Virtual Pool

Pool on your screen — and you'd think it'd be dumb simple. Virtual Pool from 1995 will quickly convince you that you're wrong. This isn't just about clicking balls; it's about physics, angles, and if you're interested, what the pros actually do in real life.

It's a pool simulator for DOS that you'll take to your computer the same way you'd bring a pool table to a bar. You've got eight or nine balls, a cue ball, maybe a ten or an eight as your target. A suitably long cue and the objective is clear: get the balls into the pockets correctly and in the right order. The game offers practice rounds, tournaments, and play against the computer.

Playing itself is pretty straightforward. You aim the cue at the cue ball, set the angle and power of your shot. The physics behave sensibly — balls bounce off the rails, friction works, speed diminishes. It's no accident that when you calculate the angle right, the ball ends up where you want it. A mistake of a few degrees means a missed shot. The computer plays tough, but it's beatable when you've got the touch.

The graphics are simple — green table, colorful balls, basic perspective. Sound is almost nonexistent. But simplicity isn't a flaw; the game is clean, clear, and the emphasis is where it should be — on physics and player decisions. In the nineties, that was a luxury you didn't often get — a simulator that doesn't cheat.

Today it's a curiosity worth tasting. If you want to play pool without online guides or wrestling with 3D models, Virtual Pool is a reliable companion. It's not the prettiest thing that ever came to DOS, but it plays with seriousness, and you'll appreciate that nowadays.