Pool Panic from Adult Swim Games is an interesting game, one that I knew I wanted to play the moment I saw it. I’m no pool shark but this game just screamed to insane to pass up. This game is indeed something to play that I think many could enjoy. Pool Panic stars an eccentric white Billiard ball as he travels the world. This ball has a lot of work cut out for him in over 100 levels of zany pool fun. It’s simple to play yet, at the same time the difficulty does change depending on the level. It’s also interesting to note that this weird ball sings at the end of every level, just another odd piece to this puzzle.
The goal of the game is to collect all of the trophies in the game while helping the world get back into shape. At the top of the map is a large goal pole that rises with every trophy collected. It’s nice to collect a decent amount of trophies before heading up the mountain. What will happen when all levels are cleared, well just play and find out! The game itself is simple to play with joy-cons or with a touchscreen. Slide the ball back and launch him forward towards the target. He will bounce to and fro, often hitting what gets in his way. Don’t let him fall into a hole though as that’s like losing a life. It’s simply put Billiards with a living ball, whose whole goal is cleaning tables.
This game is filled with weird characters most of who are Billiards balls. Every colored ball on the tables has character, and it’s fun to see how they will react to being shot at. The red ball, for instance, is the easiest to hit, the yellow ball will run, and the black ball will become hard as a rock while also bodyslamming. There is also a Chalker that readies the pool cue, who teaches the player how to play and shows up on the adventure from time to time. Time was put into making these characters and that is wonderful.
The world of Pool Panic is also varied with so much to see, exploring it all might take a while. Heading around the world to scenic vistas, forests, highways, deserts, and even wintery landscapes is part of the fun. There are even boss-type like fights that shake things up. It is fun to see how the game changes when introducing something like a boss fight. Each boss tweaks the formula a little so try to beat them all! The levels themselves all have their own goals to succeed, and the player will get trophies. These usually fall into the categories of ie, not losing a white ball, taking out all the white balls, and just completing a level. As the player beats levels they will go to specific locations to send the winning energy back to town. For whatever reason, the town has lost its power and doesn’t function perfectly in the beginning.
The levels also are quite fun to jump into as some are quite different. The player will face a giant spider in one, send bikers off their bikes and to their doom in another, and those are just the tips of the iceberg. Pool Panic is nicely designed and its rather cool to play Billiards in all of these different locations. The world is made so it is played anywhere even without a table. With giant holes in these outside levels, Billiards is played everywhere. It is always rather intriguing stepping into new locales not knowing how Billiards will be played on that specific surface. The player needs to have their wits about them, even if their main character does not.
There is enough challenge that levels may take multiple tries. Plus, if the player wants all the trophies they are sure to keep trying after the fact. Often, it will take one time to beat a level to figure out what makes it tick and then the player can beat it again to win the challenges. This game also has a multiplayer in which players can take on their friends. Multiplayer always adds another layer of fun and as it is couch co-op its even more fun in my opinion. The players can even play together on a single Switch with a joy-con for each of them. It is certainly entertaining to play such a wacky game with a friend after playing through it solo. There is also a Panic mode that pits the player’s skill against the clock. This mode adds another layer of challenge and surely will increase playtime if a player has enjoyed this game.
Pool Panic is a fun game that doesn’t require actual pool playing to play. This game is one that can be played anywhere and the Switch is the perfect system for it. Whether they play it with a controller or the touchscreen they are sure to have fun. This white ball needs a partner to help him out, is the player up to the challenge?
Disclaimer: A review key was provided