Endorsed by Jimmy White
- EU release: 7th May 2004
- NA release: 28th June 2004
- JP release: N/A
- Developer: Awesome Developments
- Publisher: Ignition Entertainment
- NGC Magazine: 80%
- Mods Used: Widescreen Hack
Set on a (rather ugly) tropical island, this is a pool (or snooker) game where you start by getting a loan from a loan shark (who is an actual shark) and then play lots of pool, taking challenging various people. The core pool itself is pretty awful, with complex controls, not many display options (if you want guide lines, you have to buy them and look at them through awful night vision goggles) and is incredibly slow. Your opponents are disembodied hands, yet you still have to watch them slowly walk around the table and carefully take their shot – making any game take ages.
There are a bunch of options, some crazy table shapes and different rules (although you don’t get to choose if you want to earn money), but when turns take so long, none of it makes the game enjoyable. Earn enough money and you can unlock a few minigames.
Skeeball
Time pressing the A button to launch balls into the holes. Rather dull and barely works.
Coconut Shy
Fire cannons at coconuts. The cannon fires every few seconds, you just need to aim.
Dropzone
A classic 8-bit computer game. It plays a bit like Defender, with a wide scrolling area, but is much simpler. Blast opponents and try to rescue little X symbols for a bonus. Easily the best part of this game.
Darts
Aim, use the analogue stick to throw and that’s it – basic, quick and fun. There’s a few rules types, but it’s still far better than the pool in this game. It should have been a darts game with a pool minigame – especially as the pool minigame in Super Monkey Ball 2 trounces this.
Poor
There’s money to be had from this billiards lark, and not just if you’re a poolroom hustler. Developer Archer Maclean has made a fortune from being the world’s foremost expert on computer pool sims, and his familiar, quirky style is all over this GameCube title.
Martin Kitts, NGC Magazine #92
Remake or remaster?
There are better pool games.
Official Ways to get the game
There’s no official way to get Pool Paradise.
Europe
Japan
North America
GameCube Games by Date
2002: Jan, Feb, Mar, Apr, May, Jun, Jul, Aug, Sep, Oct, Nov, Dec
2003: Jan, Feb, Mar, Apr, May, Jun, Jul, Aug, Sep, Oct, Nov, Dec
2004: Jan, Feb, Mar, Apr, May, Jun, Jul, Aug, Sep, Oct, Nov, Dec
2005: Jan, Feb, Mar, Apr, May, Jun, Jul, Aug, Sep, Oct, Nov, Dec
2006: Jan, Feb, Mar, Apr, May, Jun, Jul, Aug, Sep, Oct, Nov, Dec
