DS's first pool simulator, 8Ball Allstars, breaks cover

Being nothing better than a low-grade bar room player myself, the flourishing sub-genre of games centred around the green and blue baize has always seemed rather odd. Sure, developers can talk up the accuracy of their Newtonian physics simulation, but where's the fun without smoke-filled rooms, blue-chalked fingers and the odd hustle?

We don't know whether these elements will figure in the plans of publisher Oxygen, which has just announced 8Ball Allstars – a game we reckon could be the first DS pool game in the UK. But at least the stylus-touchscreen combination should provide plenty of interesting control options.

Not that publisher Oxygen is saying, just yet. In fact, other than the name, it hasn't given away many details about the game at all.

For example, it reveals: "With a fully customisable feature set, the game enables players to style their game and play however they like, wherever they like."

But what does it mean, exactly?

The information flow improves a bit with the promise of being able to "challenge friends anywhere to head-to-head games," but whether that means support for the Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection – for the genuine ability to tackle your friends anywhere in the world – isn't clear.

Still, with the release not due until sometime in the autumn, there's plenty of time for Oxygen to reveal a few more details. Hey, even a screenshot wouldn't go amiss.