Ronnie O’Sullivan Snooker 2009

You’d be immediately forgiven for thinking that the perfect way to recreate a snooker (or pool) match on any gaming system would be to use a fancy 3D engine. It just seems like a natural fit and the best way to ensure you get an all round view of the table.

But Shadow Light Games long since proved this isn’t entirely the case. Using pre-rendered imagery alongside a kind of pseudo-3D engine to control the balls, it provided us with the closest rendition to the televised matches that we could ever hope to see on the mobile screen.

And now that system is back, in Ronnie O’Sullivan’s annual license outing, aptly titled Ronnie O’Sullivan Snooker 2009. But for those few pocket gamers out there who’ve never quite got around to giving this green felt glory a good go, we’ll begin by taking a look at the gameplay mechanics that have made the series such a success.

The other vital aspect to digital snooker, of course, is the realism of the ball’s reactions. And to make that realism shine, you need to be able to manipulate those balls in an equally believable manner (do try not to snigger when we talk about balls).

Because this game doesn’t adopt the expected 3D table graphics, all the actual gameplay is viewed from above, exactly as if you were watching on TV.

This works supremely well, and coupled with the directional lines that show where you’re aiming (and what effect it’ll have on the first ball you hit) taking accurate shots is remarkably easy.

A small gauge allows you to reposition the cue at different speeds, so you can zoom around the table if you’re facing the wrong way, then crank it down and line up the perfect shot with critical accuracy.

A click of the ‘5’ button takes you to the next stage of the shot - the spin on the cue ball. Here you can give it some top, bottom or side spin to try and reposition the cue ball as carefully as possible after your shot.

Finally you set the power, which is a critical stage to make sure you either get to the pocket you’re aiming at, or avoid ruining a shot by blasting the balls and rattling them around in the pocket holes.

This all adds up to a superb set of controls that fans of the series will now know intimately. They’ve not been changed at all in Ronnie O’Sullivan Snooker 2009, which we’re very glad to see. If it ain’t broke and all that.

The pre-rendered visuals switch seamlessly to different angles as you take your shots - again, exactly as they do when watching on TV. They have the added benefit of looking much smoother and more realistic than the jagged, low resolution 3D visuals the mobile platform would otherwise be forced to use.

Of the different modes of play, Career is probably the most interesting, and the one that’s really going to convince you to give Ronnie’s 2009 game a go if you’ve already got one of Shadow Light’s previous snooker/pool titles.

Rather than the usual tactic of battling through a league or championship, the game recreates a series of matches that Ronnie O’Sullivan actually played himself - from exhibition matches to the finals of the professional championships.

This is quite a break from the norm, and a very welcome change for a series that’s not really got anything new to offer.

Which brings us to scoring Ronnie O’Sullivan Snooker 2009. The games in this series consistently land themselves high scores because of the excellent game mechanics. Those mechanics haven’t changed here, and for once that’s definitely a good thing.

But other than the unusual Career mode, neither has anything else, so if you already own a previous version it’s very difficult to recommend you pick up this new one.

If this is your first Shadow Light snooker game (and you’re not bothered about playing pool), then Ronnie O’Sullivan Snooker 2009’s slick gameplay is sure to please.