--------------------------------------------------------------------- ********************************************************************* ____ _ | _ \ ___ ___ | | | |_) / _ \ / _ \| | ____ | __/ (_) | (_) | |_ _ | _ \|_| _ \___/_\___/|_| (_)___ ___ | |_) / _` | '__/ _` |/ _` | / __|/ _ \ | __/ (_| | | | (_| | (_| | \__ \ __/ |_| \__,_|_| \__,_|\__,_|_|___/\___| ********************************************************************* --------------------------------------------------------------------- Table of Contents 1. Introduction 2. Pool Paradise Game Mechanics 2a. Game Controls in Pool Games 2b. Gameplay Terms and Mechanics 3. Game Variants in Pool Paradise and their Rules 3a. Game Rules 3b. Game Variants 4. Items 5. Sub-Games 6. Hints and Tips 7. Game Errata 8. Credits 9. Contact Information 10. Legal Junk ---------------- 1. Introduction ---------------- So ya need help with PP eh? Well ya came to the right place. I know ALL about PP. I am the PP master. In fact, I love PP. I can't get enough of it! Hah! Just some immature humor for you. This FAQ is intended to give some introductory guidance to novice pool players. I am in no one's estimation an expert at pool. If you are looking to improve your pool technique to an expert level you would be better served by searching on Google for expert pool sites, of which there are many. Also, this guide is intended to list the various rules used by the different game variants such as "US 8 Ball" or "Killer". Hopefully this will save you the headaches I experienced trying to figure out which games required shot nomination, which require rail contact, and so on. Finally, this guide is also intended to list the various rules and mechanics of the Sub Games. This FAQ assumes that you are competent and intelligent enough to navigate the in-game menu system, to pick up a cue-stick, to play a game of pool, and to sink a ball with said stick. -------------------------------- 2. Pool Paradise Game Mechanics -------------------------------- This section includes: Controls required during a game of pool Billiards terms and mechanics and their specific purpose and use 2a. Game Controls in Pool Games Control Stick - Moves your cue up, down, left, and right as well as your currently selected object when needed. Control Pad - Moves contact point on the cueball. Adds "spin" to a shot. C Stick - Moves the camera around. A + Control Stick - Holding down the A Button and moving the control stick forward or backwards results in the forward and backwards movement of the cue. B - Cycles through various selection modes such as Moving the Cueball Nominating a Target Ball, and Shot Aiming. Z + Control Stick/Pad - Allows selection of different camera views. The two most useful are "Top-Down View" and "Cue Cam". The others are very cinematic but not very useful for gameplay. L + Control Stick/Pad - Allows selection of the "Laser Sight" and "Hud Goggle" items. Partially press the L button, do not "click" or fully press it. 2b. Gameplay Terms and Mechanics Spin - Achieved by changing the contact point on the cueball before striking it with your cue. Left spin and right spin are also known as "English". English - If you want to remain competitive past rank 20 you need to know how to apply English to a cueball. The reason for this is that correct application of English, in conjunction with proper shot strength, can allow near complete control of the final resting spot of the cueball. Obviously this allows you to better line up your next shot and to avoid sinking the cueball and fouling. Left spin is applied by pressing the control pad left before you strike the cueball. Ditto for right spin. If you do not add top spin or bottom spin then the cueball will not deviate in its course after being struck by the cue. Think of an object in space, spinning on its axis, and you will understand why even the heaviest English will not, by itself, alter the course of a cueball. Left spin results in the cueball traveling to the left after a collision. Ditto for right spin. The use and application of this should be obvious and immediately useful during a game. English will also affect the left/right heading of a ball struck by the cueball. Top Spin - Applied by pressing the control pad up before you strike the cueball. Adding top spin causes the cueball to travel forwards farther than it would normally and to travel farther after contact with a rail or ball. Back Spin - Applied by pressing down on the control pad before you strike the cueball. By adding backspin you can either cause the cueball to stop immediately on impact or to reverse its direction and to come "back" along its course of travel. Backspin can solve that nasty problem of the cueball following the target ball into the pocket. Elevating the Stick - By pressing up on the control pad before striking the ball you can elevate the cue much as happens