471Luis Reyes3D Pool was first released almost a year ago and was the first 3D billiards experience on mobile phones. At that time 3D was still pretty much a gimmick to capture the attention of would-be mobile gamers yet the game did prove to be a solid pool experience. With Urban Hustle, that experience remains and the game has also been given a new attitude.
3D Pool Urban Hustle drops you into an underground world where tons of cash can be made. As a pool hustler, you travel to three destinations and take on some of the meanest pool sharks around. Each hall will have 10 matches to clear and besides taking on an opponent in an 8 or 9-ball game, the action is mixed up with trick-shot challenges. On top of that, your visit to London will have you playing by U.K. rules.
The matches are tiered and not all will be available at the beginning. You must win and have enough cash to unlock all the matches. Losing against the pool sharks will cost you dearly but you can continue to play trick-shot challenges over and over to gain some money back.
The four modes included are Quick Play, Single Player, Two Player and Practice. Quick Play is trick-shot central where random layouts are set for you to clear. Single Player has you playing as the hustler. Two Player allows you and a friend to take part in UK 8 ball, US 8 ball and US 9 ball competitions while Practice gives you a chance to tune your skills in these same games.
Like the first 3D Pool game, there are three viewpoints from which to play the game. The top-down view will show the entire layout of the table and will allow you to find your direction. Pressing down will switch to an angled 3D view while pressing down a second time will show the game from a table-top perspective. Since the game has received a visual overhaul, it now has better depth and detail than before. The audio has dropped a bit however in the sound effects department, sounding somewhat muffled but it still maintains a strong music theme at start-up.
Still important are the ball physics and Urban Hustle continues to be very solid in that department. Adjusting power to the shot and varying a bit of English will give you different results just as they naturally should. Placing these correctly will come very handy when playing trick-shots.
We played two versions of the game on two different handsets and there was a difference in performance. The Motorola V551 version had a little latency when it came to viewing the shots and hearing sound effects and also wasn’t as highly detailed as the 6620 version. Nevertheless, it still played with full 3D capabilities and provided the same basic experience.
3D Pool Urban Hustle’s Single Player mode adds a new dimension to an already solid game. It gives it more meaning when playing on your own. Those who haven’t tried 3D Pool yet now have a reason to do so and for those who played the original, it’s probably time you upgraded to a fresh experience.