A quick search of the iTunes App Store will confirm pool as one of the most popular table sports out there and so to making a pool game which is successful on the iPhone/iPod Touch is going to be quite a challenge.

MicroPool is a sophisticated pool simulator.
The winner of ‘UIQ Open 2008′ contest has now arrived on iPhone.
The key strength of Micropool are great atmposphere, realistic graphics and sounds.

What is clear from the start is that the game captures the realism of the game itself. The table colors look great, but only in a top down view, and the sounds are pitch perfect as the balls crack together and bounce off of the rails, it’s as if you are in a pool hall, just without the atmosphere.

And it’s that atmosphere that the game is missing. As previously mentioned the view of the tables are top-down only so there are no location graphics to set the atmosphere of the pool hall and with no ambient sound either the game can feel somewhat clinical which playing pool is anything but that.

Having said that the physics of the game feel great and the controls are simple too. Drag your finger across the screen to aim, set the spin and the pull the queue on the si

de of the screen to set the power and pocket the ball. There’s an aim line to help you out as well which can be set to either a short, medium or long and you can also set the computer skill level on a sliding scale.

While you can choose to play the game in either US 8 Ball, 9 Ball, Killer or Speed varieties the fact that MicroPool only accommodates single or two player on a single iPhone/iPod Touch, there’s no online or local wi-fi multi-player, is a real dissapointment.

As a single player game for those wanting a quick game of pool on the go MicroPool is great, unfortunately the lack of bells and whistles limits this good looking pool game from climbing the heights of the app store.

Price $1.99

The Good

• Great graphics
• Great pool dynamics
• Great sound

The Not So Good

• No local/online multi-player
• Single view only

Reviewed By: Craig Willis

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MicroPool Gameplay Video

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