[{"TitleName":"Championship 3D Snooker","Publisher":"Zeppelin Games Ltd","Author":"Andrew Richards, Stephen Walters, Tink","YearOfRelease":"1992","ZxDbId":"0009596","Reviews":[{"Issue":{"Name":"Your Sinclair Issue 80, Aug 1992","Price":"£2.5","ReleaseDate":"1992-07-16","Editor":"Linda Barker","TotalPages":68,"HasCoverTape":false,"FlannelPanel":"YOUR SINCLAIR\r\nABC 59,059\r\n\r\nEditor: Linda Barker\r\nArt Editor: Andy Ounsted\r\nStaff Writer: Jon Pillar\r\nArt Assistant: Maryanne Booth\r\nEditorial Contributors: Craig Broadbent, Stuart Campbell, Dave Golder, Tim Kemp, Adam Waring\r\nArt Contributors: Phil McCardle, Anthony Colbert\r\nExecutive Bat Consultant: Ollie Alderton\r\nAdvertising Manager: Alison Morton\r\nSenior Sales Executive: Jackie Garford\r\nProduction Co-ordinator: Lisa Read\r\nProduction Technicians: Chris Stocker, Jerome Clough\r\nScanning: Simon Windsor, Simon Chittenden\r\nPublisher: Jane Richardson\r\nPromotions Manager: Michelle Harris\r\nPromotions Assistant: Tamara Ward\r\nGroup Publisher: Greg Ingham\r\nCirculation Director: Sue Hartley\r\nAssistant Publisher: Julie Stuckes\r\n\r\nYour Sinclair. Future Publishing [redacted]\r\n\r\nManaging Director Chris Anderson\r\n\r\nSubscriptions: Future Publishing Ltd. [redacted] (Go on, you know you want to!)\r\n\r\n©Future Publishing 1992. No part of this magazine may be reproduced without the written permission of Slash out of Guns And Roses. He can usually be found in the cuddly toy department of Hamley's.\r\n\r\nISSN 0269 6983\r\n\r\nYour Sinclair smiles happily across the Shed at Commodore Format, Amstrad Action, Amiga Format, PCW Plus, PC Answers, PC Plus, Sega Power, Amiga Power, Amiga Shopper, Classic CD, Needlecraft, Cycling Plus, Photo Plus, Mountain Biking UK, PC Format, Public Domain, ST Format, Total! and Today's Vegetarian\r\n\r\nThought for the issue... What's a smile but a frown turned upside down?"},"MainText":"Zeppelin\r\n£3.99 cassette\r\n[redacted]\r\nReviewer: Linda Barker\r\n\r\nComputer snooker, and pool, fill a gap in my life. Y'see, I cannot hold a cue. I've tried, but I just can't do it. The last time I did it I made a very tiny hole in the baize. It was hardly anything but my brother refused to let me have another go. If only baize was less expensive. I could be a really cool snooker player by now. Probably.\r\n\r\nEven though I really enjoy snooker, and pool, I'm even going to pretend I understand how they work. Instead, I'm going to curl up for a bit and have a good old read of the inlay. (A few minutes later.) Hmm, well you should always pot the red balls first and then all the coloured balls in a certain order, oh - and you have to hit the ball you're to otherwise it counts as a foul shot and the other player gets tonnes of points. I have now imparted to you the entire contents of the very small section of my brain labelled 'snooker'. On with the review...\r\n\r\nSCREW BACK FOR THE BLACK\r\n\r\nI think we should get the gripes over with first, then we can finish on a high note and all feel really happy. This is always a good thing. It's the same principle with desserts. Despite what you may think when you're younger, it's not a good idea to eat your apple crumble and custard first. It just make the pie and mash seem even more unexciting. (A surefire way to get round this is by only eating dessert.) Anyway, there's only really one thing wrong with Championship 3D Snooker and that's the 3D bit. Honestly, shading a few balls doth not a multi-dimensional viewpoint make. At times it is very hard to make out what's going on. and the attempted 3D only makes matters worse. As you play C3DS your eyes gradually adjust to the fuzzy 3D and you can actually pretend it isn't there.\r\n\r\nChampionship (3D) Snooker is perfectly playable. there are all the usual difficulty levels, leagues and league tournaments. At the lowest level, which is about all I'm fit for, the computer really is a duff player. But don't let this fool you because, as you move on up, the old Speccy can pull off some blimmin' fancy shots. Mind you, with a bit of practice I'm sure I could spin the white ball off the back cushion so that it swerves unbelievably and knocks the red into the furthest pocket. Honest.