''Virtual Pool'' (assigned the retronym ''Virtual Pool 1'' after the release of sequels) is a 3D, first-person sports simulation video game released by Interplay Productions in

1995 File:1995 Events Collage V2.png, From left, clockwise: O.J. Simpson is O. J. Simpson murder case, acquitted of the murders of Nicole Brown Simpson and Ronald Goldman from the 1994, year prior in "The Trial of the Century" in the United States; The ...

. It is the first of the ''Virtual Pool'' franchise of

computer simulation Computer simulation is the process of mathematical modelling, performed on a computer, which is designed to predict the behaviour of, or the outcome of, a real-world or physical system. The reliability of some mathematical models can be dete ...

s of pool games developed by Celeris.

Overview

''Virtual Pool'' is an accurate simulation of

straight pool Straight pool, which is also called 14.1 continuous and 14.1 rack, is a cue sport in which two competing players attempt to as many billiard balls as possible without playing a . The game was the primary version of pool played in professional ...

eight-ball Eight-ball (also spelled 8-ball or eightball, and sometimes called solids and stripes, spots and stripes or rarely highs and lows) is a discipline of pool played on a billiard table with six pockets, cue sticks, and sixteen billiard balls (a ...

nine-ball Nine-ball (sometimes written 9-ball) is a discipline of the cue sport pool. The game's origins are traceable to the 1920s in the United States. It is played on a rectangular billiard table with at each of the four corners and in the middle of e ...

, and rotation pool. The game is viewed in first-person 3D perspective, in contrast to most earlier pool games which featured a fixed overhead view. The game's publishers, Interplay, offered a full refund for buyers of the game who did not see an improvement in their pool abilities within 45 days of purchase and returned the CD-ROM to the company. ''Virtual Pool'' has revolutionary features that allow players to actually 'walk' around the table to check out their next shot, take a closer look, back away, look left or right and then line-up the shot like they would in a real game with a real table. This title also allows players to take an overhead view from above, something unavailable in a real pool game. Taking game tips from World Champion pool player "Machine Gun" Lou Butera is guaranteed to improve the player's game. Butera will teach players over 30 famous trick shots the player can practice on their computer screen and then implement on a real table.

Gameplay

As with later games in the ''

Virtual Pool ''Virtual Pool'' is a 3D, first-person sports simulation video game series with computer simulations of cue sports which was developed by Celeris. The games in the series simulate pool, snooker and carom billiards. The ''Virtual Pool'' serie ...

'' series, the game is played with keyboard, and

mouse A mouse ( : mice) is a small rodent. Characteristically, mice are known to have a pointed snout, small rounded ears, a body-length scaly tail, and a high breeding rate. The best known mouse species is the common house mouse (''Mus musculus' ...

, with shots being played by moving the mouse forwards, to simulate moving the . The control scheme devised for the game would be the same one that would be continued through the

series. The game features four different pool modes, with

Eight-Ball Eight-ball (also spelled 8-ball or eightball, and sometimes called solids and stripes, spots and stripes or rarely highs and lows) is a discipline of pool played on a billiard table with six pockets, cue sticks, and sixteen billiard balls (a ...

9-ball Nine-ball (sometimes written 9-ball) is a discipline of the cue sport pool. The game's origins are traceable to the 1920s in the United States. It is played on a rectangular billiard table with at each of the four corners and in the middle of e ...

rotation Rotation, or spin, is the circular movement of an object around a '' central axis''. A two-dimensional rotating object has only one possible central axis and can rotate in either a clockwise or counterclockwise direction. A three-dimensional ...

and

. There are also a choice of 9 different AI opponents to face off against, as well as local competitive multiplayer, or online via a modem. The player has the ability to alter the amount of pace, and angle of playing shots, as well as accurately mimic the effect of raising the of the cue to play a shot. Also featured is a licensed soundtrack, music ranging from rock to country, with regular sounds effects for striking the balls, and hitting rails.

Release

Pre-release versions of the 1995 PC version of ''Virtual Pool'' were leaked. The authorized production version of the game a different code named than that of the leaked copies. According to

IPC IPC may refer to: Computing * Infrastructure protection centre or information security operations center * Instructions per cycle or instructions per clock, an aspect of central-processing performance * Inter-process communication, the sharin ...

the stolen version was "being offered for sale at some swap meets, computer fairs and small retail shops" and "contain a defective software program which will not operate properly." The game was released successfully for DOS and Windows in 1995, with plans to port the game to the

Sega Saturn The is a home video game console developed by Sega and released on November 22, 1994, in Japan, May 11, 1995, in North America, and July 8, 1995, in Europe. Part of the fifth generation of video game consoles, it was the successor to the succ ...

