Pixelbit Snooker and Pool is an Xbox Live Indie Game that was released on January 10, 2011 for 240 Microsoft Points.   It’s Pixelbit’s first offering and it doesn’t include avatars!  But how does the game fair as a pool simulator?  How does it stand up on it own?  How does it compare to other similar titles?  Find out after the jump.  Before getting into the review, let’s just say that this game is a nice throw back to the days of Virtual Pool for the PC.  While playing it’s easy to see the the influences of Virtual Pool throughout the game.

A little extra help if you need it!

So here’s what we liked:

Strong controls – its not hard to see the developer spent the proper time to get the controls correct.   They clearly wanted to make sure that players had all the same control over shots they would in real life.   Want to add a little English to the cue ball?   Simple.  The ball can even masse like the best of them when necessary.  Just about every detail was added to how the cue ball is struck.  Also for those of us that have a hard time lining up the shots, he added a little aim guide that can be turned off and on to help you out.

Visuals – Pixelbit Snooker & Pool has graphics on par with more indie titles out there but that is not what warms up this game so much.  It’s the simplicity of the graphics that make this title enjoyable.   The details on the table and the cue are very well done, and there are some nice touches with the lighting effects.   While some people might raise issue with is the lack of back ground, it removes the distractions of keeps the player’s eyes focused on the table.

UK Rules 8-Ball

Game modes –  The game offers the usual 8-ball and 9-ball game modes, but also offers up 8-ball with UK rules, which are different from the US rules.  Also available is Snooker.  What’s really nice is the game can teach players the rules of Snooker if they don’t know them.

How about a game of Snooker?

Here’s what we didn’t like:

Lack of online multiplayer –  Who doesn’t like going out and playing pool with some friends?  So why can’t isn’t that offered over Xbox Live?  Sure, a game can’t reproduce the weird strains on the table and the smell of stale cigarettes, but sometimes friends are no longer close to home and can’t get together to go to the pool hall.

All and all being a fan of Virtual Pool, the title is well worth the price of admission, though it might not be for everyone.  Those who love the game will easily be hooked, others may want to spend some time with the trial version before deciding.

Score:  Try It!