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MAXIMUM POOL
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Possibly the best billiards sim ever
By WILLIAM BARKER
There's nothing quite like going
down to the local pool hall for a few games, some classic banter between
mates and maybe a bag of corn chips. Sure, sometimes it can turn from
a friendly game in to a rather gruelling and bloody fist fight, but it's
all in the name of fun.
Just because two
grown men can't agree on which is more powerful: Jigglypuff or Psyduck.
See what Pokemon does? That's a warning kids - stray to the dark side
and you become very single-minded.
Back to the review and Maximum Pool (Max Pool) from Sierra is quite the
surprise package. On the whole, pool games are generally quite good fun.
There are two aspects that can, however, bring these billiard games down.
Firstly, a shoddy game engine. If the physics aren't realistic, then you
have a problem. Secondly, if there's only one table and not much else,
things can get stale very quickly.
Luckily for Max Pool, it manages to dodge both these downfalls. The physics
are exceptionally accurate. The way you can put spin on the balls, aim
for simple pocket shots, trick shots or even rebound shots is impressive
and reacts like it would in real life.
The controls have a good feel too. Sierra has found a nice balance between
intuitiveness and enjoyment. This in turn makes the game simple to pick
up yet devilishly hard when pushed to its limits. To hit the ball you
simply slide the large cue icon on the right-hand side of the screen to
the desired power and let go. Right click anywhere on the table and the
view changes accordingly. The coding is tight and the gameplay always
fresh.
Adding to the variety of Max Pool are a number of modes, namely online
play. All you need is a typical modem and an Internet connection and away
you go. It's good fun too; the only thing missing are the virtual bar
fights. Maybe next time.
Other extra features include all the common games you could wish for plus
some more, unorthodox methods of play. These involve bizarro rules and
outlandish pool tables shaped like giant Xs, Ts and even a massive dodecahedron
with only four pockets. The fun here is unlimited and some of the new
rule sets are dangerously addictive.
On the audio/visual side of the table, Max Pool doesn't do too badly at
all. The 3D balls move around with a fluidity rivaled only by real-life
(how many fps second is that?). The balls move around the table as you
would expect them to and only every now and then did the game stutter
or miss a few frames on our 550Mhz system. The tables themselves also
have good detail with little carving on the wood and such adding to the
package as a whole.
Maximum Pool is plenty of fun, no doubt about that. There's plenty of
variety and the online play is out of sight. Overall, this title is one
the best pool games ever released. The only thing lacking is the 3D bar
fight generator and deadly pool cue design tool.
ORIGINALITY 90%
SOUND/GRAPHICS 80%
PLAYABILITY 75%
ADDICTION 75%
ENJOYMENT 90%
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