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Pool can be a fun time. I’ve enjoyed the tabletop game numerous times in my life, but
not once did I ever play snooker rules, probably because I didn’t know what they were. Ronnie
O’Sullivan’s Snooker taught me those rules, and prompted me to discover the significance
of the Ronnie O’Sullivan name. He’s a pro snooker player, I discovered. Despite
all of his apparent relevance in the snooker world, the game that borrows his name is extremely
average and irrelevant in its PlayStation Mini form. Now, I say it’s irrelevant because
it’s also available on iOS devices, a platform I’ve always believed Minis should also take
advantage of. On Apple’s extremely popular devices, the game is a mere 99 cents, while
on PSP and/or PS3, it racks up a slightly more costly $2.49. The game’s cost alone
doesn’t create a barrier, though. A game like this just seems to work better on a portable
device, but I’m starting to get carried away by my thoughts on the Minis’ baffling
business model. Just allow trophy support for them…
Anyways, the game itself. Developed and published by P1 Sports, Ronnie O’Sullivan’s Snooker
feels like a somewhat rushed and basic game. This is, plain and simple, snooker. The rules
can be kind of confusing, but the game’s features allow someone like me, a self-professed
snooker noob, to play quite easily. The game’s rules follow an alternating color system.
Basically, you have to “pot” a red ball, then a color, then a red…you get it. But
the colors come back until all reds are gone, in which case there appears to be a kind of
arbitrary system that requires a color potting order starting with yellow. I didn’t even
know these rules when I started a quick game, but the on-screen indicators and ability to
switch between legal balls, and dismiss illegal balls that result in points for your opponent,
allowed me to catch on fairly quickly. The angle indicators and more preferable overhead
camera viewpoint also made this process go a lot more smoothly.
Unfortunately, the game surrounding the base gameplay experience isn’t quite as smooth.
The PSP focus most Minis have results in the characteristic loss of resolution quality
once ported to the PS3, and Ronnie O’Sullivan’s Snooker itself lacks any form of music during
gameplay. It’s kind of strange to have ball-on-ball force be the only form of sound coming from
the game. And the portraits, oh the portraits. The few gameplay modes also do little to inspire
more time spent in the music-forsaken gamespace. Beyond the basic quick match, the game features
tournament, practice, and career modes, the latter following O’Sullivan’s key match
moments. Of these, only the career mode seems to be the most unique, providing an interactive
experience for the pro snooker player’s fans.
Those fans are obviously part of the demographic this game is reaching for. Despite its strange
presentational issues, Ronnie O’Sullivan’s Snooker can be a fun experience for a follower
of the…sport. Just don’t get it on PS3. Unless you don’t have an iPhone and REALLY
need Ronnie O’Sullivan’s Snooker.