Game reviews: Steve Davis Pool Star and Ronnie O'Sullivan Snooker - iPhone / iPod Touch

Here are two recent releases, both from I-play, endorsed by legends of the baize Steve Davis and Ronnie O’Sullivan.

Pool Star Online with Steve Davis

I remember Steve Davis Snooker fondly from my Spectrum days many moons ago, so I thought I’d be on to a good thing with this ‘interesting’ new title.

The endorsement from Davis, who has proven himself every bit as skilled at pool as he is at snooker, has paid off again with Pool Star being my favourite pool game out of several I’ve so far tried from the App Store.

What gives Pool Star an edge are its fantastic graphics and spot-on physics.

This looks and feels like a real game of pool, just without the dodgy cue tips down the pub and people bumping your elbow as you’re about to play a killer shot.

The scale of the balls on the table, the way the balls move around and connect with one another, the bouncing of balls off the cushions, the way the balls land in the pockets – everything feels well designed and the game is very enjoyable as a result.

As with real pool, becoming a successful player will take time but the mechanics of the game are easy to master.

Playing a shot is very simple. To aim, you just move your finger left or right across the screen. Moving your finger up or down changes the view (hitting the camera icon provides a top-down view while double tapping the screen gives a free view).

Touch the cue ball icon and move the dot around to choose spin, then move the cue up or down to select power. Hit the shot button and you’re done.

The game plays very realistically so if you mess your angles up you probably won’t make the pot or get good table position. For novices though, just as in real pool, there is still always the chance that a hit-and-hope shot will result in a fluky pot.

One slight criticism of the game’s controls is that it’s too easy to move the camera view up or down at the same time as you line up a shot, which can be distracting. With the current set-up it’s hard to move the screen horizontally without some slight vertical movement.

Perhaps splitting the screen in two (top half for changing view, bottom half for aiming) would make the controls a little less fiddly. Or maybe one finger on the screen for aiming, two for changing the view.

The longevity of Pool Star shouldn’t be a problem. The game offers four different pool formats plus trick shot mode. You can play a quick match as yourself against a computer opponent, while there are also three tournaments to compete in against stars of the pool world. Plus you can play other people in wi-fi or online multiplayer modes.

Overall, a very solid and likeable game which pockets the title of best pool sim in the App Store.

Verdict: 8.5 out of 10

Ronnie O’Sullivan Snooker

This could easily have been merged with Pool Star into a combined pool and snooker package because the controls and in-game mechanics are basically the same in both titles.

Graphics too are of the same high standard in this as in Pool Star. There are some very nice details to the tables and balls, and everything looks realistic. Like its pool counterpart, the physics are very well done as well. The way the balls move around looks very natural.

The main difference between the two games, other than one being pool and the other snooker, is the amount of freedom you are given.

In his game Steve Davis is only on the periphery and you are left to your own devices to play the game how you want to.

Conversely in his, Ronnie O’Sullivan is a constant presence.

This works well in the main career mode where it feels natural to be playing as Ronnie through stages of his own eventful career.

You’re put into the middle of memorable matches from Ronnie’s teenage years through to World Championship finals. The task in each stage is to recreate Ronnie’s victory.

Where the being Ronnie concept doesn’t work so well is in the other modes within the game.

For instance, in quick match mode you have to play as Ronnie rather than create your own player. Your opponent in all the quick matches is ... wait for it ... Ronnie too. The only choice is which of the six Ronnies you play against, from a seven-year-old supposedly easy to beat Ronnie to a 30-year-old expert Ronnie.

I know it’s named after him, but there really is just a bit too much Ronnie in the game.

Other modes are practice and multiplayer (take turns, wifi or internet – though I’ve yet to find anyone to play against online). There is slightly less Ronnie in these other modes but you still see plenty of him, including encouraging messages in which he calls you ‘mate’ all the time.

A couple of other little annoyances hold this game back.

Firstly, exiting to the main menu midway through a frame loses your progress. It seems the only way to save a session is to hit the home button on your device, though the game doesn’t tell you this.

Secondly, the sound effects aren’t as crisp as they could be. Additionally, the audio doesn’t always seem completely synced with what’s happening on the table.

From a graphics and physics point of view this is the best snooker game currently in the App Store. It provides an entertaining simulation of the sport. It just needs a bit of extra work away from the table for it to be the finished article.

Verdict: 7 out of 10