Look, ma--No hands!

World Championship Pool 2009 may be light on trappings such as player animations and environments, but the accurate physics and tight controls make this one of most challenging and accurate billiards games on the iPhone platform. That's not to say that WCP 2009 lacks anything in presentation, though. The 3D tables, free-roaming camera, and lighting effects provide some visual splendor even if the static tournament-style backgrounds don't exactly pop.

What WCP 2009 lacks in visual flair it makes up with gameplay. You choose your basic style of play--either 9-ball, or U.S.- or U.K.-style 8-ball--then compete in the a career mode, single matches, or a trick-shot arcade setting. You'll jockey a disembodied pool cue using touch controls that are just sensitive enough  to aim your shot, adjust English on the ball, and then drag back the pool cue for appropriate power. Once you do pot a few balls, you'll notice how well the physics work. Balls ricochet with the proper amount of force and at the right angles toward pockets that are actual 3D holes instead of 2D negative space.

The one departure from WCP 2009's unwavering realism comes in the player's inability to turn off vectors to preview the balls' trajectory. That said, we're thankful for the handicap because the AI is that good. We also wanted an online mode but were otherwise occupied with four incredibly hard levels of difficulty.

World Championship Pool 2009 is a no-nonsense, straight billiards simulator that's heavy on realism and physics, but short on character and environment. It's definitely a game for the billiards purist, but still very enjoyable for casual players.

World Championship Pool 2009 1.0.0
COMPANY: I-play
CONTACT: www.iplay.com
PRICE: $4.99
REQUIREMENTS: iPhone or iPod touch with 2.0 software update.
Incredibly accurate ball physics. Free roaming camera. Solid frame-rate. Challenging AI.
Bland backgrounds. No player animations. No online play.