to this visual nightmare, the game shines through magnificently.

Before we get onto the play itself, I'll explain the peripheral factors. You can play against a friend or an ever-improving succession of computer-controlled players, from people like Cak-handed Kevin to Hustley Harold. You can even set up trick shots to impress the ladies.

The rules of pool are simple. Each player tries to pot all of his balls (either red or yellow/ stripes or spots) and then the black. He mustn't pot the cue ball or his opponent's, or he fouls and gives away two shots.

Onto the game. This is where it becomes clear that the 3D factor of the game is far from a cheap gimmick. It's essential to the control of the shots. You can zoom in and out to get a better look at the table. You can walk around to check out possible shots, and you can stand up or crouch down too. Once you've chosen which ball you want to go for, it's a question of lining up your cue-ball; it always moves directly away from your position. Then you've got to decide which part of the ball to hit; this affects spin and screw - which way the ball bounces and how it behaves after hitting other balls. Finally you determine the strength of the shot. You've to more control in 3D Pool than almost any other sim. It's also a more realistic feel, simply because of the way you view the table.

Once the shot has been set up. tapping ENTER will play it. You can walk around the table all the time to check how successful you have been.

If you're anything other than diametrically opposed to the concept of Pool, this is a definite must-buy, iffy graphics aside. A corker!

Label: Kixx
Memory: 48K/128K
Price: £3.99 Tape
Reviewer: Matthew Denton

Pool is a strange game isn't it? It's usually played by fat bellied, beer swilling blokes who hang around pubs (for more details, ask for ALAN).

Now snooker makes it to the computer screen quite often, but bust my balls if Kixx haven't brought Pool to our humble homes - and in fine style too.

As opposed to the usual plan view of the table, 3-D graphics are used which are the weakest thing about the whole game. The table view con be rotated, flipped, zoomed into, zoomed out of and it all happens so smoothly that you might think you were playing the Amiga version (boo, hiss). Keyboard controls for this are easily mastered as are those for actually striking the cue ball, like changing the power of the shot or adjusting the spin. Sound is sparse but atmospheric, with all the right clunking noises of balls against balls.

The graphics though strange and a little sore on one's eyes do look good. But what about the game itself? It opens with a vast array of options, including the chance to play tournaments, two player and practice games and, best of all, a trick shot mode. This sets up the balls in a certain way, and the idea is to pot all the balls with one snot, like all the flashy snooker stars do to get a round of applause and a fat fee.

You can even set up your own trick shots so that you can impress everyone with your potting prowess (even though it may be only two balls at once).

In tournament mode, the computer opponents are all extremely good and present quite a challenge. The game is also surprisingly addictive and will keep you pottering away at it for ages. Although it won't be to everyone's taste it's worth a shot to anyone with a mild interest in this sort of thing.

GARTH:
Although the graphics seem crude, there's a lot of game here. And it's actually rather playable - especially with the wealth of options that are available. The 3D graphics are far from excellent, but once you've got used to them, you can put your head down and go for it!

Spectrum 48/128 Cassette: £9.95, Diskette: £14.95
Amstrad CPC Cassette: £9.99, Diskette: £14.99
Commodore 64/128 Cassette: £9.99, Diskette: £14.99
Atari ST Diskette: £19.99

A NOVEL APPROACH TO THE PROBLEM OF POO

You could be forgiven for not knowing 'Maltese' Joe Barbara, the current European and UK pool champion, which is probably why his name and face aren't splashed all over the packaging for this, the product he's endorsing.

Not only is everything in isometric 3-D, but you don't move the cue in this game! How so? The ball always goes up the screen towards the centre of the table and it's the table which is rotated so that the cue ball faces the object ball. The table is tilted forward and back to add top or backspin; leftand right-hand sidespin can also be used, and of course shot strength is variable.

A one-player game puts you in the quarter-finals of a tournament, facing Joe in the final; a two-player game is available if you want to involve a friend.

Trick Plays are ball set ups where the cue player attempts to pot all the balls of his colour (there's no opponent) without directly hitting one of the other colour. 3-D Pool allows the set-up of customised or completely original Trick Plays.

After the many plan-view ball-and-cue games, 3-D Pool is a breath of fresh air for budding Hendrys, literally adding a new dimension to computerised pool. The graphics on these formats are neither realistic nor particularly convincing, but the concept of rotating a table, with balls shifting in perspective, makes gameplay intriguing and more interesting than usual billiards games.

If snooker or pool is your sport, you'll definitely want it in your collection. If not, give it a try anyway, as you're likely to be in for a pleasant surprise.