Of all the different types of sports and games, billiards seems to be one of the most difficult to translate to a game console. Pool is a very tactile game, and making that work with a traditional game controller is something that many developers have struggled with for years. Virtual Pool came close, but was always missing something. UK based developer VooFoo think they’ve cracked it with Hustle Kings, and for the most part, they have.

The most critical element in a billiards simulator is the ball physics. When you take a shot, you want to know that the ball is going to follow the path you expect it to, and behave in a natural and realistic way. VooFoo spent a lot of time on this area. They even went as far as to model the gradual degradation of the cue tip, and giving you the option to chalk up the tip as you see fit. The weight of the balls, energy imparted from one ball to the other, even the friction of the felt the balls travel on, that is all being taken into account by VooFoo’s physics system. The in-game result is that you have almost as much freedom with your shots as you would on a real pool table. If you want to jump the cue ball over the eight ball to get at that last target ball you can do that. You just have to know the mechanics of the shot you’re attempting. In other words, there is no swerve shot or jump shot preset. It’s all dependent how you angle the cue, where you strike the cue ball, and how hard you strike it.

There are two methods for taking your shot. The first is a skill meter which spins around a diagram of the cue ball. You need to stop the green area as close to the top of the diagram as possible. The closer you get to that target, the more accurate the shot will be. The other is a more traditional analog control mode. Here, you pull back on the analog stick, and then smoothly push it forward, closely mimicking the act of making the shot. Both of these methods work well, so simply go with what you feel more comfortable with.

Hustle Kings offers several different game modes for you to play. If you’re on your own or have a friend over, you have the option to play several different offline modes. There is a single player career mode which is where you will unlock most of the game’s various bonus content. It starts off easily enough, but the difficulty quickly ramps up as you move up the leagues. This mode won’t last very long, nor will it hold your interest past the point of beating it. That’s no bother though, since there is plenty to do outside of the short career mode anyway.

If you want to play with friends, Hustle Kings has all the major bases covered. Up to 16 players can play hot seat multiplayer tournaments offline. Passing the controller around might get a little annoying, but it’s nice to know that you’ve got the option of playing a game with friends and more than likely not leave anyone out. If you don’t have anyone nearby, you can always hop onto the PlayStation Network and play online. All of the same modes you can play offline are also available online. Not all games allow for the maximum number of players. Some modes like 8-ball, 9-ball, etc are limited to one on one.

Online performance was very good. The experience was smooth for the most part, though we did experience a few disconnects here and there. If you’re playing for Hustle Kings credits and a disconnect happens, you will lose the money you put up. This is annoying, plain and simple. Luckily it doesn’t happen very often. The biggest problem with the online mode is the lack of any communication options. You are limited to text chat in the lobbies, and nothing at all when in-game. A game like this really needs voice chat. VooFoo have said this feature is coming, but we have to wonder why it wasn’t there from the beginning. One nice online feature is the ability to save and upload replays to YouTube. You can save whole matches or just specific shots. Other players can see the saved replays in your online profile, but it’s nice to be able to put those up for people who don’t have the game to see.

Hustle Kings has a lot going for it in terms of presentation. The game features nicely detailed environments ranging from basement bars to posh penthouses. The tables and pool balls are the real stars of the show though. The balls have a lot of details applied to them. The surrounding environment reflects off of them realistically. Even subtle details like tiny scuffs and dents are visible on the balls, which is a rather nice touch. It makes the game feel more natural and less clinical. Audio-wise the game is just as strong. You won’t hear licensed tracks here. All the music is original and falls into several different genres like Techno, Hip-hop, Jazz, Lounge, and Funk. For what it is, the music fits the game very well, though after a while it does tend to get a little repetitive. If you get tired of the provided soundtrack, you can load up an XMB playlist and have your own music play in the background.

VooFoo have done a very good job with Hustle Kings. With great controls, excellent graphics, and a multitude of game modes, Hustle Kings covers just about everything you’d want in a billiards game. It’s a very easy game to recommend, especially for $10.

Score: 8.5 | Suggestion: Buy It

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About This Author: Filippo Dinolfo

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