Horhay's Full Review: Backstreet Billiards for PlayStation 1
Gameplay
At first glance this looks like your typical billiards affair. It’s not until you dig deep in the game that you discover all the great play modes and options. For starters, there are a total of 14 different billiards games. Just in case you don’t know how to play, the game packs a hefty instruction manual explaining each game. Besides the variation of games, you got the trick, speed, and technical modes. Each one allows you to exercise different aspects of your game. Trick Mode allows you to get creative and work on your angles, while Speed Mode tests your accuracy and ability to handle pressure.
The most surprising feature with the game is the Story Mode. It starts off with a young man searching for his father’s legendary cue stick. The stick was stolen, and it’s up to you to bring it back to its rightful heir. In order to find it, you must visit locations (stores, restaurants) and chat with local pool junkies. Once inside, a character approaches you and a box of choices pop up. You can look around the place, talk, or get your game on. After your opponent loses, they will give you information on where you might find the stick. The story mode allows you to increase your stats when you win matches. You can add certain points to your power, technique, and mentality. You can also increase your abilities by finding hidden items.
The games themselves are very easy to get into. There are two views you can choose from. There’s an adjustable first person view that focuses on your stick and the cue ball, or you can opt for an over the top view of the table. Hitting is done by using either a soft or hard power meter. Aiming is simplified with the use of a moving ball cursor that displays where the ball will go. As you get better, more advanced controls can be used. The height of the stick can be adjusted to perform jump shots, and you can also add english to the ball for killer spin effects.
Issues
A big mistake that a lot of pool games make is that the balls travel too fast or too slow. BB does a fairly good job of keeping the games well-paced and accurate. But one problem I noticed is that the balls tend to hang around the pocket edges too often. It almost appears as if the balls don’t want to fall. Another gripe deals with the table surfaces. Every table feels the same. This might be good for some people, but it would have been nice to see players make hitting adjustments and such when playing on different tables.
Graphics
Backstreet’s major flaw is definitely in the graphics department. There should be a rule for games like this: have great graphics. Unfortunately, BB doesn’t follow this concept. C'mon, it’s a pool table, a background, and a bunch of balls. Overly pixelated pre-rendered backgrounds and jaggy tables and sticks are found throughout the game. Lastly, the balls can be hard to figure out. Some of the colors are washed out and don’t offer fancy shine effects.
Music
BB’s soundtrack is a sweet mix of jazz and instrumental music. Each song fits perfectly with its location. The great use of trumpets, saxophones, and percussion instruments gives the game a sensation of being in a bar and kicking back with a bunch of your drunken buddies. If the music isn't your thing, the Audio CD option allows you to listen to your own CDs when playing games. The sound effects equally hit the mark. Pocketed balls and cue strikes are varied and authentic.
Overall
Released in 1998, this game has stood the test of time for me. I’ve played numerous pool games for the system (Pool Hustler, Billiards, Ultimate 8-Ball) and none have captured the sport as close as Backstreet does. Along with Hot Shots Golf, this is one of the few sports titles for the Playstation I play on a regular basis. It’s not the prettiest game to look at, but it’s easy to jump into and perfect if you want to kill a few minutes or an hour.
*this entry is part of rice75's bargain bin write-off. check out his review for a list of other participants.
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