''Midnight Pool'' is a

sports Sport is a physical activity or game, often competitive and organized, that maintains or improves physical ability and skills. Sport may provide enjoyment to participants and entertainment to spectators. The number of participants in ...

simulation A simulation is an imitative representation of a process or system that could exist in the real world. In this broad sense, simulation can often be used interchangeably with model. Sometimes a clear distinction between the two terms is made, in ...

video game A video game or computer game is an electronic game that involves interaction with a user interface or input device (such as a joystick, game controller, controller, computer keyboard, keyboard, or motion sensing device) to generate visual fe ...

by Gameloft Montreal. The

pool Pool may refer to: Bodies of water * Swimming pool, usually an artificial structure containing a large body of water intended for swimming * Reflecting pool, a shallow pool designed to reflect a structure and its surroundings * Tide pool, a roc ...

(pocket billiards)

simulator A simulation is an imitative representation of a process or system that could exist in the real world. In this broad sense, simulation can often be used interchangeably with model. Sometimes a clear distinction between the two terms is made, in ...

was originally released for

mobile phone A mobile phone or cell phone is a portable telephone that allows users to make and receive calls over a radio frequency link while moving within a designated telephone service area, unlike fixed-location phones ( landline phones). This rad ...

s. Versions with enhanced graphics were later released for

Windows Windows is a Product lining, product line of Proprietary software, proprietary graphical user interface, graphical operating systems developed and marketed by Microsoft. It is grouped into families and subfamilies that cater to particular sec ...

WiiWare WiiWare was a digital media entertainment service operated by Nintendo that allowed the download of games and applications developed for the Wii video game console. These games and applications could only be purchased and downloaded from the W ...

, and

iOS Ios, Io or Nio (, ; ; locally Nios, Νιός) is a Greek island in the Cyclades group in the Aegean Sea. Ios is a hilly island with cliffs down to the sea on most sides. It is situated halfway between Naxos and Santorini. It is about long an ...

and under the name ''Midnight Pool 3D'' for phones and the

N-Gage The N-Gage is a mobile device combining features of a cellular phone and a handheld game system developed by Nokia, released on 7 October 2003. Officially nicknamed the ''game deck'', the N-Gage's phone works on the GSM cellular network, and s ...

platform. It is part of Gameloft's ''Midnight'' series, which includes ''

Midnight Bowling ''Midnight Bowling'' is a bowling video game by Gameloft originally released for mobile phones. A version with enhanced graphics was also released for WiiWare, and under the name ''Midnight Bowling 3D'' for phones. It is part of Gameloft's ''Midn ...

'', ''Midnight Casino'' and ''Midnight Hold'em Poker''. A sequel, ''Midnight Pool 2'', was also later released for mobile devices.

Gameplay

''Midnight Pool'' features a story mode, a quick pick-up game arcade mode, a Challenge mode that revolves around sinking trick shots and offline multiplayer. There are three different variations of pool included in the game: 8-ball US rules, 8-ball UK rules and

9-ball Nine-ball (sometimes written 9-ball) is a discipline of the cue sport pool. The game's origins are traceable to the 1920s in the United States. It is played on a rectangular billiard table with at each of the four corners and in the middle of e ...

, each available in all modes of play, including multiplayer. The player chooses from a number of characters to compete as. The game starts with only a handful of characters available to choose from, with additional characters unlocked as the player progresses through the story mode. Additionally, players can also unlock new pool tables and cue colors. The game also features several different bars to play in, each with different challenges to take on.

Control

On the Wii, the game is controlled using the

Wii Remote The Wii Remote, colloquially known as the Wiimote, is the primary game controller for Nintendo's Wii home video game console. An essential capability of the Wii Remote is its motion sensing capability, which allows the user to interact with an ...

. Players aim their shot using either the pointer function of the Remote or the D-pad, with players miming the motion of a cue stick to hit the ball. Players can also pinpoint the precise point on their cue ball they will strike with their cue stick to add spin and to pull off trick shots.

Reception

WiiWare World rated the WiiWare version an 8/10, calling it a "pretty-looking, fully featured ndchallenging pool simulator" with much more depth than '' Wii Play Pool''.

Official Nintendo Magazine ''Official Nintendo Magazine'', or ''ONM'', was a British Video game journalism, video game magazine that ran from 2006 to 2014 that covered the Nintendo DS, Nintendo 3DS, Wii, and Wii U video game consoles released by Nintendo. Originally p ...

gave the game 74%, commenting that it controls well, there is a nice selection of spin and that the game is great fun in multiplayer. However they did mark it down for the single player being too limited and a lack of online multiplayer.

IGN ''IGN'' is an American video gaming and entertainment media website operated by IGN Entertainment Inc., a subsidiary of Ziff Davis, Inc. The company's headquarters is located in San Francisco's SoMa district and is headed by its former e ...

gave the game 7/10, believing that the character designs were horrendous and that the voice overs were unbearable. They did praise the gameplay however, calling it an easy buy for fans of the sport.IGN Review
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References

{{reflist

External links

Gameloft ''Midnight Pool'' WiiWare site
2005 video games Cue sports video games Gameloft games IOS games Multiplayer and single-player video games N-Gage service games Video games developed in Canada WiiWare games Windows games