\r\n\r\nCUE, AIM, FIRE!\r\n\r\nSo, Zeppelin would have been much better to stick with good old two-dimensional flatness, but then I suppose there would have been absolutely nothing new about this game to make us all rush out and buy it. Gripe over, the best thing about C3DS, to finish on that aforementioned high note, is the fact that up to eight people can play. Yep, I said eight! So the next time a hard rain starts to fall and you don't feel like writing that page and a half on why you had such a great summer holiday, just get on the phone. Call your mates, raid the fridge and get them all round for a quick game. It's better than a kick in the eye.","ReviewerComments":[],"OverallSummary":"Cheap and cheerful snooker sim.","Page":"14","Denied":false,"Award":"Not Awarded","Reviewers":[{"Name":"Linda Barker","Score":"70","ScoreSuffix":"%"}],"ScreenshotText":[{"Text":"Action replays, eh? Relive all those cringingly embarrasing mistakes in slow motion. Wow."},{"Text":"And here's 'Deadeye' Linda in action. She bounces the cueball off three cushions, pots the red and rolls gently back to a perfect position for the black. NOT!"},{"Text":"Dead simple control method, this. Just wobble the crosshairs onto the spot you're aiming for, hold down fire to build up power and choose the amount of ball spin. Whizzo!"}],"BlurbText":[{"Text":"IN CELEBRATION OF GREEN BAIZE\r\n\r\nBilly The Kid and The Green Baize Vampire was, surprisingly enough, a rather good British musical. It was on Channel 4 a couple of years ago.\r\n\r\nThe making of green baize is actually the staple industry of many old industrial towns. They used to make cotton and wool but green baize is all the rage these days\r\n\r\nNobody knows why baize is so expensive, but it is. If you don't believe me, just go and rip a teeny tear in your local's snooker table. The landlord will come rushing out from behind the bar, give you a very nasty look, bar you from the pub forever and ask you for £2,000. Alternatively, give the manufacturers a call. You'll come to less harm that way."}],"TranscriptBy":"Chris Bourne","ReviewScores":[{"Header":"Life Expectancy","Score":"70%","Text":""},{"Header":"Instant Appeal","Score":"72%","Text":""},{"Header":"Graphics","Score":"58%","Text":""},{"Header":"Addictiveness","Score":"62%","Text":""},{"Header":"Overall","Score":"70%","Text":""}],"CompilationReviewScores":[]},{"Issue":{"Name":"Sinclair User Issue 126, Aug 1992","Price":"£2.2","ReleaseDate":"1992-07-18","Editor":"Alan Dykes","TotalPages":52,"HasCoverTape":false,"FlannelPanel":"Editor: Alan 'Out and about' Dykes\r\nDesign: Yvette 'West Coast' Nicholls\r\nSU Crew: Garth 'Bright shirt' Sumpter, Steve 'Rainy Holiday' Keen, Ed 'Skate' Laurence, Pete 'Master of the Runes' Gerrard, Graham 'Machine Code' Mason, Phillip 'Morse Code' Fisch, Phil 'The Lift' Anglin\r\nAd Manager: Tina 'Schwing' Zanelli\r\nAd Production: Matthew 'Leaving on a Virgin jet plane' Walker\r\nMarketing Man.: Mark 'Daddy' Swallow\r\nMarketing Persons: Sarah 'Green Tartan' Ewing, Sarah 'Alan, it's going to be late' Hilliard\r\nPublisher: Mike 'Volkspublisher' Frey\r\nManaging Director: Terry 'Meetings' Pratt\r\n\r\n(c)1992 EMAP IMAGES\r\nPhone: [redacted] (just call to say you love us)\r\nFax: [redacted] (Ask Heather to pass on the paper please)\r\n[redacted]\r\n\r\nColour by those wonderful Colourtech people\r\nPrinted by Kingfisher\r\nTypeset by Altyp Inc\r\n\r\nAbsolutely no part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in an electronic retrieval system or copied, resold etc with the prior permission of the publisher, who is a very nice and helpful sort of chap (NOT!) SU - the answer to all your problems. Need to send someone a get well gift? Pop a copy of SU through their letterbox. Troubled by the common cold, flu, nasty insect bites? Never mind, read SU and it'll take your mind off it. Want to know what's going on in the world of Spectrum? Look not further. All this and more can be yours with SU. Nut I don't think we'll try to show you how to throw plastic objects to your friend."