How to play

Starting the game
From the Main Menu, highlight the options by moving the cursor with Up/Down arrows from the directional pad. To activate an option, highlight the option and press Select.

Menu

In the Applications menu, highlight "SimsPool" and press OK to load the game. Title screens appear first, followed by the Enable Sounds screen, and then the Sims Creation menu. Once your Sim has been created, you'll be taken through an Aspiration tutorial and a basic controls screen, and then straight into your first game!

To resume a game that's already in progress, simply launch the game and select "Play Pool" from the Pool Hall menu.

Play Pool
Create your sim, and play a game of 8 Ball US, 8 Ball UK or 9 Ball.

Your Sim
Your Sim is where you can customize your Sim, check your statistics and see how many Awards and Challenges you've unlocked.

Pass N Play
Pass N Play is where you can play a quick game of 8 Ball or 9 Ball against your friend on the same device!

Practice
Sharpen your pool skills by playing both sides of the game on your own!

Challenges
Try to complete the challenges which will test your Pool Knowledge and skills.

Options
The Options menu allows you to customize the games settings to what you like.

Help
The Help section contains answers to all your questions about all of the games features and controls.

About
The About section contains simple information about the application itself.

Exit
Selecting this option allows you to exit the application.

Playing the Game
Read the "Help/About" section to learn all of the controls in the game. The D-pad is used to control the game at all times but all of the D-pad controls have numpad equivalents:

UP = 2
DOWN = 8
RIGHT = 6
LEFT = 4
Fire Key = 5

Extra Controls
0 = Return one shot phase (i.e. From Power to Spin)
3 = Display the rack
7 = Toggle ball highlights on/off
9 = Toggle Top view on/off

In the aiming phase, use D-Pad Left or D-Pad Right to rotate the cue left and right. While in top down view, use D-Pad Up and Down to scroll up and down the table.

Use D-Pad Up and Down to Zoom in and out.

In the spin phase, press D-Pad Left, Right, Up or Down to establish the spin, and the Fire Key to confirm.

In the power phase, simply press the Fire Key to pick a power level for the shot.

Remember you can always step back a phase by pressing 0 on the numpad.

Please Note: Controls may differ across handsets.

Saving / Resetting
The player's progress is saved every time a game is completed or the player exits the game through the pause menu.

Shooting Pool

Shoot Sequence
The shot sequence is divided into 3 steps: aiming, spin meter, and power meter.

Aiming - Rotate the cue left and right.

Spin Meter - Set the point of contact of the cue on the cue ball.

Power Meter - Stop the Power Meter at the desired point.

The player can go back one step in the Shoot Sequence by pressing the 0 key.

Game Modes & Rules

Game Types

8 Ball US
Both players are trying to sink their entire set of balls, and then the 8 ball, first.

8 Ball UK
The same basic rules as the US version, but scratching costs 2 free shots for the other player!

9 Ball
Sink all the balls in numerical order before the other player! A combo of the lowest ball on the table to the 9 ball, which sinks the 9 ball wins the game!

Game Modes

There are 3 main game types available to the player: 8-Ball US, 8-Ball UK and 9-Ball.

On top of the 3 main game types there are 4 game modes: Play Pool, Pass ?n' Play, Challenges, and Practice.

"Play Pool!" is the main single-player experience, and will pit the player against the available opponents, while allowing the player to build their Sim's Aspiration.

"Pass n' Play" lets you play a game type of your choice against a friend on the same device!

"Challenges" are prearranged trick shots that must be completed with specific goals, and are great for testing the player's pool skills!

"Practice" allows the player to play both sides of a game on an open table, and get used to the feel of the game.