Zeppelin
£3.99 cassette
091 385 7757
Reviewer: Linda Barker

Computer snooker, and pool, fill a gap in my life. Y'see, I cannot hold a cue. I've tried, but I just can't do it. The last time I did it I made a very tiny hole in the baize. It was hardly anything but my brother refused to let me have another go. If only baize was less expensive. I could be a really cool snooker player by now. Probably.

Even though I really enjoy snooker, and pool, I'm even going to pretend I understand how they work. Instead, I'm going to curl up for a bit and have a good old read of the inlay. (A few minutes later.) Hmm, well you should always pot the red balls first and then all the coloured balls in a certain order, oh - and you have to hit the ball you're to otherwise it counts as a foul shot and the other player gets tonnes of points. I have now imparted to you the entire contents of the very small section of my brain labelled 'snooker'. On with the review...

SCREW BACK FOR THE BLACK

I think we should get the gripes over with first, then we can finish on a high note and all feel really happy. This is always a good thing. It's the same principle with desserts. Despite what you may think when you're younger, it's not a good idea to eat your apple crumble and custard first. It just make the pie and mash seem even more unexciting. (A surefire way to get round this is by only eating dessert.) Anyway, there's only really one thing wrong with Championship 3D Snooker and that's the 3D bit. Honestly, shading a few balls doth not a multi-dimensional viewpoint make. At times it is very hard to make out what's going on. and the attempted 3D only makes matters worse. As you play C3DS your eyes gradually adjust to the fuzzy 3D and you can actually pretend it isn't there.

Championship (3D) Snooker is perfectly playable. there are all the usual difficulty levels, leagues and league tournaments. At the lowest level, which is about all I'm fit for, the computer really is a duff player. But don't let this fool you because, as you move on up, the old Speccy can pull off some blimmin' fancy shots. Mind you, with a bit of practice I'm sure I could spin the white ball off the back cushion so that it swerves unbelievably and knocks the red into the furthest pocket. Honest.

CUE, AIM, FIRE!

So, Zeppelin would have been much better to stick with good old two-dimensional flatness, but then I suppose there would have been absolutely nothing new about this game to make us all rush out and buy it. Gripe over, the best thing about C3DS, to finish on that aforementioned high note, is the fact that up to eight people can play. Yep, I said eight! So the next time a hard rain starts to fall and you don't feel like writing that page and a half on why you had such a great summer holiday, just get on the phone. Call your mates, raid the fridge and get them all round for a quick game. It's better than a kick in the eye.

Label: Zeppelin
Memory: 48K/128K
Price: £3.99 Tape
Reviewer: Steve Keen

A deathly silence descended on the audience as the long haired one approached the table. Only the black remained, if he could just manage to sink this one he'll become the SU Towers champion receive a 50p luncheon voucher as reward. He winds up hit cue arm and lets rip. Oh no, he's spooned it off the table and into someone's lap!

Think you can do better? Go for it. 3D Snooker is a simulation of this famous sport, well known for its balls, pockets and dickie bows. It looks extremely similar to 3D Pool which appeared a couple months ago but is hardly surprising considering they're both by Zeppelin and they're both green baize table based games. The similarity is no accident - 3D Pool was a stonkingly good game.

To be honest the only real differences I see between pool and snooker are that pool is faster to play and far more simple. But then snooker with its strategy elements can be a far more involving game and, in the long run, more fun to play.

Like 3D Pool, one of the most obvious plus points of 3D Snooker is its colourful and easy to follow combination of two different camera angles, one overhead and one 3D, making shots easy to aim and beautiful to look at. But there are plenty of other features to enjoy too including two player modes, slow action replays and full tournaments.

The obvious first choice is a standard one player game, which can be tricky - the computer is no slouch, but far more possibilities can be entered into in the form of two player games and 8 player tournaments. Two player games can become surprisingly competitive and very intense, as you and some pals battle it out for the title of King Of The Cues. Play is fast and accurate so there shouldn't be too much argument about spawny shots.

Graphically 3D Snooker is very simple but then that makes sense. No memory has been wasted on commentators and crowd scenes. What is there ie. the table and balls are really colourful and nicely done. Animation is good too and the balls fly around the table quickly and smooth as you like. There's no real sound other than the odd chink of balls here and there, but then that's all that's needed.

Playability wise this game is great. Ball control is really well weighted and the computer can be a pretty challenging opponent provided you put it on a respectable difficulty level. Combine this with two player and tournament options and you have a winner.

There have been plenty of pool and snooker sims over the years and I'm glad to say that this one joins the ranks of the genre's immortals.

ED LAWRENCE:
I personally prefer pool to snooker, it's much faster and not nearly as technical. But there's nothing at all complicated about 3D Snooker - very simple. There's plenty of lasting challenge via the two player mode and the massive 8 player tournament. Definitely one of the best snooker sims available at this stage.