Pool Sharks

This toy came highly recommended on a popular family magazine's holiday gift guide, so I ignored the fact that there were no reviews from customers here on Amazon yet, which I usually depend on to findout what to expect from a toy. We've just finished playing it for the first time though, and I have to say, I'm really disappointed in this toy, and probably won't be going on the word of that magazine's recommendations in the future.

The main complaint I have about this product is the design and function of the fish-shaped pockets that must be attached to the sides and corners of the table. Each pocket collects and holds the balls shot into them, where they are held in a deep well at the base of each pocket and can only be retrieved by removing the entire fish-pocket from the game table and tilting the pocket until the ball(s) roll out into your hand. The directions that come with the game actually advise that this is the best way to retrieve balls from a fish pocket. However, when this needs to happen during regular game play when the cue-ball is accidentally knocked into one of the pockets, for instance it simply can't be done without disrupting the positions of every other ball on the table. Not a great way to play a game of pool. Further, the pockets are also difficult to remove, prompting my 7 year old to reach a finger in to lift the ball out instead, where her finger got solidly caught in the trap-door mechanism that causes the fish to appear to have eaten the ball, indicating a potential danger to small children.

The shark shooters are actually very fun to use. They have three levels of power to choose from when you are shooting with them, though there is truly not much difference from one setting to the next, and you'll find that the strength with which you strike the ball depends more on the distance you hold the shooter away from the cue ball than which setting you put the shooter on.

The pool balls are small, and of a decent weight for their size. Though heavier balls would mean an increased rate of sinking your shot, and lessen the likelihood that the balls would simply bounce off of the edge of the table and fly across the room, which happened several times during our game play.

The game surface itself was not at all satisfactory when we opened the box it is covered with a flocked fabric that, out of the box, had several small air bubbles underneath, which, anyone knows, will alter the direction of the balls when game is in play. We were able to press these out by running a finger over the bubbles a couple of times until they became flat, but in doing so, rubbed some of the flocking off of the surface, which is also not good for game play.

This was not an expensive toy, so all considered, the quality is about what I expected for the price. If that were all there was to consider, I'd be satisfied with the purchase and we'd enjoy it while it lasts. But the design flaws in the ball retrieval system which don't allow for a complete game to be played without interruption make this game not worth the few dollars it cost to purchase it.

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