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'''''Virtual Pool''''' is a [[3D computer graphics|3D]], [[First person (video games)|first-person]] [[Sports game|sports]] [[Simulation game|simulation]] [[video game series]] featuring [[computer simulation]]s of various [[cue sports]] made by Celeris.The games in the series involve simulting [[Pool (cue sports)|pool]] as well as [[snooker]] and [[carom billiards]]. The ''Virtual Pool'' series focuses on accurate simulation, and improving the player's ability real-life ability to play the sport. ''Virtual Pool'' releases are sold with a guarentee to improve the game of the player, or money back.<ref name="VP3"/> The series is not to be confused with [[Virtual Soccer]], which was made by [[Hudson Soft]]
'''''Virtual Pool''''' is a [[3D computer graphics|3D]], [[First person (video games)|first-person]] [[Sports game|sports]] [[Simulation game|simulation]] [[video game series]] featuring [[computer simulation]]s of various [[cue sports]] made by [[Celeris]]. The games in the series involve simulting [[Pool (cue sports)|pool]] as well as [[snooker]] and [[carom billiards]]. The ''Virtual Pool'' series focuses on accurate simulation, and improving the player's ability real-life ability to play the sport. ''Virtual Pool'' releases are sold with a guarentee to improve the game of the player, or money back.<ref name="VP3"/> The series is not to be confused with [[Virtual Soccer]], which was made by [[Hudson Soft]]


== Overview ==
== Overview ==

Revision as of 12:56, 1 January 2018

Virtual Pool Series
Box Art for Virtual Pool 4
Developer(s)Celeris
Publisher(s)Interplay Productions, Crave Entertainment, Global Star Software. Celeris
Platform(s)PC, Mac, PlayStation, PlayStation 2, xBox, iOS, Android

Virtual Pool is a 3D, first-person sports simulation video game series featuring computer simulations of various cue sports made by Celeris. The games in the series involve simulting pool as well as snooker and carom billiards. The Virtual Pool series focuses on accurate simulation, and improving the player's ability real-life ability to play the sport. Virtual Pool releases are sold with a guarentee to improve the game of the player, or money back.[1] The series is not to be confused with Virtual Soccer, which was made by Hudson Soft

Overview

The principal selling point of the Virtual Pool series games is that they were designed and tested not only by programmers, but also by physicists and professional players. The simulation was so accurate that the game prominently boasts "Guaranteed to improve your actual pool play or your money back" on the front of the box.[1][2] The series garnered pool industry endorsements, including professional players Mike Sigel and Jeanette "the Black Widow" Lee, and equipment manufacturers like Viking Cues, Imperial International, Schön Custom Cues, Creative Innovations, and Joss Cues.[1][3]

The graphics capabilities vary from game to game and platform to platform, but overall the 3D realism of the various simulated environments (pool halls, etc.) is on par with the graphics in other rendered games (first-person shooters, etc.) of each game's time period. The games' use of that perspective, to shoot balls instead of bullets, rather than falling back on a typical but unrealistic overhead view from the ceiling, contributed strongly to the success of the series.[4]

The complexity of the games increased over time, from Virtual Pool's straightforward offering of four different game types, to Virtual Pool 4's smorgasbord of 18 pool games on championship and bar tables, Snooker, English Billiards, 4 different carom games, and 4 pub pool 8-ball games. Other gradual improvements include more venues, more computerized opponents, equipment upgrade purchases, ability to customize tables (pocket width, etc.), video tutorials 2 career play modes, and a trick shot library. Online capability includes pool rooms with multiple players and spectators, tournaments, ladders, social network with player profiles, friends, statistics, and shot uploads.

Releases in the series

Release timeline
1995Virtual Pool
1996Virtual Snooker
1997Virtual Pool 2
1998Virtual Pool 64
1999Virtual Pool Hall
2000Virtual Pool 3
2001
2002
2003
2004
2005Virtual Pool: Tournament Edition
2006
2007
2008
2009
2010Virtual Pool Online HD
2011
2012Virtual Pool Mobile
Virtual Pool 4
2013
2014Virtual Pool 4: Multiplayer

Main series

Screenshot from Virtual Pool (Original), showing a game of 9-ball

Celeris, creators of the Virtual Pool franchise created their first title FlixMix, a DOS jigsaw puzzle game in 1993.[5] Following this release, Celeris published their first 3D game in Virtual Pool in 1995. The game featured 4 different pool modes straight pool, eight-ball, nine-ball, and rotation pool.[6] The game featured real-life pool World Champion Lou Butera and guaranteed to improve the player's pool game; a guarantee that would continue through all main series Virtual Pool titles.[7]

The game was successful for the company, and a sequel was produced in 1997; canonically named Virtual Pool 2, with a larger range of pool games on offer, including 3-ball, and bank pool. The game also featured improved graphics but was exclusively released for PC. Introduced in this game were over 120 AI opponents, and the ability to play the game in online multiplayer. Pool player Mike Sigil joined Butera for this game.