when the cueball is right next to a rail. Primarily useful for advanced maneuvers such as jumping the cueball or the professional break. Avoid elevating the cue-stick until you are comfortable with basic pool physics. Jumping the Cueball - By adding the highest level of top-spin and elevating the cue to its highest extent you can make the cueball jump after being struck. Just like professional pool players you can use this to jump over an intervening ball to hit a ball you want. Experiment for different jump heights and lengths. Professional Break - On a break elevate the cue until you can see about half of the end of the cue, with the random Pool Paradise pictures, on the bottom of the screen. Then add top spin until you can see the complete butt (hehe) of the cue stick. Pull back and press forward for a full strength strike. When the cueball hits the 1 Ball it will not stop or deviate course as usual. Instead it will move forward, plowing its way through the stubborn block of balls that like to stand still after a normal break. This will leave you with a nicer dispersion of balls on the table and fewer of those terrible situations where two, three, or more balls clump together. Now you know how to break just like those pros on ESPN! Please note that there are other methods of breaking as well. Another variant professionals use is almost exactly opposite of the above method. First position the cueball on a line extending from the corner pocket to the 1 Ball. Move the cueball forward a bit, about 2 hands length from the end of the table. Then instead of giving the cueball top spin give it extreme back spin. Then elevate the stick about 10 or 15 degrees. Aim at any of the first three balls in the rack. Pull back and strike. This gives a nice dispersion of balls and a lessened chance of your cueball sinking. The drawback is that the dispersion is usually not as nice as the first method. HOWEVER in a game like 9 Ball this method can lead to more pots and control of the table. And in a game like 9 Ball that can be completed very quickly this can make the difference. Spin + Cue Elevation - Combining english, top or back spin, and cue elevation can result in unusual cueball movement. Extreme backspin plus extreme cue elevation results in the cue ball jumping forward and spinning backwards on landing. This is useful when your cueball is right next to a pocket and trapped behind a ball you wish to sink. English plus elevation results in the cueball curving on its trajectory. This is obviously useful when there is an illegal ball between the cueball and a desired target. English plus top spin plus elevation results in a jumping, curving trajectory. Rarely of any use except in extreme cases. Extreme back spin with extreme english can cause a "hook" trajectory. Experiment and practice to make these useful parts of your game! -------------------------------------------------- 3. Game Variants in Pool Paradise and their Rules -------------------------------------------------- This section includes: Listings and explanations of game rules Listings and explanations of the game variants 3a. Game Rules No Balls Sunk - In any game if you do not sink a legal ball on your turn then your turn is ended and control of the table is awarded to your opponent. Called Shot - During a match, if you press the B button, you can call up the "nominating" process. By "nominating" a ball and a pocket you are "calling" your shot. This is target nomination. Some games require that you nominate a shot for it to count. If you do not the game will end your turn and give control of the table to your opponent. Break Contact - On a break if not enough balls make contact with rails/cushions a foul will be called and play passed to your opponent. Your opponent may be allowed any number of options including: Re-racking and shooting him/herself, Forcing you to re-rack and shoot, or free placement of the cueball and control of the table. Rail Contact - Certain games require, if a struck ball is not sunk, that the struck ball touch the rail/cushion. If a struck ball does not touch a side of the table a foul is called, your turn is ended, and a free cueball placement is awarded to your opponent. Ball Contact - Some games require that contact be made between the cueball and a target ball. If no contact is made a foul is called, your turn is ended, and a free cueball placement is awarded to your opponent. Order of Contact - 6/9/10 Ball, and other games, require that the cueball contact the lowest numbered ball first on any given strike. If the cueball makes first contact with any other ball but the lowest numbered ball on the table then a foul is called, control passed to your opponent, and a free cueball placement awarded. 3 Fouls Rule - There are games in which if you commit a foul in 3 consecutive turns the result is that you forfeit the match. 