The several options that you have to get to the pool table are: practicing pool by yourself, playing against the computer, playing against a friend, or starting a new pool adventure. The other choice to get familiar with the game is to watch a demo pool game.
The options that you can set before playing a game are: ball numbers, aiming angles, auto aim after shots, and lag for a break. The ball numbers can be turned on or off; turning it on is especially useful in games such as Nine Ball, Ten Ball, and Rotation. The numbers turn off automatically after aiming. The second option that can be set is the aiming lines. They show where the cue ball is going to go and the affects of this movement on the other balls. The auto aim option allows you to return to the overhead view after the balls stop rolling; if you turn it off then you will remain with a 3D View, until you select. Lag for a break should be turned on if you want to compete with your opponent for a break.
The audio portion of the game should not be left out and is quite good. You have options for setting the sound effects, voices, spectators, menu music and music during the game. Menu music is for hearing cinematic music accompanying the adventure game. Music in Pool Games is for playing music from the "jukebox" during games. Sound effects which I have enjoyed hearing give you the sounds of ball collisions, balls falling, into pockets, and cue chalking. Voices gives you the opportunity to communicate with your opponents; they say what they want and after hearing their statement you click on a box to either accept the challenge or change it.
The following games can be played in the Pool Champion: Eight Ball, Nine Ball, Ten ball,Fifteen ball, 14.1 Continuous, and Rotation. I only know how to play Eight Ball, so that is the one game that I offered my opponents to play. Even if you do not how to play the other games, you have the rules in the manual which teaches how to play all of them.
Where are you going to play all these games? Thanks to Mindscape for realizing the fact that one particular place is not enough to play all these games all day long, so what have they done... they have put in many totally different locations to which you can go and play pool. The places are: Basement of your house, Bar & Grill, Chopper Club, Pool Hall, Las Vegas, and Tournament. The fun thing about changing your location is that you do not get bored by the same old table and you get to meet with new pool players. For example, in the Basement you can play against Uncle Charlie, a blonde girl, an Indian man, and a stupid boy. If you go to the Chopper Club then you get the fat guys who like to drink beer all the time. So, the point is, changing locations adds much excitement to the game.
The other fabulous thing about the game is having an adventure by playing pool. The producers call it The Great American Pool Adventure. The options that you have related to pool adventure are starting a new adventure and loading an adventure. If you choose to start a new pool adventure you start playing with your good old Uncle Charlie who claims that he has tought you how to play pool by saying: "Let's see if my best student can beat me!". You start off with Uncle Charlie and if you are really professional, you end up in Las Vegas playing against other professionals. You start off with about $50 and in order to get to Las Vegas you must have $200. The only way to get the money is by playing pool and winning! Besides playing pool is useful for you because the more you play the better you become. You start off with an accuracy level of 70% and this increases as the number of matches that you have played increase. You can view your statistical position at any time during the game. This will give you a good idea about how you are doing.
Mindscape,
88 Rowland Way,
Novato, CA 94945.
Technical Support: 415-897-9900
Fax: 415-897-2747
In Europe:
In UK:
Mindscape,
Priority House,
Charles Avenue, Maltings Park,
Burgess Hill, West Sussex RH15 9TQ.
Technical Support: +44-(0)1444-239600
Fax: +44-(0)1444-248996
In France:
Mindscape France,
74D Rue de Paris,
36069 Rennes Cedex.
Technical Support: +33-9987-5887
Fax: +33-9987-5888
In Germany:
Mindscape Germany,
Zeppelinstrasse 321,
45470 Muelheim A.D. Ruhr.
Technical Support: +49-208-9924100
Fax: +49-208-9924129
Overall: 81%