Virtual Pool 3 was released in 2000, for PC, but was later ported to the PlayStation, and eventually PlayStation Network. Virtual Pool 3 was the first main series game to feature Snooker as a playable game (However, it was available in spin-off releases), and also featured many billiard games. The game was released with endorsement by Jeanette Lee by Interplay Entertainment and Global Star Software, and received the highest metacritic score of any main series title (see Reception.

File:Screenshot from Virtual Pool 4.jpg
The Trick Shot creator mode from Virtual Pool 4

Over eleven years after the release of Virtual Pool 3, the sequel; Virtual Pool 4 was released. Despite the time frame difference between the two games, Virtual Pool 3 was receiving multiple patches between the date of it's release and the release of VP4. The game has had two formal releases, with a single player (with offline multiplayer) released in 2012, and a multiplayer version[a]in 2015.[8][9] Virtual Pool 4 was later released on Steam following a period on Steam Greenlight.[10]

Virtual Pool 4 features modes and graphical upgrades from its previous incarnation, including Snooker, Billiards and Pool modes, as well as the ability to change the size of the tables, and handicaps for certain players. The game also features an in-built trick shot mode; with playable pre-built trick shots to complete, and the ability to setup new trick shots.

Spin-off games

Despite being a predominately PC game,[b] there have been other releases outside this that have other console releases, or other game modes. Following the release of Virtual Pool, in 1996, Celeris released Virtual Snooker, a Snooker game using the same engine as that of the game it was based on.[11] The game only contained Snooker games, and not any pool modes.

Following the release of Virtual Pool 2, Celeris worked with VR Sports to produce a game exclusively for the Nintendo 64.[12] The game was released in 1998 as Virtual Pool 64[13], in the same naming manor as Super Mario 64, and Goldeneye 64. The game featured similar gameplay and modes as Virtual Pool 2, but was also condensed to fit on a cartridge.

Screenshot of straight pool from handheld release Virtual Pool Mobile.

The next year, Virtual Pool Hall was released for Windows, and could be seen as Virtual Pool 2.5. The game featured similar modes as Virtual Pool 2, but also included more features that would later appear in Virtual Pool 3. This included the first mode of Snooker in the series (outside of Virtual Snooker), as well as Billiards, which would be implemented into Virtual Pool 3. [14] The game also featured instructional videos similar to main series games, by Mike Segal.[15]

The series' first xBox game release came in 2006, with Virtual Pool: Tournament Edition,[16] which featured a career mode that would later be used as the "hustle tour" mode in VP4,[17] the tablet and iOS game Virtual Pool Online HD[18] and a later Mobile release called Virtual Pool Mobile, that was released in 2012.[19][20][21]

Releases

Year Title Developer Platform(s)
Console Computer Mobile
1995 Virtual Pool Interplay Productions PlayStation PC, Mac & DOS
1996 Virtual Snooker Interplay Productions PC
1997 Virtual Pool 2 VR Sports PC
1998 Virtual Pool 64 Crave Entertainment Nintendo 64
1999 Virtual Pool Hall Interplay Software PC
2000 Virtual Pool 3 Interplay Entertainment
Global Star Software 		PlayStation, PlayStation 3[c] PC
2005 Virtual Pool: Tournament Edition Global Star Software Xbox
2012 Virtual Pool Mobile Interplay Entertainment iPhone[d], iPad[d] & Android
2012 Virtual Pool 4 Celeris PC iPad

Reception

Aggregate review scores
Game Year GameRankings Metacritic
Virtual Pool 1995 75% [22]
Virtual Snooker 1996 67%[23]
Virtual Pool 2 1997 73% [24]
Virtual Pool 64 1998 65% [25]
Virtual Pool Hall 1999 78% [26]
Virtual Pool 3 Edit this on Wikidata 2000 85%[30] 82%[29]
Virtual Pool: Tournament Edition 2006 61% [27] 62% [28]
Virtual Pool 4 2012

The Virtual Pool Franchise has received moderate to good reception from critics, with Virtual Pool 3 given the best ratings in the series.[31] A general consensus of reviews for the games in the series is that the game contains high quality game mechanics, with the ball collision physics of particular praise. [32] Virtual Pool 2 received a perfect 100 score from the German review by PC Player magazine.[33] However, some reviews of the series called games "boring", due to the nature of the pool simulation.

Awards

The Original release of Virtual Pool was voted the "Best Sports Game" of 1995 by PC Gamer US.[34] Virtual Pool was also voted the Game of the year by Games magazine in 1995[35] Virtual Pool 2 was a finalist for the Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences' 1997 "Personal Computer: Sports Game of the Year" award,[36] which ultimately went to FIFA: Road to World Cup 98.[37]

Notes

  1. ^ Named Virtual Pool 4 Multiplayer
  2. ^ Whilst games in the Virtual Pool Main Series do appear on other consoles (Generally PlayStation), the Virtual Pool series is generally created on PC/Macintosh, and ported to these systems. The games are designed for keyboard and mouse controls.
  3. ^ The game was released originally for PlayStation in 2003, but was later released on PSN in 2010 for PlayStation 3
  4. ^ a b Known as Virtual Pool Online, or Virtual Pool HD.

