Can You Really Play Pool on Your iPad…with Cues???

by Lori Cunningham (@wellconnectdmom)

I remember when the iPad first came out, I couldn’t get over being able to play one of my favorite games, Air Hockey, on the iPad using just my fingers.  How cool is that?  My family played iPad Air Hockey for a while until other new apps distracted us away.

I recently tried out two new Pressman games, called iPieces Air Hockey and iPieces Pool, that changes the way you play with your iPad.  Similar to playing Air Hockey in the arcade, each player uses an actual Air Hockey paddle, only…it’s miniaturized.  It miniaturized and it’s so cute!  Instead of wrapping your hand around it, you wrap two fingers around the mini paddle to maneuver the puck across your iPad screen.  It unites the physical world with the virtual world and my kids absolutely love it!

iPieces Pool

iPieces Pool is a blast to play, it’s a minute fraction of the cost of a real pool table…and it takes less room in your house!  I remember learning to play pool when I was probably in 5th or 6th grade.  I learned it while on vacation at a lodge where it was free to play.  It was a lot of fun but the problem was that once we went home, I couldn’t play anymore  and I had very few opportunities to play.

Now you can own your own pool table without moving out your dining room table to accommodate it.  Yes, we know friends who have done this.  OK, sure, your husband is never going to settle for an iPad game over the real thing.  However, now you can teach your children the game of pool in the comfort of your own home.  In fact, your child will probably teach his/her friends how to play, because it’s so addictive.

The iPieces Pool game plays exactly the same as its physical counterpart, only the cue sticks are a little different and you can’t sit on the table to make a more precise shot.  And although there is some cue chalk on the table, you don’t get the fun of seeing blue smoke come off your cue as you twist it into the chalk.

I was impressed at how well the cues work and I love hearing the clicking and clashing of the balls when they hit each other   It’s like you’re playing a real game of pool.  My kids picked up the game right away.  My 9 year old daughter taught my 6 year old son.  They only rule they didn’t know about was saving the black ball to bank in at the END of the game.

Air Hockey

The Pressman iPieces Air Hockey game is a lot of fun as well.  Similar to the iPieces Pool game, you hear real world sounds as you thrash the puck around.  My kids needed no instruction in playing the iPieces Air Hockey game. I heard roars of laughter and loud whines as one would encroach upon the line on the other’s side to score a goal.

Each Pressman iPieces game set comes with a hard plastic case to safely secure your iPieces when not in use.  You can imagine the iPieces game is not as fun if the kids lose one of the paddles.  The case is handy because it is large enough that you can find it among your electronics area or game board area.

As you can see from the picture, the game simulates as if you are playing on ice rather than air.  It handles pretty well for the most part, although sometimes I don’t get enough contact with the screen to block an incoming shot.  I like the variety Pressman puts into Air Hockey by adding an occasional hole in the ice.  Knock a puck into the hole and the game subtracts one point from your score.  You never know where it’s going to pop up on you in the ice.

You can see that the Air Hockey handle is small yet conforms well to your fingers to keep them in place during the game.  If you accidentally “throw” your handle towards your opponent, it won’t hurt them, like it does in the real game.  I recall getting a very bloody finger as a child when I wasn’t paying attention and my fingers (not holding the paddle) were on the table.  The puck it them hard and it hurt.  There will definitely be a lot less physical assaults with Pressman iPieces Air Hockey!

Pressman iPieces Pool and iPieces Air Hockey retail for $9.99 and can be found online at Amazon.com, anywhere from $5.98 to $12.99 and Toys R Us, each prices at $9.99.  You can also buy iPieces in stores at  Toys“R”Us, Barnes & Noble, K-mart, Radio Shack, Learning Express, and BJ’s Wholesale Club stores nationwide.

A Mom’s Perspective

I am a big fan of innovative ways to unite the physical world with the virtual world of apps.  It adds an extra dimension to the game as well as better incorporates the social aspects of playing together on the “same page,” so to speak.  Often times apps tend to be more independent minded.  Using the physical Air Hockey iPieces handles and the physical Pool cues makes it more inclusive, allowing others in a room to have a pretty good idea what the two competitors on the iPad are playing.

Pressman makes a number of other iPieces games that you will be able to identify with:

I have not played the Snakes & Ladders, Fishing Game, and Game of Goose, but all of them would certainly be a hit with your kids if they are similar to the iPieces Air Hockey and Pool games.  The Pressman iPieces games would fit perfectly into a stocking this Christmas.

WIN IT!  CONTEST ENDED

Want a Pressman iPieces game of your own?  Win one on WellConnectedMom.com!  We are giving away one Pressman iPieces game – choose your favorite one!  Sign up below and increase your chances of winning by following the prompts below.  The contest will be open until November 22nd.  The contest is only available for residents of the United States.

Good luck, everyone!
a Rafflecopter giveaway

*  I was given the game of iPieces Air Hockey and iPieces Pool to try out to write this review.  All opinions are my own.