Review: Midnight Pool (Wii)

Gameloft have been strong supporters of the Wii Ware format to date and Midnight is favourably priced at a reasonable 800 points. This reflects the range of options and action at hand, however it still remains a decent purchase and a fun game to pick up and play. Gamestyle should note that a pool option exists in Gameloft’s Midnight Play release for the Nintendo DS, a title that offers several mini-games.

Midnight Pool caters for novices and those familiar with the sport by offering a structured difficulty setting and the different rule sets seen on both sides of the Atlantic. A short text tutorial is also included to help out those new to the cue and the nature of the Wii control method. Initially the control system displayed here disappointed Gamestyle as exclusively using the Wii Remote felt a missed opportunity. By pointing at the screen you can line up shots and pushing forward triggers the amount of power in your strike.

Upon reflection there isn’t much more that could be done given the inaccurate nature of the Wii Remote in such a setting. The range of striking options including spin and angles could never be captured fully, so the developer has correctly seen fit not to attempt such a move. Given the difficulty as you improve as a player, it is vital that you do not miss too many shots or badly judge any rebounds. Therefore you’ll be counting on the D-pad to lineup shots and using the alternate viewpoint that Gameloft have thankfully included. The use of this along with the remote buttons and motion capabilities means Midnight Pool is fun but will not endanger any scenery in your vacinity.

The front end of Midnight Pool feels very much like an early 90’s Sega arcade release with generic characters and minimilist introductions. It even manages to come complete with terrible voice acting and a bland southern rock soundtrack that has Gamestyle throwing its pint towards the jukebox. Thankfully the mute is always near to hand, although it would have been beneficial to allow MP3 playback that would have boosted the bar atmosphere. However as it stands you’ll have to enjoy all the American environments that are spread across the country, where you can take on the best local player.  While beforehand we welcomed the inclusion of the 8-ball UK rules set, it seems bizarre Gameloft did not see fit to incorporate a Red Lion pub or non-North American setting in the limited lineup.

The seven characters are amazingly generic and instantly forgettable, but do not really matter once the game starts. Midnight Pool offers a story mode, which sees you on the road trying to win the championship or an arcade option. Apart from these two offerings, the Challenge mode is your only other consideration. Ultimately for 800 points there is a great deal of enjoyment and satisfaction to be hand for what is simply a fleshed out flash title. This is thanks to the decent opponent AI and implementation of physics that captures the essence of pool and really lets you pick up and play with ease.

The limitations appear when looking at the multi-player optoins that should be provided in such a sports title as Midnight Pool. The lack of an online option is disappointing and surely would have not been too much to ask for, perhaps paying for itself overnight if this game was pitched slightly higher at 1000 points. This is forgiveable but the limited nature of versus mode could have been enhanced with more options. Gamestyle like others would have appreciated the ability to practice alone and try out shots without the worry of throwing a match because of it.

Midnight Pool is a welcome purchase on the Wii Ware system, representing decent value for your Wii points. While it can never hope to be an essential channel on your console, you will find yourself playing it more than you actual realise. With this in mind it is very successful and acheives its aim, without the developer breaking sweat.

Rating: 6 / 10

Words by Jason Julier