As a North American (and a rather low brow one at that), when I think of billiards my mind immediately goes to 8-ball pool. Anything fancier than that and you’ve lost me. Magic Shot is based one of those “fancier than …
As a North American (and a rather low brow one at that), when I think of billiards my mind immediately goes to 8-ball pool. Anything fancier than that and you’ve lost me.
Magic Shot is based one of those “fancier than that” cue sports (French Billiards, to be specific), but as it’s a game with only one rule, it’s not terribly hard to grasp. You just need to use the cue ball to hit both the red and yellow balls in the same shot. Sounds simple, right?
Maybe not so much.
Every time you shoot that cue ball, you’re trying to be in two places at once. That means you’ll need to master the angles needed to have it ricochet from red to yellow (or vice versa) if you want to proceed to the next table. The twist is that every table takes a different shape, with wildly varying layouts that make it a challenge to find the perfect angle for every shot.
If Desert Golfing were about French Billiards, it would be Magic Shot.
The game features three modes, each offering a unique spin on the game’s formula. “Meditation” is a game where you can’t fail, but the number of shots you take are counted. “Purity” limits you to a set number of failures, but rewards consecutive successes with a combo-style scoring bonus.
The final mode, “Insanity,” lives up to it’s name. The stages are constantly in flux, changing shape with every breath you take. Good luck strategizing your shots when every surface has come to life.
The App Store is flooded with new content on a daily basis, so it can be pretty easy for a hidden gem like this to slip through the cracks. And that’s a shame, because a game like Magic Shot deserves its moment in the spotlight.
See if you agree. Magic Shot is available for $2.99 on the App Store.
