Jimmy White’s Cueball is on the GameBoy and it has instantly earned the right to be called one of the best pool simulations on the handheld. But, pool is the only game covered in this title, in addition to 8 and 9 ball rule variations, Cueball also plays an excellent game of snooker. If cue sports rule your spare time then Jimmy White’s Cueball will always be happy to give you a quick game.
The first thing a portable pool game has to get right is the ball physics. What point would there be playing if the balls didn’t act as they would in the real world? The balls in Cueball move realistic and respond as they should. For example if you put deep left screw on a shot and it screws back and hits the cushion it will bounce to the right. Putting left or right hand side on the cue ball changes the potting angle and the angle the ball takes off the cushion. You can use different combinations of top, side, draw and shot power to place the cueball practically anywhere on the table. This is where your positional game comes from. You make the next shot as easy for yourself as possible.
The control method works well considering the limited display capabilities of the Game Boy Color. You have two different levels of zoom that you change between using the select key. You also have a shot indicator that can be moved around the table. You must determine the correct angle for the cueball to hit the object ball to knock it in. A good way to line up your shot is to imagine a straight line from the pocket to the object ball and then visualise another ball just after the object ball. You then aim for the middle of the ball you just imagined, place spin on the cue ball ( if required ) and then go for your life.
Jimmy White’s Cueball is best played with a friend in the two-player mode, but is still great in the single player mode. Overall, a well developed title.