8 Ball Contact - In US 8 Ball, UK 8 Ball, and Switchball if the 8 Ball is the first ball the cueball makes contact with AND all of the player's currently assigned ball types have not been sunk then a foul is called, free placement of the cueball awarded to your opponent, and control of the table passed to him/her. Opponent Ball Contact - In certain games if the cueball makes first contact with your opponent's ball type then a foul is called, free placement of the cueball awarded, and control of the table passed to him or her. Cueball Sinking - If the cueball is sunk, in ANY game, a foul is called, a free placement of the cueball is awarded to your opponent and control of the table passed to him or her. Depending on the game a ball or balls sunk with the cueball may be placed back on the table and/or the points for any such balls may not be added to your score. Special Note: If the cueball is jumped out of the table it is treated the same as a Cueball Sinking foul. End Ball Sinking - Some games place special rules on when and how the "end ball" can be sunk. The end ball can be anything from the highest numbered ball to the 8 Ball to the 6 Ball. In games where the end ball MUST be sunk LAST there can be various results from immediately losing the match to control of the table and a free cueball placement being awarded to your opponnent. 3b. Game Variants 6 Ball Explanation: 6 balls, numbers 1 to 6, are racked in a triangle shape. Players must make first contact with the lowest numbered ball each turn. Any ball may be sunk as long as the cueball makes first contact with the lowest numbered ball on the table. The goal is to sink the 6 Ball. If the 6 Ball is sunk due to secondary contact it is a valid pot and the active player wins the game. This can result in winning the match on the opening break. Rules: 3 Fouls Rule Order of Contact Ball Contact - Referred to as the Order of Contact rule but treated as Ball Contact Rail Contact Break Contact - Referred to as the Order of Contact rule but treated as Break Contact 9 Ball Explanation: 9 balls, numbers 1 to 9, are racked in a diamond shape. Players must make first contact with the lowest numbered ball each turn. Any ball may be sunk as long as the cueball makes first contact with the lowest numbered ball on the table. The goal is to sink the 9 Ball. If the 9 Ball is sunk due to secondary contact it is a valid pot and the active player wins the game. This can result in winning the match on the opening break. Rules: 3 Fouls Rule Order of Contact Ball Contact - Referred to as the Order of Contact rule but treated as Ball Contact. Results in a free cueball placement for your opponent Rail Contact Break Contact 10 Ball Explanation: 10 balls, numbers 1 to 10, are racked in a triangle shape. Players must make first contact with the lowest numbered ball each turn. Any ball may be sunk as long as the cueball makes first contact with the lowest numbered ball on the table. The goal is to sink the 10 Ball. If the 10 Ball is sunk due to secondary contact it is a valid pot and the active player wins the game. This can result in winning the match on the opening break. Rules: 3 Fouls Rule Order of Contact Ball Contact - Referred to as the Order of Contact rule but treated as Ball Contact. Results in a free cueball placement for your opponent Rail Contact Break Contact US 8 Ball Explanation: All 15 balls are racked in a triangle shape. If the player who breaks pots a ball he begins play as that type of ball, either solids or stripes. If the player who breaks pots balls of both types he may choose which type of ball, solids or stripes, he wants by sinking a ball of that type on his next strike. If he sinks no balls then the first player to sink a ball begins play as that type of ball. The goal is to sink the 8 Ball. This may only be done after sinking all other balls of the player's type. Rules: End Ball Sinking - If the 8 Ball is sunk before all other balls of the player's type are sunk then the match is forfeited and your opponent declared the winner Opponent Ball Contact 8 Ball Contact Ball Contact Rail Contact Break Contact UK 8 Ball Explanation: 15 balls, 7 Yellow and 7 Red, are racked in a triangle shape. Like US 8 Ball, ball type is decided by the first type of ball sunk. The goal is to sink the 8 Ball, again like US 8 Ball. There are special rules that apply only to UK 8 Ball. First, in all cases where a free cueball placement would apply instead a free cueball placement behind the headstring is awarded - The headstring is the spot or dotted line behind or on which the cueball is placed before a break. Second, after any foul, the opposing player is given two consecutive turns. Rules: End Ball Sinking - If the 8 Ball is sunk before all other balls of the player's type are sunk then the match is forfeited and your opponent declared the winner Opponent Ball Contact 8 Ball Contact Break