},"MainText":"Label: Zeppelin\r\nMemory: 48K/128K\r\nPrice: £3.99 Tape\r\nReviewer: Steve Keen\r\n\r\nA deathly silence descended on the audience as the long haired one approached the table. Only the black remained, if he could just manage to sink this one he'll become the SU Towers champion receive a 50p luncheon voucher as reward. He winds up hit cue arm and lets rip. Oh no, he's spooned it off the table and into someone's lap!\r\n\r\nThink you can do better? Go for it. 3D Snooker is a simulation of this famous sport, well known for its balls, pockets and dickie bows. It looks extremely similar to 3D Pool which appeared a couple months ago but is hardly surprising considering they're both by Zeppelin and they're both green baize table based games. The similarity is no accident - 3D Pool was a stonkingly good game.\r\n\r\nTo be honest the only real differences I see between pool and snooker are that pool is faster to play and far more simple. But then snooker with its strategy elements can be a far more involving game and, in the long run, more fun to play.\r\n\r\nLike 3D Pool, one of the most obvious plus points of 3D Snooker is its colourful and easy to follow combination of two different camera angles, one overhead and one 3D, making shots easy to aim and beautiful to look at. But there are plenty of other features to enjoy too including two player modes, slow action replays and full tournaments.\r\n\r\nThe obvious first choice is a standard one player game, which can be tricky - the computer is no slouch, but far more possibilities can be entered into in the form of two player games and 8 player tournaments. Two player games can become surprisingly competitive and very intense, as you and some pals battle it out for the title of King Of The Cues. Play is fast and accurate so there shouldn't be too much argument about spawny shots.\r\n\r\nGraphically 3D Snooker is very simple but then that makes sense. No memory has been wasted on commentators and crowd scenes. What is there ie. the table and balls are really colourful and nicely done. Animation is good too and the balls fly around the table quickly and smooth as you like. There's no real sound other than the odd chink of balls here and there, but then that's all that's needed.\r\n\r\nPlayability wise this game is great. Ball control is really well weighted and the computer can be a pretty challenging opponent provided you put it on a respectable difficulty level. Combine this with two player and tournament options and you have a winner.\r\n\r\nThere have been plenty of pool and snooker sims over the years and I'm glad to say that this one joins the ranks of the genre's immortals.","ReviewerComments":["I personally prefer pool to snooker, it's much faster and not nearly as technical. But there's nothing at all complicated about 3D Snooker - very simple. There's plenty of lasting challenge via the two player mode and the massive 8 player tournament. Definitely one of the best snooker sims available at this stage.\r\nEd Lawrence"],"OverallSummary":"I'm a great fan of snooker games and over the years I've seen some very good ones - and some very bad ones. Most of the bad points involve bad ball control, limited gameplay and lack of challenge. Gladly though 3D snooker has none of these. It's enjoyable, challenging, lasting and good fun.","Page":"32","Denied":false,"Award":"Sinclair User Silver","Reviewers":[{"Name":"Steve Keen","Score":"86","ScoreSuffix":"%"},{"Name":"Ed Lawrence","Score":"","ScoreSuffix":""}],"ScreenshotText":[{"Text":"The 3D screen allows you to see what's happening in a colourful way."},{"Text":"Try not to pocket the black mate!"},{"Text":"Vertical view. Aim your shots on this screen."}],"BlurbText":[],"TranscriptBy":"Chris Bourne","ReviewScores":[{"Header":"Graphics","Score":"80%","Text":""},{"Header":"Sound","Score":"79%","Text":""},{"Header":"Playability","Score":"86%","Text":""},{"Header":"Lastability","Score":"85%","Text":""},{"Header":"Overall","Score":"86%","Text":""}],"CompilationReviewScores":[]}]}]