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World Championship Snooker 2004 Review
Derek dela Fuente
22/07/2004
Our Snooker expert checks out the latest addition from Codemasters...
Snooker is a game that you either love or loathe and for those into playing this game the nuances and skills required are endless. We have seen a number of great Snooker games over the years but many who play them will agree that we reached a kind of plateau a few years back and so the subsequent releases have not really advanced the genre. Some may look prettier but thatâs about all. That is not to say most have not been brilliant, or of the highest quality. No, it is more about there being nothing really stunning in recent releases that has marked them out as genre busters. There comes a time when technical innovations canât mask the fact that the design and concept of the game is so simple that apart from loads of cosmetic presentational effects, you canât really add anything more. After the focus on the celebrities we hope it is back to the game itself!
If you analyse what Snooker (and Pool) is about when playing on the green baize you are talking about recreating physics along with hand to eye coordination but the biggest imponderable are the players themselves. If you have played snooker in real life you will know that getting a break of over 10 is a master feat so why should you expect to do any better in a simulation like Snooker 2004. Fact is gamers expect to breeze into the game, make huge breaks and become a master within hours, let alone days. There is a strong synergy between the vidoegamer and playing the game for real â“ the skill sets are similar. The recipe for success is to think 2 or 3 moves ahead and that is one of the most difficult aspects of Snooker. If you can do that â“ think each move ahead, ensure the balls are in the positions you anticipated each time - then you would be an excellent player.
Before we digress too much, Codemasterâs game has a number of bonuses in the guise of a coaching section where single spotting to advanced play, and the above mentioned technique of positional play, can be learnt. Shot by shot expect advice is given by Dennis Taylor and this section is superb and will help you familiarise yourself not only with the table but the rules of the game.
As you would expect the customising features are extensive from setting up your own match with one or two players for a serious match to a custom tournament with up to 15 friends or CPU players. You also have frames, locations, tables and loads more features that can be adjusted! âCreating your playerâ is worth checking out throughout a tournament as you save and see the advancements you are making. If you are in for the long stint then a long match and a championship would be the ideal selection.
Now what game on baize, even though this is billed as Snooker 2004, would be complete without the Pool options, which will be more familiar to âclubers and pubersâ. Although pool requires slightly less skill, the quickness of the outcome/ results, may well appeal to gamers that like lots of little quick fixes. A multitude of variants on this theme are offered, along with a number of bonus games â“ like against the clock, where each player has a set amount of time in which to play their game. Other nice options also include online player (a big bonus if you are an online fan) and even visiting the playerâs lounge to check out snooker paraphernalia should not be overlooked. To add also, the fact that all the big names make it into World Championship Snooker 2004, including the most successful player of all time, Stephen Hendry, plus Mark Williams, Steve Davis, Ken Doherty, John Higgins, Tony Drago, and more. Really you could not ask for more!
Of course the focus must be on the big table and the main event and the pure mechanics and feel of the game is sheer class. Many ideas and elements are almost standard practice now from the cameras and viewing angle to the manipulation with your cue.
When playing, the environment, setting and ambience come over well with monotone and caustic commentary and crowd noise. To the real aficionados (PC Gamers) it may well not quite reach the heights of Archer Maclean's recent renditions in terms of atmosphere but the pure physical aspects of the controls â“ potting a ball and lining up a shot is on a par with anything we have seen.
The basics of lining up the shot (helped by an aiming line) and the ease to find the right camera view, alignment is straightforward. Adjusting the power and execution is also intuitive. It is the many small touches, learning how hard to hit the cue ball, how to ricochet off the side cushion or another ball, or understanding how spin works and how to hit a coloured ball so it does not roll back is what being a good snooker player is all about. Needless to say World Snooker presents you the tools and elements to achieve success and it is in the material of the joypad controls which is the central focus.
There were a few gripes we could pick out - like the not being able to zoom in on a ball from a long shot to see both balls at the same time if they are at opposite ends of the table. That aside the slickness of the camera angles and with every possible vantage point as a player, you could not ask for much more.
The actual ball mechanics and physics from the shots we undertook give the impression of being nigh on perfect but we must say that the âaiming aidâ is exactly what it implies. There are certain instances where you just feel intuitively that you can pot a ball where the âaimâ may not be 100% on the pocket. Trust your instinctsâ¦â¦..
The overall intelligence of the game and players to give you a good old challenge, we are told, is refined from previous versions and after a few games we felt that nobody was cheating. It is always hard to gauge how good a challenge you are offered. It really depends on how competent you are!
lil kidd
Date Added:Fri 29th Aug 2008 13:27