Gameplay   7 Graphics   6 Sound   2 Value   5 Curve   5 5 Run-of-the-mill

Inferno Pool, for the Xbox Live Arcade, is just what the name promises, a pool game.  It’s got everything you could want from a pool game too: 8-ball, 9-ball, multiplayer.  It’s easy to control and very fast paced so you can play a lot of games pretty quick.  The game’s title comes from its multiplayer setting of the same name.  Inferno Pool is where everyone playing gets their own table and rack of balls. You play simultaneously and as one person sinks a ball in, more balls appear on other players tables.  You get points for each ball in with bonuses for trick shots and skill shots.  Its fun… for about half-an-hour then starts to grow repetitive.   

There are two major problems with Inferno Pool.  First, while priced similarly to other XBLA titles, a 400 MS Point ($10) price tag would have made this title much more appealing instead of going with the standard 800 MS Point cost. 

The second problem is the music.  It is so bland and boring that it makes the game feel like a chore to play.  Within minutes of playing the game I had to turn the music off and began listening to music from my iPod; I went with 90’s top 40’s tunes to give myself that feeling of being in a bar.  Perhaps the addition of an announcer could have also helped the audio department.

If you’ve got the points to spare, you could buy something worse.  At least check out the demo to experience the fastest paced game of pool you have probably ever played.