''Lunar Pool'' (known as in

Japan Japan ( ja, 日本, or , and formally , ''Nihonkoku'') is an island country in East Asia. It is situated in the northwest Pacific Ocean, and is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan, while extending from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north ...

) is a

sports Sport pertains to any form of competitive physical activity or game that aims to use, maintain, or improve physical ability and skills while providing enjoyment to participants and, in some cases, entertainment to spectators. Sports can, th ...

video game Video games, also known as computer games, are electronic games that involves interaction with a user interface or input device such as a joystick, controller, keyboard, or motion sensing device to generate visual feedback. This fee ...

. It was developed by

Compile In computing, a compiler is a computer program that translates computer code written in one programming language (the ''source'' language) into another language (the ''target'' language). The name "compiler" is primarily used for programs that ...

for the

Nintendo Entertainment System The Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) is an 8-bit third-generation home video game console produced by Nintendo. It was first released in Japan in 1983 as the commonly known as the The NES, a redesigned version, was released in America ...

and

MSX MSX is a standardized home computer architecture, announced by Microsoft and ASCII Corporation on June 16, 1983. It was initially conceived by Microsoft as a product for the Eastern sector, and jointly marketed by Kazuhiko Nishi, then vice-p ...

. The game combines

pool Pool may refer to: Water pool * Swimming pool, usually an artificial structure containing a large body of water intended for swimming * Reflecting pool, a shallow pool designed to reflect a structure and its surroundings * Tide pool, a rocky pool ...

(pocket billiards) with aspects of

miniature golf Miniature golf, also known as minigolf, mini-putt, crazy golf, or putt-putt, is an offshoot of the sport of golf focusing solely on the putting aspect of its parent game. The aim of the game is to score the lowest number of points. It is played ...

. The object is to knock each ball into a pocket using a

cue ball A billiard ball is a small, hard ball used in cue sports, such as carom billiards, pool, and snooker. The number, type, diameter, color, and pattern of the balls differ depending upon the specific game being played. Various particular ball prop ...

. The game offers sixty levels, and the friction of the table is adjustable (thus the lunar reference in the title, along with

Moon The Moon is Earth's only natural satellite. It is the fifth largest satellite in the Solar System and the largest and most massive relative to its parent planet, with a diameter about one-quarter that of Earth (comparable to the width of ...

-related background imagery within the game). The game was re-released for the

Wii The Wii ( ) is a home video game console developed and marketed by Nintendo. It was released on November 19, 2006, in North America and in December 2006 for most other Regional lockout, regions of the world. It is Nintendo's fifth major ho ...

on the North American

Virtual Console A virtual console (VC) – also known as a virtual terminal (VT) – is a conceptual combination of the keyboard and display for a computer user interface. It is a feature of some Unix-like operating systems such as Linux, BSD, illumos, Unix ...

on October 22, 2007.

Gameplay

''Lunar Pool'' is played in boards of different shapes. The player has to shoot the cue ball to knock other colored balls into the pockets. One life is lost whenever the player either fails to pocket a ball on three consecutive shots or pockets the cue ball. Completing a level awards one extra life, or two if the player has pocketed at least one ball on every shot. The value of each ball is determined by its number and the displayed "Rate" value, which starts at 1 and increases after every shot in which the player pockets at least one ball. Failing to do so resets the Rate to 1. Bonus points are awarded for completing a level without a miss. The game ends after all lives are lost or 60 levels have been completed, whichever occurs first.

Modes

''Lunar Pool'' can either be played alone, against another player, or against the computer. If the game is played against another player or the computer, players take turns shooting the cue ball. If one player fails to knock at least one of the colored balls into a pocket, or pockets their own cue ball, then it becomes the opponent's turn. The game includes an adjustable

friction Friction is the force resisting the relative motion of solid surfaces, fluid layers, and material elements sliding against each other. There are several types of friction: *Dry friction is a force that opposes the relative lateral motion of t ...

setting, which determines the rate at which balls slow down after being hit.

Legacy

In the Mexican soap opera

María la del Barrio ''María la del Barrio'' ( Lit: ''Maria from the neighborhood''/English title: ''Humble Maria'') is a Mexican telenovela produced by Angelli Nesma Medina for Televisa in 1995. The series is a remake of ''Los ricos también lloran''. ''María l ...

, José María (

Roberto Blandón Roberto Blandon (born Roberto Blandon Jolly; March 8, 1961 in Mexico City) is a television actor in Mexico who starred in soap operas in that country in 1989, including the role of Henry in the soap opera "Mi segunda madre" producer Juan Osorio ...

) plays ''Lunar Pool'' on the

NES The Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) is an 8-bit third-generation home video game console produced by Nintendo. It was first released in Japan in 1983 as the commonly known as the The NES, a redesigned version, was released in American ...

References

External links

* 1985 video games Compile (company) games Cue sports video games Fantasy sports video games Miniature golf video games Pony Canyon games NEC PC-8801 games Nintendo Entertainment System games Virtual Console games MSX games Multiplayer and single-player video games Video games developed in Japan {{Cue-sports-videogame-stub