Contact Ball Contact Switchball Explanation: Fundamentally identical to US 8 Ball with one exception. There is a unique "switchball" which, if pocketed, switches the type of ball currently assigned to each player. The player pocketing solids now pockets stripes and vice versa for the opposing player. After pocketing the switchball it returns to its approximate previous position to be pocketed again if desired. In all other ways Switchball is identical to US 8 Ball. Rules: End Ball Sinking Opponent Ball Contact 8 Ball Contact Ball Contact Rail Contact Break Contact 15 Ball Explanation: All 15 balls are racked in a triangle. Any ball is a valid target. There are no opponent balls. There is no end ball. If a ball is sunk its number, 1 to 15, is awarded as points. Multiple balls may be sunk on any turn. When one player's points outnumber the opponent player's points by more than are left on the table the game is over by numerical elimination. Rules: Special Rule - All fouls also incur a penalty of -3 points to the fouling player's score. Ball Contact - Instead of awarding the opponent a free cueball placement, control of the table is passed to the opposing player. Rail Contact - Instead of awarding the opponent a free cueball placement, control of the table is passed to the opposing player. Break Contact - Standard break options are given to the opponent player. Cueball Sinking - Instead of awarding the opponent player a free cueball placement, a free cueball placement behind the headstring is awarded. 14 to 1 Explanation: All 15 balls are racked in a triangle. Any ball is a valid target. There are no opponent balls. There is no end ball. If a ball is sunk 1 point is awarded to the active player. Multiple balls may be sunk but only 1 point is awarded on any single turn. When one player reaches the target points total of 25 or 50 the game is over and the achieving player is declared the winner. Rules: Special Rule - All fouls also incur a penalty of -1 point to the fouling player's score. Break Contact - Standard break options are given to the opponent player. Called Shot - A shot must be nominated to be valid. Ball Contact - Instead of awarding the opponent a free cueball placement, control of the table is passed to the opposing player. Rail Contact - Instead of awarding the opponent a free cueball placement, control of the table is passed to the opposing player. Bowlliards Explanation: Designed to resemble bowling. Each player alternates having complete control of the table. Each player turn consists of a break and two misses ("Sets"). If the player sinks all ten balls in one set a "strike" score is given. If the player sinks all ten balls in two sets a "spare" score is given. If a player fails to sink a ball twice his/her turn is over and the number of balls sunk is given as a score. A match consists of 20 alternating frames, 10 for each player. The player with the highest score at the end of the match is the winner. Rules: Special Rules - If the cueball is sunk 1 point is subtracted from the fouling player's score. All ball placement after fouls is confined to the area behind the headstring. Rotation Explanation: Fundamentally the same as 15 Ball. The main difference is that like 6/9/10 Ball the balls must be sunk in their numerical order from lowest to highest. Unlike 15 Ball there is no point penalty for fouls. In all other ways Rotation is played as 15 Ball. Rules: Special Rule - On any foul the opponent player is given the option to play or pass. Except for Cueball Sinking the "cueball placement" option is not given for any foul. 3 Fouls Rule Break Contact Rail Contact Ball Contact Killer Explanation: All 15 balls are racked in a triangle. Any ball is a valid target. There is no end ball. There are no opponent balls. The simple goal is to sink a ball every turn. It is not necessary to sink a ball on the break. If no ball is sunk on a given turn, the player who failed to sink a ball has 1 life point removed. Each player starts with 3 or 5 life points. The first player to lose all life points loses the match. Rules: Special Rule - All fouls result in a free cueball placement in addition to a lost life point. Break Contact Ball Contact Trickshot Explanation: An open table with no opponent, just 15 balls. Have fun. Experiment. Try out cueball jumping or practice your English! Rules: None --------- 4. Items --------- This section includes a listing and explanation of the items available for purchase in the shop. This section includes *SPOILERS* Gadgets Laser Sight: Selected via the L button during a match. Projects a thin red line straight out from the cuestick. Allows for precise aiming of the cueball. Well worth the measly $100. Buying the laser sight should be the first thing you do after you visit the Loan Shark at the beginning of the game. Not usable in 2 Player mode. Hud Goggles: Selected via the L button