PlayStation is a video gaming brand that consists of five home video game consoles, two handhelds, a media center, and a smartphone, as well as an online service and multiple magazines. The brand is produced by Sony Interactive Entertainment, a divisi ...

and Mac. The game was successfully released worldwide for PlayStation and Mac in 1997, after the release of

Virtual Snooker ''Virtual Snooker'' is a sports simulation video game developed by Celeris and published by Interplay Productions as an entry in the '' Virtual Pool'' franchise, the second in the series after '' Virtual Pool'' and the first spin-off from pool ga ...

. However, the planned Saturn release was eventually cancelled, for unknown reasons. Before cancellation, the release was scheduled for May 1997, around the time of release of the PlayStation release in Europe. Some time after the release of the sequel ''

Virtual Pool 2 ''Virtual Pool 2'' (acronymed to VP2) is a 3D, first-person sports simulation video game developed by Celeris and released by VR Sports on behalf of Interplay Productions in 1997. It is the third release of the ''Virtual Pool'' franchise o ...

'', both games were re-packaged as a two-in-one

CD-ROM A CD-ROM (, compact disc read-only memory) is a type of read-only memory consisting of a pre-pressed optical compact disc that contains data. Computers can read—but not write or erase—CD-ROMs. Some CDs, called enhanced CDs, hold both comput ...

jewel case edition (i.e., a bargain bin version without a box), called the ''"Virtual Pool 1 / Virtual Pool 2 Bundle"'' Before the release of ''Virtual Pool 2'', the game sold over 2 million copies.

Reception

PC version

'' PC Gamer US'' named ''Virtual Pool'' the "Best Sports Game" of 1995. The editors wrote, "For weeks after its release, the sounds of pool balls clacking together and dropping into the pockets was about all we heard in the ''PC Gamer'' office, and ''Virtual Pool'' is still a big hit around here." '' Entertainment Weekly'' gave the game a perfect score, stating "with its first-person perspective and true-to-life physics, Virtual Pool is one of the rare simulations that may actually improve your real game." '' GameSpot'' said the interface was "elegant and responsive", and that the player can "almost feel the contact with the ball." ''

Next Generation Next Generation or Next-Generation may refer to: Publications and literature * ''Next Generation'' (magazine), video game magazine that was made by the now defunct Imagine Media publishing company * Next Generation poets (2004), list of young ...

'' reviewed the PC version of the game, and stated that "Interplay has dressed ''Virtual Pool'' up with some multimedia chrome - videos on the history and theory of the game - but it could just as easily have left it out The core of ''Virtual Pool'', the game itself, is as close to perfect as a PC game can get." ''Virtual Pool'' was named the 57th best computer game ever by ''PC Gamer UK'' in 1997. Virtual Pool was also voted the Game of the year by Games magazine in 1995. The game was also awarded best simulation of 1995 from the Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences, best Sports Game of 1995 from PC Gamer magazine and Best VR Game of 1995 from Computer Player magazine.

PlayStation version

The PlayStation version was not as enthusiastically received. Most critics found that the graphics, being largely identical to those of the PC version, were outdated by the time the game was released on PlayStation. The heavy slowdown was also criticized, and some critics recommended players buy the PlayStation Mouse for the game, saying that the control is unacceptably imprecise with the standard gamepad. However, critics still applauded the game's accurate physics and found the instructional videos still helpful in improving one's skills. Josh Smith of ''GameSpot'' concluded that these elements, and the wide range of possible viewpoints, are enough to make the game enjoyable. ''

GamePro Gamepro.com is an international multiplatform video game magazine media company that covers the video game industry, video game hardware and video game software in countries such as Germany and France. The publication, GamePro, was originally la ...

''s review also found the game solid overall, and appealing to players of all skill levels. A reviewer for ''

'' described it as "slow and ugly", and recommended only due to the lack of better competition. The two sports reviewers of '' Electronic Gaming Monthly'' made similar remarks, with Kraig Kujawa summarizing, "''Virtual Pool'' delivers, but it could be better." IGN liked the gameplay, and concluded that "Aside from the bland, flat shaded graphics, Virtual Pool is an awesome pool sim."

Sales

According to Interplay, global sales of ''Virtual Pool'' surpassed 250,000 copies by June 1998.

References

External links

*
Developer Celeris official website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Virtual Pool (Video Game) 1995 video games DOS games Interplay Entertainment games Classic Mac OS games PlayStation (console) games Virtual Pool Windows games Video games developed in the United States