If you're ever looking for me on a Saturday night, there's a good chance you'll find me cruising the tables of my local pool hall. Now it's not just Saturdays that I'll be chalking up since I became acquainted with the wonders of Pool Challenge.
The game represents one of the most realistic mobile simulations of the game I've ever seen. In fact it's as smartly turned-out as even the most well-kept baizes of the World Championships. From the opening video montage through to the pixel-perfect ball shadows and intelligent physics, you'll be blown away by the visuals of this one.
Luckily, Pool Challenge is good fun to play, too. The Pocket PC version turns your stylus into a miniature pool cue which controls both the angle and the power of each shot. At first this control system is a little tricky to get used to such is its sensitivity, and I was forever over-hitting shots or even hitting the ball when I didn't want to.
There are two game modes to choose from: 8-ball or 9-ball pool, and you can plump for one or two-player options. There are quite a few game settings to tinker with as well, such as CPU opponent difficulty, table friction, and music volume. The latter of these is most welcome, since the in-game soundtrack is soundtrack is pretty unbearable.
If you're potty about potting then you certainly won't be disappointed by Pool Challenge.
