Review: Bankshot Billiards 2 (XBLA)

Bankshot Billiards 2 offers a variety of international pool game variations and trick shot mini games. Each shot can be set with power, spin, and cue angle like most snooker and pool simulations. The controls are fairly intuitive with the Right Trigger used to provide precision movement to the power, spin and angle.

The core pool game has pretty realistic physics although the cushion bounce variation (due to power) does seem a little exaggerated. You are limited to 3 views: top-down, behind and follow, but these function fine and you'll probably find yourself using the top-down the most, particularly on the trickshots and golf. There are three levels of player assistance so a complete pool novice should be able to pick-up and play.

The trick shots and golf provide the main puzzle element and challenge in the game. The trick shots allow you to see an example of the shot (pressing Back button) but the Golf requires you to puzzle out the best shot to get the balls down in under par. Both these games types will require you to master the spin, and angle shots.

The graphics are fine, with some nice light sourcing on the balls. The music, although limited, and sound effects are also appropriate and don't annoy you too much.

At 1200M$ this is one of the more expensive XBLA games, but it does offer quite good value considering the variety and number of game types and there are no "additional" packs to download so you get the whole game for 1200 (*edit* now 800M$).

Overall, Bankshot Billiards 2 is a solid XBLA game, proving a nice little diversion, and is better than most of the poor retro conversions currently available.

7/10