Party Island Pool: 2 in 1

Are you tired of going down to the pub and waiting for someone to hop off the pool table and then having wait longer for someone to be up for a game of pool? Well if you are then you can have the fun and excitement that playing pool offers without leaving the comfort of your armchair or bed (wherever it is you happen to enjoy playing on your mobile phone).

With Party Island Pool: 2 in 1, you can demonstrate your pool mastery against fun characters. Whether classic 8-ball is your thing or 9-ball is your preference, you have both games on this fantastic little number. This top-down style game is very quickly able to make you quite comfortable with its simple controls. Left/Right moves the angle you hit the white ball, press * and you will be given the spin option for the more advanced players and of course press 5 or OK button to start taking the shot and again to hit the ball when you’ve gauged the correct power.

If this wasn’t quite simple enough for you, there is the tracing line to show the direction the cue ball will take up to and just after impact with another ball. Also as it’s not always easy to spot the right balls (spot/stripe or number – depending on whether you’re playing 8 or 9-ball pool), the target ball glows to help prevent you making an inadvertent foul!

One thing you will not see in any pub or pool-hall is the variety of tables that this game offers. You start off with the traditional rectangular shaped table with six pockets, then square table with four pockets and covered in grass (which effects the pace of the balls as they travel), a metal circular table with four holes, an oval shaped table with four holes, an L shaped wooden table with five pockets, an X shaped marble table with powerful cushions which seem to make the balls ricochet quite uncontrollably and a diamond shaped table with only two pockets. If this didn’t give you enough variety then in the career mode you can indeed practice two trick-shots on each and the opponent bring in obstacles which add another layer of whacky and unpredictable play. Fans, turntables and bells which mean a game behaves more like a pinball machine than a traditional match.

As pool is a sociable game, the makers of this game haven’t forgotten this fact and have introduced a social side to it. Not only do you get to pick your character either a guy in shorts (if a male) or a beach-bunny bikini clad girl (if female). The points you pick up by playing games allows you to purchase your outfits to dress your character in. Not only do points mean you can look however you want but also give you access to VIP lounges and interact with other characters. The only nag I have with this is it keeps insisting to upload your character and points remotely on their server – which means it could get quite expensive to do this due to the data charges of your mobile contract if you’re not careful!

Overall this is a great fun pool game which is great play and every time is different.

Rating 92%

Positives

Great controls

Very pretty looking

Interactive elements to chat with other party peeps online

Addictive and can improve your character’s looks etc

Negatives

Keeps insisting to go online at moments – which isn’t desired if all you want to do is play