Combined with the ability to view the table from any conceivable position and the top-notch physics modelling which ensures that everything acts as it should, the end result is a very accurate simulation of both games. Even the sub-games are handled well, particularly the arcade machine which features a pixel-perfect version of Dropzone, a Defender-style blaster that was one of Maclean's first games and one of the all-time classics for the Commodore 64 home computer.

In fact, apart from the initial trickiness of the control system and the odd spot of slowdown on the graphics, especially in the early stages of a game when there are a lot of balls still on the table, Cueball does what it sets out to do very well indeed. Even the 'virtual house' design, where the games are split between two fully rendered rooms and separated by a hallway containing records of past games, all of which can be explored in first-person 3D, is nicely done.

No, the real problem with Jimmy White's 2: Cueball lies in the very nature of the subject matter itself. As quietly absorbing and entertaining as the game is, it's simply not nearly as much fun as popping down the pub and playing the real thing with some friends. You can't even make the argument that playing it will help to improve your snooker or pool skills. Like nearly all golf games, the mechanics of potting balls in Cueball are the same as in real life, but the means by which you achieve this goal - carefully selecting angles and shot powers via the joypad - are completely different. At the end of the day, then, Jimmy White's 2: Cueball is very well designed and produced, but ultimately rather pointless.