Retro Replay Review

Gameplay

Jimmy White’s 2: Cueball delivers an authentic cue-sports simulation that covers snooker and the three main pool variations—eight-ball, nine-ball, and blackball. Licensed by the legendary snooker pro Jimmy White, the title places an emphasis on recreating the strategic depth of each discipline. Whether you’re lining up a classic break-building snooker rack or a tactical safety battle, the game demands careful planning and precision.

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The core mechanics revolve around a fully 3D-rendered table you can rotate and zoom in on from any angle, including an immersive “cue-eye” view that lets you position your stick exactly where you want. Shot setup involves dialing in pace, direction, spin, and elevation. A realistic physics engine calculates every collision and carom, so you’ll need to consider how the cue ball and object balls will scatter after impact.

Players face a ladder of ten AI opponents in each mode, with matches spanning up to nine frames. As you win frames and climb the ranks, the AI difficulty ramps up, challenging you to master safety play and break-building. A trick-shot editor lets you craft custom scenarios and practice your favorite setups, while built-in replay and undo functionality ensure you can analyze mistakes and refine your technique.

Graphics

The game’s visuals stand out for their time, boasting well-textured cloths, reflective balls, and polished table rails that catch the light naturally. Realistic shading and subtle ball spin trails help convey the speed and direction of each shot. Tables are set in richly detailed venues, complete with audience balconies and wood-paneled hallways that lend an authentic snooker-club atmosphere.

Camera controls are highly flexible, allowing you to pan, tilt, and zoom smoothly between overhead, side-view, and first-person cue angles. This freedom of perspective not only enhances the realism but also serves a practical purpose—helping you spot potential combination shots or sly safety placements. The user interface remains clean and unobtrusive, with shot-power meters and spin indicators that fade away once you cue up for the strike.

In addition to the main table environments, Jimmy White’s 2: Cueball includes a handful of colorful bonus-game screens for darts, draughts, a fruit machine, and even a retro-flavored remake of Dropzone. These minigames have their own graphical style—pixelated sprites for Dropzone and hand-drawn boards for draughts—that offer a playful contrast to the polished 3D cuesports action.

Story

Unlike narrative-driven adventure games, Jimmy White’s 2: Cueball crafts its “story” through tournament progression and the sense of rising stakes. You start as an eager amateur working your way through local halls, aiming to challenge tougher opponents in increasingly prestigious venues. Each match you win writes another chapter in your virtual cue-sports career.

The Jimmy White license adds a personal touch: you’ll hear occasional commentary from White himself, offering tips on shot selection or praising your break-building prowess. Though there’s no branching dialogue or cut-scene drama, these voice-overs help glue the experience together and reinforce the feeling of competing under the watchful eye of a world-class snooker champion.

Trick-shot challenges also serve as mini-narratives, tasking you with impossible layouts that gradually introduce advanced shot techniques. As you clear each trick-shot course, you unlock new puzzles and bolster your reputation—an arcade-style journey that mirrors the ups and downs of professional cue sports.

Overall Experience

Jimmy White’s 2: Cueball strikes an excellent balance between realism and accessibility, making it appealing to die-hard cue-sports purists and curious newcomers alike. The detailed physics engine and flexible camera system deliver a sense of control and immersion rarely matched in similar titles. Even if you’ve never stepped foot in a snooker hall, the intuitive shot setup tools guide you toward a satisfying learning curve.

Beyond the main snooker and pool modes, the inclusion of a trick-shot editor, replay/undo features, and a selection of bonus games (darts, draughts, fruit machine, and Dropzone) significantly extends the title’s replay value. Whether you’re polishing your nine-ball safety play or blowing off steam with retro arcade action, there’s always something new to explore.

Overall, Jimmy White’s 2: Cueball stands out as one of the most comprehensive cue-sports simulations of its era. Its combination of licensed pedigree, polished 3D presentation, and deep gameplay mechanics makes it a must-try for anyone interested in billiards, snooker, or just a well-crafted sports sim. Lace up your chalk, steady your cue, and prepare for a richly rewarding table-top experience.

Retro Replay Score

6.8/10