during a match. Gives you a super cheat mode in which the game displays the current trajectories and paths that will result from your current aiming of the cueball. This means the HUD Goggles allow you to see exactly what will be the result of your shot. This sounds extremely useful but there are a few catches. First, the HUD Goggles have a battery life. Because of this the HUD Goggles only last about as long as 2 to 4 average length matches. Second, they are expensive at $5000. This high price and short life mean they are useful in only a few applications. Use them to make money in high stakes matches against the the highest ranked competitors. Or use them to win tournaments. Not usable in 2 Player mode. Sub-Games: Mini-Games have to be purchased at the Shop before they can be selected in the main menu. Each mini-game adds a new option to the main menu. Items Stuffed Dodo: Places a large stuffed dodo inside a display case in the competition room. Costs $2500. Seems to have no purpose besides decoration. Amusing? Maybe. Useful? No. Aesthetically pleasing? Not at all. Fireworks: After completing the game (by reaching first place) can be purchased for $1500. Allows you to see the fireworks display again. Baizes - Baizes are the felt tops of the pool tables. Purchase new baizes to change the boring purple top to something interesting like a blue galaxy design. Every new baize costs $1500. Crazy Tables - Crazy tables add oddly shaped tables to the "Crazy Tables" room in which you can play practice mode on tables such as Ice Hockey or Triangle. Every new table costs $2500. Cues - Purchase differently textured cues for $500 each. None of them perform differently in a match. None of them get rid of the annoying randomized texture on the butt of the cuestick. ------------- 5. Sub-Games ------------- This section includes a listing and explanation of the sub-games. Dropzone Explanation: I'm not sure about the history of this one but it plays like Midway's Defender. Control stick to move, A button to shoot, B button for a screen bomb, X button for a "cloak". Coconut Shy Explanation: A simple game, like Windwaker's cannon shoot. Line up your cannon to knock the coconuts off the sticks. Extra points awarded for consecutive hits. Hitting the pole the coconut rests on will result in a hit. 2 Rounds worth of shooting. Darts Explanation: Darts. Good old darts. Press A to pick up a dart. Pull back on the control stick to ready the dart. Press forward to throw the dart. Different speeds and forces on the control stick result in different dart velocities. The manual mentions the C Stick moves the camera, however it also moves the dart. This results in much easier aiming of the dart. Skeeball Explanation: Just like skeeball at the local arcade. Line up your shot and press A. Shot strength is determined by the length of the arrow at the time the A button is pressed. Score points for the more difficult shots. Hidden Cave *Spoiler Alert* Explanation: Purchase and then goto the practice table. Choose any game, any opponent. Press Start, choose your inventory, select the sub-game screen, select the Hidden Cave map. Goto the Hidden Cave when prompted to partake in "Switchball". Note: Some people suggest that facing a particular direction is required to access the cave. ------------------ 6. Hints and Tips ------------------ Money: There are certain games you want to avoid in competition matches. These are Bowlliards, 14 to 1, UK 8 Ball if you are foul prone, and 6 Ball against very skilled opponents. UK 8 Ball and 6 Ball are very easy to lose against very skilled (15th or higher rank) opponents. Bowlliards and 14 to 1 take way, way too long for competition when you could be playing 15 Ball, Killer, or 9 Ball. Geometry: As my pappy used to tell me, when I was just a tyke standing at the pool table, "pool is a game of angles". When you play a game look at everything on the table as triangles, squares, rectangles, and angles. Even if you got a D in Geometry in High School you should soon be able to see how the cueball striking a ball results in a triangular trajectory. Changing the cueball's striking point on a target ball will change that triangulation. Aim the cueball to the left to force the target ball right. Aim the cueball right to force the target ball left. Hitting straight on and hard is bad almost every single time you try it. I'll restate these concepts because they are so important. Visualize Your Shot: You really have to visualize your shot to be successful at pool. If you can't do this then you'll never be able to sink a ball from further than a few inches. Visualizing your shot is easy if you keep in mind both the physics of pool and the geometry of the table and balls. After that it is just a matter of mentally drawing a straight line extending from your cueball to your target and calculating the effects of your aim and