Let's Play: World Snooker 2004

By Sanjeev Sheety

Ah, snooker as a computer game. It's moved on quite a bit since early versions on the ZX Spectrum ("Tension is mounting", the machine used to croak).

This game, by Codemasters, offers plenty of options, from tournament play, single matches or even a spot of pool.

WORLD SNOOKER 2004 Format: Playstation 2, Xbox Price: £39.99 Publisher: Codemasters/Xbox Genre: Snooker/Pool

And there is a whole range of players to take on, including Rocket Ronnie and Mark Williams.

There is also the chance to go back in history and join classic matches at crucial moments. Those old enough will be delighted to see Steve Davis' classic final frame duel with Dennis Taylor.

The graphics are OK - I mean how hard is it to draw green baize? - while the players slightly resemble their real-life incarnations.

And the commentary is funny - John Virgo's cheeky charm working as well as it used to on Big Break.

The controls are straightforward and it is one of those games which is very easy to get started on.

But is it any good, I hear you ask?

This game seemed to go in three stages for me.

Stage one, and I was loving every second of it on beginner mode, where the aiming tool allows you to get stuck in straight away and compile breaks of 30 or more with little problem.

Stage two was slightly less satisfying, as the aiming tool became slightly less friendly and I was lucky enough to make a break of 20.

And stage three - well you know where I am going with this.

VERDICT Graphics: 80% Playability: 70% Sound: 75% Lastability: 70% Overall: 77%

That summary may seem slightly simplistic, but a game like snooker, which at best is a niche sport, needs to work much harder to pull the punters in than say a football game.

It may have been an idea to have given the aiming tool the same weight at every stage and put the emphasis on the opponents.

By not doing that, the game is likely to have more of an appeal to the hardcore devotees than your average PlayStation fan.

All in all, there is plenty about this game to recommend. It is just that its flaws may be too hard to get past.