References

  1. ^ a b c Virtual Pool 3. Beverly Hills, CA: Interplay Entertainment. 2000. Box cover; Instruction Manual. {{cite book}}: |access-date= requires |url= (help); Unknown parameter |nopp= ignored (|no-pp= suggested) (help)
  2. ^ "Bits & Bytes: The Enter*Active File". Billboard. July 1995. p. 66. {{cite magazine}}: |access-date= requires |url= (help)
  3. ^ "Virtual Pool 3 Review". GameSpot. Retrieved December 18, 2017.
  4. ^ Newman, Jeff (December 1995). "Bosses Bound and Gagged, Now Let the Games Begin". Network Computing. 6 (16): 32. {{cite journal}}: |access-date= requires |url= (help)
  5. ^ "FlixMix". MobyGames. Retrieved December 19, 2017.
  6. ^ Desjardins, Dawn (1998). CD-ROMs in Print 1998. Farmington Hills, MI: Gale. p. 940. ISBN 0-7876-1059-3.
  7. ^ "Bits & Bytes: The Enter*Active File". Billboard. July 1995. p. 66. {{cite magazine}}: |access-date= requires |url= (help)
  8. ^ "Latest News - 9Ball.com". 9balldotcom. Retrieved December 12, 2017.
  9. ^ "Virtual pool 4 Multiplayer". Steam. Retrieved December 13, 2017.
  10. ^ "Steam Greenlight:: Virtual Pool 4". Steampowered.com.
  11. ^ "Virtual Snooker Review". GameSpot. Retrieved December 17, 2017.
  12. ^ Taruc, Nelson (January 29, 1999). "Virtual Pool 64 Review". GameSpot.com. San Francisco, CA: CNET Networks. Retrieved 2008-09-01.
  13. ^ "Virtual Pool 64 for Nintendo 64". MobyGames. Retrieved December 19, 2017.
  14. ^ "Virtual Pool Hall Review". GameSpot. January 18, 2000. Retrieved December 14, 2017.
  15. ^ "Virtual Pool Hall Review". IGN. February 1, 2000. Retrieved December 14, 2017.
  16. ^ "XB Virtual Pool Tournament Edition". Amazon.com. Seattle, WA: Amazon.com Inc. 2006.
  17. ^ "Virtual Pool: Tournament Edition". IGN UK. Retrieved December 19, 2017.
  18. ^ "Virtual Pool Online -". IGN. Retrieved December 19, 2017.
  19. ^ "Virtual Pool Mobile". Amazon. Aug 24, 2011. Retrieved December 14, 2017.
  20. ^ "Virtual Pool Mobile - Android Play Store". Google. Retrieved December 14, 2017.
  21. ^ Hartley, Adam. "Apple lists top 20 free and paid-for iPhone apps". TechRadar. Retrieved 2017-10-03.
  22. ^ "Virtual Pool for PC". GameRankings. Retrieved December 18, 2017.
  23. ^ "Virtual Snooker for PC". Game Rankings. Retrieved December 18, 2017.
  24. ^ "Virtual Pool 2 for PC". Game Rankings. Retrieved December 18, 2017.
  25. ^ "Virtual Pool 64 for Nintendo 64". GameRankings. Retrieved December 18, 2017.
  26. ^ "Virtual Pool Hall for PC". GameRankings. Retrieved December 18, 2017.
  27. ^ "Virtual Pool: Tournament Edition on Xbox". GameRankings. Retrieved December 18, 2017.
  28. ^ "Virtual Pool: Tournament Edition for Xbox". Metacritic. Retrieved December 18, 2017.
  29. ^ "Virtual pool 3 for PC". Retrieved December 18, 2017.
  30. ^ "Virtual Pool for PC". GameRankings. Retrieved December 18, 2017.
  31. ^ "Virtual Pool 3 for PC". GameRankings. Retrieved December 18, 2017.
  32. ^ "Virtual Pool Hall Review". GameSpot. January 18, 2000. Retrieved December 14, 2017.
  33. ^ "Critic Score PC Player". MobyGames. Retrieved December 19, 2017.
  34. ^ Editors of PC Gamer (March 1996). "The Year's Best Games". PC Gamer US. 3 (3): 64, 65, 67, 68, 71, 73–75. {{cite journal}}: |author= has generic name (help)
  35. ^ "GAMES Game Awards – 1991–2004 Games of the Year". GamesMagazine-Online.com. Kappa Publishing Group. Archived from the original on 23 December 2016. Retrieved 19 February 2017. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
  36. ^ "The Award; Award Updates". Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences. Archived from the original on June 15, 1998. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
  37. ^ "The Award; Award Updates". Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences. Archived from the original on June 15, 1998. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
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