Pocket Pool for the PSP is an interesting game. Obviously targeted toward the young, male audience, it's a very detailed billiards/pool game with certain elements that may not be appropriate for kids — hence the Mature rating.
The goal of Pocket Pool is to unlock content. This content consists of different pool cues, balls, tables, rooms and of course, the women. A gallery of pictures and videos slowly gets unlocked, consisting of scantily clad women. To be clear, apparently this game originally was to have a "Girls Gone Wild" branding; however, in the end, it didn't work out.
Taking away the "goals" of the game, you're left with a pool game that actually isn't too bad. The controls take some getting used to, as pressing directions on the d-pad doesn't necessarily move the cue or the camera. In fact, it does seem as if the developer, , played a game of pin the tail on the donkey with the controls and randomly assigned them. However, once you get used the controls, you should be able to make simple shots.
Pocket Pool allows for the player to attempt trick shots by controlling the angle of the cue, position of the tip, power and many other aspects. In the case of these trick shots, Pocket Pool makes it much easier for the player by showing a ghost image of where the cue ball will end up, making it easier to align a curved shot. In fact, you'll find yourself trying random trick shots you probably would never be able to do at a real pool hall.
The game comes with a large amount of variations. From the traditional 8- and 9-ball games, you also can play such games as Blackjack, which up to this point I never heard of but found very amusing. The entire goal of Blackjack is to reach 21 by sinking balls, adding their number to your total without busting. If you go over 21, your points get reset, and you have to start over again. Attempting to sink a ball that's behind another is quite difficult, and you'll find yourself in those situations a lot with Blackjack. Your alternate strategy of blocking shots by sinking a number needed by your opponent also comes in handy.
Pocket Pool also can take advantage of the PSP's wireless network connectivity, allowing you to play with other people who may have the game in their PSPs. However, playing this game in a public place may be inadvisable, as completing a game only takes a short time, and you could end up unlocking some more content, which may not be ... appropriate, for where you're playing at.
The voice-acting in Pocket Pool is a bit grating. They obviously tried hard to get the voice actors to sound genuinely interesting. However, since there are only a few statements each one makes, after the fourth or fifth game, you'll already know what each person will say. You're usually playing against the computer and a random opponent. You get to choose your own character to play as, but it doesn't seem to have any affect on how well you do.
Overall, if you're looking for a decent pool game for your PSP, you may be able to get by with Pocket Pool. However, the Mature rating of the game can become a liability. This can be unfortunate since the game and gameplay itself isn't too bad.