any spin applied. Aim Your Shot: Just remember that the target mark always starts centered. If you don't apply spin via the cross pad it will be very easy to center a shot. Aiming left of center results in the target traveling right, aiming right of center results in the target traveling left. Visualize this anyway you want - A circle with wedges, straight lines and angles (as the HUD Goggles represent), or spinning orbs in space. Visualize a straight line starting from your cue-stick and cue-ball and extending into, and past the target ball. As you change the angle of attack that visualized line splits. SOOO if you aim juuuust left of target your cueball will travel slightly left and your target will travel slightly right. Imagine a peace sign and you'll understand. The farther left or right you aim the farther right or left the target travels and the farther left or right the cueball travels after impact. This pattern is normal until you start aiming far left or right of the center of the target. In which case the curvature of the pool balls causes the triangulation to alter slightly such that the cueball's trajectory is altered LESS by the off-center aiming and the target ball's altered MORE by the off center aiming. Which eventually results in the "kissing"/"slicing" effect I mention later in the FAQ where if you "slice" a spot about the size of a dime on the target ball then the target ball travels at a 90 degree angle from the visualized line and the cueball, more or less, travels straight from the cuestick. Change Your Shot Strength: It is a mistake to hit every shot hard. Change you shot strength to better control where the cueball will stop after a shot. Change your shot strength to control how far the target ball will travel. Learn to Kiss: Learn how to "kiss" a ball with the cueball. I dont mean a soft tap. I mean when you have a target ball at the side pocket and your cueball runs a parallel course to that ball you can hit your cueball and "slice" or "kiss" just the smallest portion of the target ball to result in a 90 degree motion of the target ball. You can see this in action when the higher ranked computer players hit a ball sitting right on the edge of a rail which sends it flying straight along the rail to sink in what seems an almost impossibly difficult shot. This is easy once you get used to "kissing" or "slicing". Just imagine an area the size of a dime directly opposite the pocket and situated on the very edge of the ball. Your target is that area. It sounds Star Wars-esque but is actually fairly easy once you get used to it. Practice: Alot. --------------- 7. Game Errata --------------- Manual Page 13 - There is no 3 Foul Rule in 15 Ball. Cover - This game is not "Only for GameCube". There will be PS2 and XBox versions and there already is a PC version. Laser Sight in Multiplayer - Start a 1 Player Game. In a match turn the Laser Sight on and save. Then load the save file as a 2 Player Game and the saved player as first player. You should have Laser Sight stuck on permanently. This is a glitchy trick but should work. *NOTE* - I have not gotten this trick to work. Attempt at your own risk. ----------- 8. Credits ----------- Ultimate Yoshi: Pointed out the "Only for Gamecube" error. Figured out and detailed the "Laser Sight in Multiplayer" trick. Jetman: Pointed out the inability to use Laser Sight or HUD Goggles in 2 Player mode. Maddgamz: For prompting me to write this FAQ. NecroKnightBlade / CMK8: Explained how to use the HUD Goggles to make money. Kevin Lee: A.K.A. "Kleptul" on GameFaqs. Explained shot strength in the "Skeeball" mini-game. sonicking917: Contributed the fireworks item information. GameFaqs: For being awesome. Ignition Entertainment: Made Pool Paradise. ----------------------- 9. Contact Information ----------------------- Send any suggestions, corrections, additions, requests, or insults to: jjjx03@yahoo.com --------------- 10. Legal Junk --------------- This FAQ may not be reproduced under any circumstances except for personal, private use. It may not be placed on any web site or otherwise distributed publicly without advance written permission. Use of this guide on any other web site or as a part of any public display is strictly prohibited, and a violation of copyright. This FAQ was written for Gamefaqs.com in part as thanks for the many years I have enjoyed and partaken of its services. Please do not e-mail requesting permission to use this FAQ because you will not receive said permission. I am becoming aware of many similar sites to Gamefaqs.com and am in the process of evaluating these sites. If I find your site to be an admirable, free, pleasant, and useful service for gamers I will approach you with this FAQ. All trademarks and copyrights contained in this document are owned by their respective trademark and copyright holders. Copyright 2004 - Javier Jimenez